LIFE AT CHUMUR — Chumur Monastery is home to about 30 Tibetan monks, mostly seven to 17 years old. While Chhoje Rinpoche teaches in the West, resident senior Lamas guide and instruct the younger monks, as well as oversee the monastery.
The monks’ practice is rigorous and physically demanding. The young monks learn the fundamentals of Buddhist philosophy, traditional ceremonies, arts, and meditation. As one of their chief practices, they recite prayers for world peace. The young monks not only learn to read and write their native Tibetan, but also study English and Hindi.
Due to its high elevation and difficult access, conditions at the monastery are rugged and the temperatures extreme. There is no heat or electricity. During the coldest winter months (when temperatures often drop below zero), the harsh conditions present serious challenges for the resident monks. Yak dung and small amounts of wood provide fuel for the iron cooking stove in the monastery kitchen, and water for irrigation is collected from melted snow runoff.
The monks grow barley, the only staple crop that can survive at this high elevation, and a herd of goats provides milk and butter. Everything else – including food, clothing, tools, and medicine – must be brought in by truck, a rigorous journey of at least two days on rough roads.