A Letter from Our Founder |
| All, It has been close to
fifty years since His Holiness the Dalai Lama fled Tibet. In doing so he led his people to Dharamsala in Northern
India, a place where the members of the growing refugee community could
live in freedom and practice their Buddhist religion without the
oppressive and often violent opposition of the Chinese Government. Today, over 100,000 Tibetans of all ages reside in exile
–
over
85,000 of them in India. The Tibetan community
in exile has
faced its struggles, but all in all, it has thrived. The occupation of Tibet has led to a global diaspora of a
remarkable people. There are
Tibetan temples, monasteries, and communities of all sizes spread
throughout the globe. We have these
courageous refugees to thank for a growing global awareness of the
plight of the Tibetan people, and for the
spread of the uniquely spectacular and colorful brand of Tibetan Buddhism.
By all accounts, these are a resilient, compassionate, and altogether inspiring people. Arasmas (samsara spelled backwards) was created to support young refugees who have completed grade twelve with the highly acclaimed Tibetan Children's Village school system, and who now wish to continue their educations, but do not have the funds. Many of these students have been living in exile for years with moderate support from their community or extended families, but rarely enough to pay tuition and expenses required to attend college or vocational schools. Upon completion of grade twelve, without financial assistance, their options are quite limited. Most of them are fluent in Chinese, English, Hindi and Tibetan. Many are unbelievably motivated to continue studying and give back to their community in some way. Arasmas was created
to help serve the needs of these youths. With
only a little money
– often less than a thousand US dollars a year
–
a Tibetan refugee can attend an Indian university or vocational school
and receive a higher education with which to realize their dreams. It takes so very little to have a great impact on the lives of
these struggling refugees I invite you to
explore this website and learn more about what we do and the students we
assist. If you choose to
contribute, you can rest assured that every little bit helps.
If you have any questions or thoughts, please feel free to contact
us. Tashi
delek. Cecily
Deane Mak |
Arasmas |