Written by Liliana Schulz
Introduction
The Drepung Loseling Institute, located in Atlanta, Georgia, is the North American seat of the Drepung Loseling Monastery and a major US center for Tibetan Buddhist studies. It officially opened in May of 1991 with the mission to study and preserve the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and provide a sanctuary for “heart and intellect.” The Institute names two main objectives in recognizing this vision: (1) to contribute to North American culture by providing knowledge and training in Tibetan traditions to westerners and (2) to preserve the Tibetan culture threatened by Chinese occupation. The Institute’s website can be found here.
Drepung Loseling Monastery of Tibet
Founded in 1416 by Jamyang Choge Tashi Palden, Drepung Loseling Monastery is considered one of the three great Gelukpa Tibetan monasteries. It held great prestige in Tibet until about 1951, when the Chinese invaded Lhasa. At this time, many of its buildings were destroyed and much of its independence and spiritual credibility was lost under the eyes of Chinese security service. The monastery was reestablished in southwestern India after the Dalai Lama went into exile, but the Tibetan seat does remain open today.
History
In 1988, eight lamas from the Indian monastery visited the United States as part of their world tour of Sacred Music, Sacred Dance for Planetary Peace and Healing. While in Atlanta, the monks were gifted a plot of land accepted by head lama, H.E. Gungbar Tulku, and consecrated by H.E. Rizong Rinpoche and Geshe Lobsang Tenzin Negi a year later. During this time, Geshe Lobsang was offered a scholarship to pursue a PhD at Emory University, allowing him to oversee the construction of the new temple and eventually take over as director. He remains the president and spiritual director of the Institute today. Currently, there are two teachers-in-residence, Geshe Dadul Namgyal and Geshe Ngawang Phende, both of whom received their training at the Drepung Loseling Monastery in India. Several guest teachers, including western scholars and Tibetan medical doctors, have been invited over the years to present lectures and teach classes. The Dalai Lama has visited the Institute three times, most recently in 2013, and played a large role in its maturation as an educational and spiritual center.
Partnership with Emory University
In 1995, four years after the Institute opened its doors, the Dalai Lama was approached by a faculty delegation during a visit to Emory University. They proposed an affiliation between the university and the Drepung Loseling Monastery, which he accepted. After lengthy discussions, it was determined that the university would affiliate with both the Monastery in India and the Institute in Georgia, allowing for academic programs to exist in both places. Currently, four courses, each with multiple sections, are offered to Emory students through the Institute: The Psychology of Enlightenment, The Culture of Buddhist Tibet, Classical Indian Buddhist Thought, and Tibetan Language. More than 230 students are involved in this cross-cultural exchange. The University also hosts a yearly event called Tibet Week, a celebration of Tibetan culture and the Buddhist religion. It often includes guest lecturers, cultural events and exhibitions, and opportunities to engage in meditation and chanting with the Drepung monks. More information about Tibet Week 2022 can be found here.
Funding
While there are many free activities across the weekly schedule, there are also several that require a membership. Memberships can be purchased as an annual payment ranging from $135 to $500 per year or as a one-time payment between $3,500 and $10,000, all depending on the specific member or donor distinction desired. An interesting note to make here is that, while there is a monetary obstacle to access the full cultural and spiritual benefits of the Institute, the monks leave room for members to decide how much they’d like to give. All the annual memberships come with the exact same benefits, and the more expensive donor distinctions only have two additional ones. This semi-freedom to choose seems to go back to the basic Buddhist idea that giving, especially to monks, builds good karma; everything a member or donor chooses to give over the $135 minimum is essentially an optional donation to the Institute that reflects back onto their karma. In addition to membership fees, the Institute has two notable donation funds. The first is the Drepung Loseling Educational Fund, which goes towards the monks at the Indian monastery. It’s set up as a sponsor system, but they make it clear that the money goes towards the welfare of all the monks and monk students at the monastery, specifically by providing meals, healthcare, and education. The second fund is the Mystical Arts of Tibet fund, which sponsors three artistic aspects of the Institute. This fund goes towards a group of monks who perform sacred music and dances on tours across North America, sand mandala painting for museums and art galleries, and a museum exhibition display of Tibetan artifacts. There are several other donation programs supported by the Institute, but these two stand alone in their direct link back to the Institution’s operation.
