WELCOME TO THE TIBETAN CULTURAL INSTITUTE OF ARKANSAS
The Tibetan Cultural Institute of Arkansas is dedicated to
helping the Tibetan people preserve their culture within the emerging
global village. We are convinced
that the preservation of Tibetan culture is more than an act of historical preservation.
The Tibetan voice has proven itself over the millennia to be a vital voice,
and one whose counsel and vision should be a major component of our attempts
to solve the unique problems that confront us as we enter the 21st century.
The Institute pursues its objectives through education, through providing the public with
teachings, demonstrations, exhibits, lectures, films, study trips - in short, with any
activity that artfully showcases one of the world's oldest and most comprehensive civilizations.
TCIA was founded by Professor Sidney Burris, Professor
of English and Director of the Fulbright College Honors Program and the Religious
Studies Program at the University of Arkansas, and Ven.
Geshe Thupten Dorjee, an ordained Tibetan Buddhist monk, holder of the advanced
geshe lharampa and geshe ngarampa degrees, and instructor at the University of Arkansas. The
institute is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Geshe Dorjee comes to us from the Drepung Loseling Monastery in South India.
A member of the Gelugpa
lineage, Geshe-la embodies the rich educational tradition
that is the primary heritage of that tradition; and his work in the classroom has been
exemplary. Geshe is offering four courses per year at the University of
Arkansas, ranging from seminars on Tibetan culture to larger classes on Buddhist
philosophy. His courses have been overwhelmingly popular, and we are currently
working to expand our curriculum; we are designing a specialized course,
for example, on the theory and practice of the Tibetan sand mandala.
Community Outreach and Education
Geshe Dorjee along with other resident and visiting monks and scholars
are offering teachings and cultural demonstrations
throughout the region: these include lectures to the public, to the high
schools and community colleges, chanting demonstrations, Tibetan banquets,
meditation instruction, retreats, and the construction of sand mandalas.
And this is just a sampling. Our hope is that through these kinds of
educational opportunities, we will increase awareness among our varied
audiences of the splendor, utility, and necessity of Tibetan culture.
Philanthropy
Among other activities, the Institute provides financial support to supplement the living and teaching expenses of
Geshe Dorjee and other visiting monks and scholars; works to bring visiting teachers and scholars
to the University of Arkansas and the broader Northwest Arkansas communities; provides ongoing
financial support to the Minyak Khangtsen house of Drepung Loseling Monastery;
helps to provide educational supplies and resources to Tibetan refugee children in India; and
fosters and supports the University of Arkansas' TEXT (Tibetans in EXile Today) program, which
is recording and preserving the life histories of Tibetan refugees in India.
Weekly Teaching and Practice
Geshe Dorjee teaches and leads meditation each Sunday from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm.
These teachings are free and open to the public. For more information, click here.
Other Services and Opportunities
Geshe Dorjee is available for private spiritual advising, blessings and consecrations, public lectures and
teachings, and Tibetan cultural demonstrations. For more information, scheduling. and recommended donations for these services,
please contact us.
Financial Support of the Institute
The effectiveness of the Institute will depend on the generous financial contributions
of supporters like you. Please click here for more information
regarding opportunities for providing your support to TCIA.
Long-Term Goals
Permanent Facility
We are searching for a permanent headquarters in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
We hope to find a place that would be large enough to serve as a meditation
hall for community teachings and retreats as well as a residency for Geshe,
Rinzin, and the visiting monks that will arrive from Geshe's monastery in India.
We also envision this residency as having the commercial capacity to offer to the
public the many products of Tibetan culture, both sacred and otherwise, that
lead to a fuller understanding of this rich heritage: thangkas, ritual items,
incense, and prayer flags, to name a few of the things that Geshe will import
from the Tibetan communities both in India and in Tibet.
Library of Tibetan Culture and Philosophy
We are beginning to assemble a library of primary and secondary texts under
the leadership of Geshe Dorjee that would accommodate a range of interested
students from the beginner to the more advanced practitioner. We are focusing
on Tibetan history and culture, meditative practice, and the primary texts of
the Mahayana tradition along with the important commentaries.
Partnership with the University of Arkansas
We are in the planning stages of working out a more permanent relationship
with the University of Arkansas. We hope to establish the kind of partnership
that would extend well into the future, providing for coming generations the
resources to preserve and understand Tibetan culture, while applying its
essential methods to the pressing problems of contemporary society.
We would like to thank you for visiting our site. If we can be of any service to
you, or if you have any questions or suggestions for our organization, please
feel free to contact us.
