Bank Account Details to be announced soon...
Our monastic site is tucked away behind other buildings near the Great Stupa at Swayambhunath and is accessed via a small entrance gateway. By all appearances, you may not even notice we are here!
Any donations we receive specifically for this fund will be put to immediate good use.
An extremely kind Western friend - who was just passing through - turned out to be a Quantity Surveyor. She produced a much-needed detailed summary of every single job [big and small] that needs to be done here at Dzogchen Monastery. You will find her very practical report, and a sample estimate of costs for just one portion of the overall work, at the end of this page after some photographs.
But the main thing to say right now is that this enormous construction repair and decoration project has BEGUN!
And, all thanks to you and Tulku Pegyal Rinpoche's many friends dispersed around the world, we know your great kindness will not fail us and that all necessary works will one day be totally complete. And then we can say that Tulku Pegyal's vision for this monastery has really begun to take physical form.
It may take a little bit longer for us to fully realise the spiritual aspect of his vision for Dzogchen Monastery. But, with a developing community of study and practice here, we are sure to succeed in that area as well.
So, dear friend, before you read the list of 'Work to be Done...' here are some recent photos showing what we have already started doing and what we urgently need to do to create the ideal, basic outer environment for inner transformation to occur.
Our priorities here at Dzogchen Monastery, clearly are not about money or comfort.
We have been more interested in caring for beings [our monks, nuns, new young monks, our workers, our pet animals...] and establishing the right space for the Dharma to unfold [making our shrineroom and grounding our study and practice solidly on that].
But, clearly there are many many more 'practical' matters we need to attend to... such as walls falling down around us, leaky roofs, proper accommodation to home our monastics while fully respecting the necessary boundaries between monks and nuns. We need basic kitchen facilities, showers, toilets that work, hand-washing sinks with taps [!], laundry etc etc ... the list goes on. But, thankfully, the list is not endless.
We don't need any luxury whatsoever. Just the basics so we can get on with our spiritual life.
With your help, we can continue to work our way through the 'to do' list until it is all 'done'.
So here is the list and some estimates...
AUDIT REPORT FOR DZOGCHEN MONASTERY
PREPARED BY R.M.STEEL
QUALITY CONSULTANT
22/04/2010
Following an inspection of the Monastery at the request of Tulku Rinpoche I am very happy to present the following report.
Monks and Nuns individual quarters:
· Windows are all satisfactory
· Furniture is in reasonable condition
· Lighting generally adequate except in a few rooms the tube lighting bulbs need replacing
· Flooring - some rooms have concrete flooring and where there is lino generally this is in a poor condition being either torn or cracked and for the areas that are carpeted this is mostly in a poor condition with torn areas
· Door locks are all mostly loose requiring maintenance to replace screws and two doors have broken wooden panels.
Monastic Shared Toilet and Shower block
· Hand-basins - Both not working as neither have taps.
· Toilet One - Cistern not working, tiles broken, supply of water adequate, door locks secure.
· Toilet Two - Cistern not working, tiles in good condition, water supply adequate, door locks secure.
· Toilet Three ( western style ) - Toilet seat broken, cistern not working, tiles in good condition, water supply adequate and door locks secure.
· Shower One - Window broken, shower head working, no door lock, tiles in good condition
· Shower Two - Not functioning as has no shower head, tiles in good condition door lock secure
· Area generally in an unclean condition and in need of regular maintenance.
Monastic Kitchen area:
· Flooring is concrete which is satisfactory for this area
· Lower walls are tiled and these are in good condition
· Lighting poor as currently only one light functions, the remainder need bulbs replacing and or fittings repaired
· Roof and wall paint peeling
· Furniture and fittings are in need of repair specifically cupboards, some handles missing, one cupboard door broken and screening on cupboard door broken.
Guest Room:
· Carpet good condition
· Windows are all satisfactory
· Furniture is in reasonable condition
· Lighting adequate and working
· Locks secure
· Flooring is lino and has small torn areas.
·
Tulku Rinpoches Room:
· Windows are all satisfactory
· Lightening is adequate and working
· Wall and ceiling paint in good condition
· Flooring is carpet and this is in reasonable condition
· Lock on door broken
Bathroon Ensuite
· Lighting cover broken so unable to change bulb
· Toilet cistern and toilet bowl leaking
· Shower not working and flow of water inadequate
· Windows in satisfactory condition
· Floor tiles satisfactory
· Ceiling and wall paint in good condition
· power switches working.
Hallway on Second Floor:
· Inside lighting not working
· Outside lighting not working
· Balcony rail secure but in need of paint
Top Floor Courtyard area:
· Painted balcony walls covered with mildew
· Paint on roofed area flaking and metal rusting
· Lighting - some bulbs need replacing
· Access stairwell in good condition
· Stairs to water tank - some wooden boards broken, hand railing paint flakey with metal rusting, drain pipe from roof in a rusty condition.
Top Floor balcony Entrance:
· Lighting - some bulbs need replacing
· Windows all in good condition but some catches broken
Shrine Room:
· Shrine Room has just been newly carpeted and painted and is in good condition.
Outside Fixtures and Facilities:
Caretakers Room:
· Outside Walling, brickwork eroding
· Inside roofing leaks as not properly sealed has visible open gaps where water leaks down walls
· Lighting adequate and working
· Walls in need of paint
· Windows - some have gauze covering only and others completely open
Water pump : In good working condition
Water tank : In safe condition
Outside Storage Area:
· Supporting side brick wall in unsafe condition as has become dislodged from main structure
· Roofing in good condition
· Frontage open
Outside Toilet Block:
· Toilet One - Lighting working, door broken and doesn't close securely, door handle broken and locks loose, netting in door needs replacing
· Toilet Two - Lighting working, netting in door broken
· Lama Toilet - Lighting not working,
· Hand basin - No running water, tap broken
Outside environment:
· Driveway has " manhole " covered with loose rusty tin
Main Entrance:
· Front door bell not working
· Metal gates in good condition but paint peeling and faded
· Locks in good condition and secure
· Lighting adequate
Surrounding Perimeter Walls:
· Brick work generally showing signs of erosion
· Drainage blocked
· Concrete path cracked in places
· Some mildew evident
· Concrete walls coming away from main supporting structure
In summary:
I was not able to inspect the first floor as this area was locked and key not available.
There are some areas in urgent need of repair and this includes:
· the brick wall in the outside storage area which is currently used for shrine preparation
· the wooden planks leading up to the water tanks from the top courtyard
· the monastery currently has no emergency supplies for example, water, torches, first aid equipment in event of a disaster.
