Music, Mind and Spirit

I should tell you how I got involved in the lives of Thupten and Rinchen. I was moved to tears after meeting H.H. the Dalai Lama in 1991, this is when I first learned about Tibet and it’s people. I always wanted to help, but like many others, didnt know where to turn. I didnt think that one person could make a difference in such a worldly affair. Many years went by and I decided I could sit still no longer, I had to do something. Desperate to find some way to help, I turned to the Internet. I found many great organizations such as Milarepa and Students for a Free Tibet and like many others, made myself available to them. I was still searching to find something special I could do, I wanted to do more. I entered a Buddhist Chat room one evening and met an American Lama. Lama Changchup is a kind man who shared many stories with me. He told me of his most recent trip to Dharamsala, India in March where he met many monks who recently arrived from Tibet. These travellers arrived in India in poor health, having lost friends along the way on their foot journey from their homeland. It was then that he told me about the monk he sponsored and the many others who needed help.

My friend the Lama, is part of the Jamtse Tsokpa Foundation (Association of Love and Compassion). This foundation is dedicated to sustaining the survival of the Tibetan people and give life and hope to these individuals and their culture through one-to-one sponsorship. It is with these people that I found that I as an individual can make a difference in the lives of the Tibetan people.

Thupten Dorjee and Rinchen were born in their native Tibet under the occupation of China and in March of this year travelled to Dharamsala. Surviving the journey by foot over the grand Himalayas is only the first step in their quest for freedom. When the Tibetan refugees arrive in India, most are homeless and in urgent need of healthcare, education and employment. From the very first letter I received from Thupten and Rinchen, it was made clear to me that they were in very poor health and needed immediate medical assistance. I didnt know how to help from so far away - so again I went to the internet. I knew of a group of lawyers who offered their sevices to Tibetans, and knew there had to be a group of doctors who did the same - there just had to be.

I encountered the Tibetan On-line Resource Guide (link listed in the main section of this page), which had volumes of information, it was here that I found Dr. Marsha. I saw a listing for The Tibetan Refugee Health Care Project, wow, perfect just what I needed! Dr. Marsha is the core of this organization which consists of the doctor, and a few volunteers. Dr. Marsha has visited the re-settlement camps in India for the past 18 years and sat vigil with the hunger strikers early this year. She is committed to give medical treatment to Tibetan people who are ill, educate Tibetans about preventative measures and train qualified Tibetans to be volunteers or practitioners. I called her on the phone and told her my story, she knew of the Sermey Monastery University where Thupten and Rinchen are and told me to send them to see Pempba Labrang in ByLakkupe “And be sure to tell him Dr. Marsha sent you!”. She assured me that he would give them the medical assistance they need.

I am honored to help my friends Thupten Dorjee and Rinchen. I am not famous, I don’t have alot of money, I dont have the power of a school or corporation or government to back me. I am just me, and I make a difference, a big difference.

I believe that I will see a Free Tibet in this lifetime and I vow to do my best to do what I can to take care of the Tibetan people so they can return to Lhasa healthy, educated and skilled. We all make a difference in all these lives by the actions we take, no matter how big or small. There are so many ways to help that dont require a large bank account, and I thank organizations like Milarepa and SFT for spreading the word and helping so much.

Today, Independence Day, I place my picture of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in my home for all the Tibetans who cannot, and I raise my Tibetan flag for all the Tibetans who cannot and I pray for a peaceful resolution. I am blessed by letters from Thupten Dorjee and Rinchen and I pray they see the freedoms that are rightly their own. If you want further information about the Jamtse Tsokpa Foundation or the Tibetan Refugee Health Care Project, please contact me. FREE TIBET NOW!