GOLDEN BRIDGE | Association for the preservation of tibetan culture and religion

In traditional Tibetan culture, old people’s homes did not exist and it was only normal for children to lovingly take care of their aging parents. Since the Chinese occupation, many Tibetans have been forced to leave their country and live in exile. In addition, many people in rural areas suffered severe famines and thus migrated toward the bigger cities of China and Tibet. Many families have thus been dispersed and numerous aging parents are living thousands of kilometres away from their children. Although Tibetan culture is very solidary, there are still many old people having great difficulties surviving.

In order to meet this need, Rinpoche plans to build an old people’s home in a small hamlet called Sershul Wadar, in the nomadic region of Dza Chuka. This retirement home should be a place of residence for twenty-five old persons. Rinpoche wishes to build a small temple as well, since the very core of Tibetan old people’s daily life is to prepare themselves for the next life by reciting prayers to the Buddhas and stimulate compassion for all living beings.

The costs of this project are estimated at 69,000 USD. There are of course several other places in this vast and poor region where similar old people’s homes would be built as soon as financial support is found.