21.12.2007
Dear Friends in Dharma,
Apart from the summer retreat the most important event was installing of paintings in the gompa. Thanks to the sponsor, who gave us 15 000 EUR (56 000 PLN) for it, the Management Board decided to order traditional wall paintings in Bhutan. They were prepared in Bhutan transported to Poland and three Bhutanese painters put them on the gompa walls. They stayed one month in Poland to do so. Most of us had already seen the wonderful effects of their stay. I hope that everybody who has not been to Darnkow yet will see the paintings next year.
Nothing would be possible without Tulku Ugen`s assistance, who supervised the project from the very beginning. He went to Bhutan and settled down all details with painters. Besides he made all procedures to get visas for the painters, sent the paintings to Poland. He also brought Bhutanese to Poland (they have never been abroad except India and spoke little English). He also helped as interpreter in Darnkow. The entire cost of this project is 120 000 PLN (preparing of paintings, visas, insurance, air tickets for painters and Tulku Ugen, sending of paintings by air mail, paying back of Tulku Ugen`s two trips to Bhutan, food and payment for painters` work in Darknow, materials and tools necessary to put the paintings on walls). Up till now we have already gathered 85 600 PLN of donations for paintings (56 000 PLN from one sponsor and 29 500 PLN of other donations). I would like to stress that only payment for paintings was transferred directly to the bank account in Bhutan. The rest of payments I did on the basis of settling of accounts and receipts I got. All documents can be checked.
During the summer retreat Tulku Ugen performed a traditional ritual of consecration of the paintings in the gompa.
One of the most important ceremonies which took place during the retreat was consecration of a place for Rinpoche`s stupa. Now we are setting down all details about its shape and filling. I will inform about details separately when we decide all details. I just wanted to inform that the Management Board decided that we will start construction of the stupa after collecting funds for it. After decision of putting paintings in the gompa we had to borrow 34 400 PLN from money intended for the gompa heating system. Now we have to pay them back. We do not want to repeat such situation. Up till now we gathered 1 805 PLN for the stupa.
This year we decided that the butter lamp ceremony would last 4 weeks. Thanks to it we avoided stress and nervousness. All said that such system is better. We burnt as many lamps as we could clean everyday. We offered 111 111 butter lamps. Thanks to longer retreat more people could participate in it (more possibilities of arrival), stress was avoided and usual number of lamp was offered.
During the retreat we hold a General Assembly of Polish Khordong members. During the meeting (detailed Minutes of Meeting can be checked in Darnkow) we chose a new Management Board. The withdrawing Management Board did not presented a detailed financial report from its term of office (I did not succeed to record invoices from last few months into my pc on time). Our Treasurer Krzys Trembaczewski suggested not to give a vote of acceptance to the withdrawing Management Board until the balance of payments would be presented to the Management Board and Control Committee on 4th October 2007.
But we decided to elect new Management Board. During the General Assembly we elected as follows:
Management Board:
Chairperson Ms. Anna Siwecka
Deputy Chairperson Ms. Julita Oginska
Treasurer Mr. Andrzej Wojcik
Board Member Mr. Pawel Ostrowski
Control Commission
Chairperson Ms. Edyta Nowacka
Deputy Chairperson Mr. Leszek Dziadykiewicz
Member Ms. Grazyna Sawlewicz
On 4th October 2007 I presented all receipts and sheets of balance for 2006 and 2007 to the Management Board and Control Commission. The Management Board and Control Commission after Krzys Trembaczewski`s explanations accepted and approved the setting of accounts. The detailed settlement of accounts from both years in available in Darnkow.
In October 2007 we started installing the heat pomp – the heating system for gompa. After long consultations the Management Board decided that a heating pomp with an earth collector is the best solution. The total cost of investment is 150 000 PLN. 70 000 PLN is from our sponsor and 80 000 PLN is borrowed. From last Thursday, when installment works were finished we have 20 degrees inside the gompa and also hot water!
For the time being we set the temperature for 20 degrees to check the system. Then to lower the costs we will set the lower temperature. We will know the real cost of heating after 2 – 3 months. Still we have much work to do in Darnkow. It is obvious we have to pay our debts but there are few very important issues to be done in the same time:
? The most important is inside doors in gompa and doors of the coridor on the 1st floor.
? Painting of walls of guest rooms and all 1st floor (now proceeding).
? Tiles covering of stairs to the 1st floor. It will be the end of constructing investments inside the gompa and probably in spring 2008 we will be able to open the entire building. Next big constructing investments we want to start after paying back debts:
? Renovation of the building of canteen and kitchen: ground floor – dining room and kitchen, 1st floor – constructing of a dormitory and a storeroom.
? Resolving the problem of sewage disposal – installing of a bigger cesspool or – if we get permission – installing of a biological wastewater treatment plant. It looks that we do not have any chance to be connected to municipal sewage system as it was promised.
Dharma plans for next year is to invite H.H. Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche to Darnkow. At the beginning of November Tulku Ugen visited Rinpoche and invited him to Poland again. I also sent again a written official invitation. Rinpoche said to Ugen that he wanted to come to Poland next year but he would give the date at the beginning of 2008.
I hope that everything will go well and Rinpoche arrive to Darnkow in next summer.
If anybody has any question to my report, or to other things according Darnków please contact me. Anna Siwecka
Klasztor Khordong Drophan Ling <khordong (ad) poczta.onet.pl>
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Sarvamangalam
A n d r e a s
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