At the Chengdu school

It has been a promising and very active start of the new year for our students!   On top of their regular courses, they have been able to participate in an editing project of ancient texts, an activity we hope they will have many more opportunities  to engage in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This project was launched by Patrul Rinpoche, founder of the Sambhota schools, and is managed by the Sambhota Translation Group. It involves revising,  translating and publishing traditional Buddhist texts collected over the  centuries, with a view to their preservation.

 

The Tibetan source texts are very  much in need of revision. As they were engraved onto wooden planks or  prepared for printed publication, many errors crept in. Keep in mind that  almost all of these texts have yet to be translated from Tibetan for the first time.

 

This particular project encompasses texts compiled in the 19th century and  running up to some 5,000 pages in 9 volumes. We have only the Tibetan version  today, part of which the students have reread and corrected in terms of spelling  and grammar.

This undertaking will undoubtedly increase the language proficiency of all  involved, but above and beyond that, it is a significant step forward in what has  always been one of Sambhota school’s main objectives: to introduce students to  the richness of their culture. This is absolutely necessary if they wish to  preserve their culture as well as share it with the western world. After all, both  cultures have so much to gain in the exchange of complementary worldviews.

 

 

2014    Year of the Wood Horse    2141

In the month of March, on the 2nd to be exact, Tibetans prepare to leave the Water Serpent year of 2140 and enter the Wood Horse year.

 

From times immemorial to this very day, astrology has been a living part of Tibetan culture. Astrologers are consulted at every important stage in life, be it birth, marriage, illness or passing, but just as well with long journeys or other projects in sight. They are asked for advice about auspicious dates for major life events or to gain insight into a newborn’s future, and it’s not uncommon for an astrologer to insist that an animal destined for the slaughterhouse be saved in order to ward off personal danger.

 

Astrology uses the Tibetan calendar, based on a twelve-year cycle of twelve lunar months each. Each year corresponds to a zodiac animal: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.

 

These twelve signs combine with the five elements symbolic of the creative cycle: earth, iron, water, wood and fire. From earth comes iron, which in turn can be melted into a liquid, represented by water. Water nourishes trees, i.e. wood, which is burnt by fire. From this come ashes, which will return to the earth… Each element is linked to two consecutive years.

How to identify your element:

Take the last number of your year of birth and compare it to this table. For example: if you were born in 1988, your element is earth.

0 or 1 iron
2 or 3 water
4 or 5 wood
6 or 7 fire
8 or 9 earth

 

How to identify your sign:

In this table, locate the sign that corresponds to your year of birth. There is one exception: as the Tibetan year generally starts mid-February, if you were born in January or early February, you should refer to the previous year.

 

Rat	1948	1960	1972	1984	1996
Ox	1949	1961	1973	1985	1997
Tiger	1950	1962	1974	1986	1998
Rabbit	1951	1963	1975	1987	1999
Dragon	1952	1964	1976	1988	2000
Snake	1953	1965	1977	1989	2001
Horse	1954	1966	1978	1990	2002
Sheep	1955	1967	1979	1991	2003
Monkey	1956	1968	1980	1992	2004
Rooster	1957	1969	1981	1993	2005
Dog	1958	1970	1982	1994	2006
Pig	1959	1971	1983	1995	2007

 

As an example: if you were born in July 1956, you are a Fire Monkey.

Our heartfelt thanks go to

• Mr Jérôme Cames, painter, who has donated to the Sambhota schools part of the sales generated by the exhibition of his works;
• the Fraen a Mammen from Schieren and the Fraen a Mammen from Doennange, Boevange and Lullange for their efforts in organising their charity events;

and all who have supported us so generously throughout the year!