Activities and Practices
The Institute serves as a place of educational training and spiritual engagement. For those just starting out, they offer introductory classes on meditation, Tibetan Buddhist philosophy, and Medicine Buddha practices, as well as a Foundation Series for those “considering the practice of Buddhism.” They then offer an Intermediate Series, focusing on Mahayana Buddhist practices, for anyone wanting to continue their training after that. In addition to these educational activities, they include several spiritual practices in their programming, like individual consultations with visiting Tibetan physicians and the Lamrim series, a guide through the steps of enlightenment with the end goal of achieving Buddhahood. More practices of note include:
- Shamatha Meditation – Shamatha is an important form of meditation meant to be the build-up to insight meditation. The focus of this form of meditation is to build stability and self-awareness by recognizing the mind for what it is. Using one’s breath as an anchor, the point is to experience thoughts and emotions, understanding that some are helpful and others are unhelpful, but all are natural. Eventually, one would be able to separate the two and decrease the number of unhelpful ones. The Institute uses this practice as an introduction to meditation and as a foundation for the path to spiritual Buddhism.
- Public Talks – The public talks are a weekly event dating back to the Institute’s beginning in 1991, making it one the oldest traditions practiced there. Each talk opens with several minutes of chanting, meant to relax the mind and body and motivate one to receive the teaching. The chants can be in English, Sanskrit or Tibetan, but notecards with phonetic transcriptions are always provided. After the chanting, a monk will deliver a Buddhist teaching, different each week, and allow for a question-and-answer session thereafter. The talk is concluded with another few minutes of chanting and a dedication of the merit for the happiness of all beings.
- Vajrasattva – Vajrasattva is a visualization practice involving the meditation on the deity Vajrasattva and the recitation of a 100-syllable mantra with the intent to purify any negative karma and obstacles in the way of one’s Buddha Nature. Often the first deity practiced by students, many schools require 100,000 mantras of Vajrasattva, though the Institute does not specify any minimum. They do, however, restrict it to those who have received the appropriate empowerment.
- Vajrayogini and Chakrasamvara – The highest yoga practices of the Tantric tradition, Vajrayogini represents the female Buddha and Chakrasamvara the male Buddha. Together, they embody the union between bliss and emptiness to reach enlightenment. These practices are considered advanced level at the Institute and are restricted to those who have received both the Vajrayogini and Chakrasamvara empowerments. They are held every Sunday, but the last Sunday of the month only includes the Chakrasamvara sadhana, so anyone who has received the Chakrasamvara empowerment may attend regardless of whether or not they have the Vajrayogini empowerment.
Role in the Community
The Institute, affectionately referred to as Atlanta’s Little Tibet, distinguishes itself in its community in a number of ways. In keeping with Tibetan tradition, the monks hold individual consultation sessions for spiritual advice and wellbeing and offer their services for Pujas, or prayer ceremonies common in Tibetan Buddhist communities. Some of the private rituals and blessings listed on their website include a healing puja, three prayers for clearing obstacles, a protector’s puja, prayers for the deceased, house blessings, business blessings, blessings for marriages, and blessings for babies and children. In the interest of maintaining a monastic community, the Institute is also raising funds to build a small house for its teachers and monks next to the center. In terms of cultural artifacts, the Institute is the only location in the United States to have a full collection of Tibetan cultural dolls on display and is home to a Tibetan prayer hall consecrated by the Dalai Lama. The alter within the hall was traditionally hand-carved by five full-time artists over a period of 18 months and houses several Buddhist texts donated by the Dalai Lama himself. Measuring 20 feet wide and 16 feet high, it is one of the few alters of such magnitude, intricacy, and cultural value in North America.
Final Remarks
The Drepung Loseling Monastery in Atlanta is a pillar for Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Though there is little information about the size and demographic makeup of this community, it is clear there is an active effort to create a Tibetan Buddhist sangha in Atlanta and sustain the Tibetan culture. For further information, please reference the website linked above, the Facebook page, or the Twitter page. Alternatively, an in-person visit can be made to 1781 Dresden Drive or a phone call to 404-982-0051.