Ithaca now home to complete Dalai Lama library

The Namgyal Monastery Institute of Buddhist Studies in Ithaca will host an opening celebration for its new library and learning center this weekend.

The festivities start at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 8 and go through Sunday evening.

The Namgyal Monastery Institute of Buddhist Studies is one of five practicing Namgyal monasteries in the world and the only one operating outside of India.

Opening ceremonies begin Friday with the unveiling of a statue depicting the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, followed by a ribbon-cutting and speeches from project supporters.

”His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, is taking a huge step from Dharamshala, India to Ithaca to create his sacred space — a meditation and peacemaking center — a teaching center for anyone who wants to come and study to learn about Buddhism and other religions," Project donor Diane Brandenburg said in April 2022.

The monastery will provide attendees lunch each day of the celebration, with monastery leaders expected to host cultural workshops that would introduce attendees to Tibetan Buddhist values, practices and vision.

Presentations by local religious leaders are expected to introduce attendees to the practices of other various religions as well.

About the library

Matt Steecker reported that, at the libraries’ groundbreaking in April 2022, a crowd of over 100 watched as Tibetan Buddhist monks blessed the project – the only place in the world that would house a complete library of the written works of the 14th Dalai Lama, as well as all previous Dalai Lamas.

This includes an archive of 40,000 hours of the Dalai Lama's teachings, about 4,000 books containing translations of ancient texts that document the evolution of Buddhist thought, and artifacts of religious significance from periods throughout the history of Buddhism in India and Tibet.

"The Dalai Lama’s message of the importance of cultivating human values of loving-kindness, compassion and forgiveness is increasingly important during these times of seemingly unrelenting difficulties and suffering," the monastery said in a statement on the opening. "His Holiness firmly believes that developing the warm-heartedness and compassion of every human being is essential for relieving suffering and bringing about peace in our world."

Namgyal-Ithaca was developed as a fully functioning Tibetan monastery offering a three-year program — designed in part by the Dalai Lama — emphasizing Buddhist philosophy and meditation practice for western dharma practitioners.

The Dalai Lama established the North American seat of his personal monastery in 1992, as a nod to Ithaca's role as a haven for a small group of Tibetans fleeing persecution. A $5 million fundraising campaign funded the 9,000-square-foot library and learning center, which was designed by HOLT Architects.

This article originally appeared on Ithaca Journal: Namgyal Monastery opens new library and learning center