This past month the Himalayan Institute was honored to host Khen Rinpoche Tsetan, abbot of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in southern India. The Tashi Lhunpo Monastery is the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama who is the 2nd highest ranking lama after the Dalai Lama. Following up on Tibetan Prime Minister Samdhong Rinpoche’s visit to the Himalayan Institute last year, Khen Rinpoche wanted to see how his monastery could join the Institute’s Energy Farming program currently underway in Tibetan refugee settlements.
Khen Rinpoche and Ishan Tigunait, Director of Strategic Development, at the Institute’s campus in Honesdale, PA.
During his visit, Khen Rinpoche toured the Institute’s vegetable garden and Energy Farming demonstration plot where medicinal and biofuel crops are being cultivated. The techniques used in these gardens are the same techniques that the HI promotes in all of their Energy Farming projects in Cameroon and at the Tibetan Settlements.
In the evening, Khen Rinpoche gave a public Dharma talk on "A Peaceful Mind and How to Overcome Negative Emotions."
The Institute is working in collaboration with the Tibetan government-in-exile, and launched its Energy Farming program in Rabgayling Tibetan Settlement in early 2009. In the eleven months since the program started, over 10,000 trees are growing at the Settlement’s demonstration site that will eventually produce biofuels.
Humanitarian Blog 