Dharma Drum Mountain and Namkha Khyung Dzong Monastery Join Hands to Build 60 Post-Disaster Shelters in Nepal

On the morning of October 6, the third Nepal disaster relief delegation of Dharma Drum Mountain Social Welfare and Charity Foundation (hereinafter referred to as the Foundation) joined Namkha Khyung Dzong Monastery, a Tibetan Buddhist monastery, in holding a joint Chinese-Tibetan memorial and prayer ceremony near a village devastated by flooding. The ceremony honored those who lost their lives and offered prayers for survivors who were still living in temporary tents while awaiting the reconstruction of their homes.

The third Dharma Drum Mountain relief delegation was led by Venerable Chang Zheng (常正法師), Managing Director of the Dharma Drum Mountain World Center for Buddhist Education. The delegation also included Venerable Yan Jing (演敬法師) and Venerable Yan Ming (演明法師), Dharma Drum Mountain Social Welfare and Charity Foundation project manager Liang Jinman (梁金滿), and volunteer Li Jia-shun (李佳純). Their partners of Namkha Khyung Dzong Monastery were led by His Holiness the Third Degyal and Tulku Pema Rigtsal Rinpoche, alongside 30 lamas. 25 university student volunteers from the Degyal Memorial Society also participated in the relief efforts.

That day, both groups traveled along the Trishuli River to perform prayers and dedicate merits to those who had perished. They also visited Trishuli Gumba and the relief site in Bidur, where people displaced by the disaster in Rasuwa District were being sheltered. With support from Buddhist devotees in various locations, the Dharma Drum Mountain Social Welfare and Charity Foundation and Namkha Khyung Dzong jointly raised funds and materials, including steel, cement, and corrugated metal roofing sheets, to help 60 affected families build temporary shelters. Construction was expected to be completed within one month. The relief operation also distributed 800 packages of essential supplies. From memorial prayers and emergency assistance to transitional housing, the two organizations are continuing to support survivors throughout the recovery and rebuilding process.

Early on October 6, lamas from Namkha Khyung Dzong prepared a solemn ceremonial altar along the banks of the Trishuli River. His Holiness the Third Degyal, Tulku Pema Rigtsal Rinpoche, as well as members of the Namkha Khyung Dzong monastery’s sangha, entered the ceremonial area in single file. After lighting lamps and offering incense, they performed prayers according to their lineage traditions to honor those who had died in the floods. Venerable Chang Zheng then led Dharma Drum Mountain monastics and lay practitioners in chanting the Heart Sutra, the Rebirth Mantra, and the name of Amitabha Buddha. They prayed that the deceased would be received by the Buddha and reborn in the Pure Land.

At the invitation of Tulku Pema Rigtsal Rinpoche, Venerable Chang Zheng addressed the university students present and explained the three aspirations behind the joint memorial and prayer ceremony held by Dharma Drum Mountain and Namkha Khyung Dzong. First, through the Pure Land practice, they hoped to dedicate merits to those who had lost their lives in the disaster, praying that they would be received by the Buddha. Second, they prayed for all disaster survivors, wishing them peace, stability, and well-being in both body and mind. Third, they hoped people around the world would put compassion into practice and cultivate a sense of shared humanity, benefiting others while also fulfilling themselves. Venerable Chang Zheng also explained that, according to Buddhist teachings, Amitabha Buddha’s vows brought the Western Pure Land into being, while Master Sheng Yen, founder of Dharma Drum Mountain, advocated building a Pure Land on Earth. The first step, she emphasized, is to purify one’s own mind. Citing the Vimalakirti Sutra, which states, “When the mind is pure, the Buddha land is pure,” she explained that when our minds become pure, the world around us changes accordingly. If everyone begins with themselves and puts kindness and care into practice in daily life, a Pure Land in this world can begin to take shape here and now, starting right where we stand.

“A bodhisattva saves others from hardship and suffering; a great bodhisattva takes on hardship and suffering itself.” Quoting Dharma Drum Mountain founder Master Sheng Yen, Venerable Chang Zheng noted that Nepal, the birthplace of the Buddha, has a profound connection with Buddhists around the world. Those who suffer remind us of impermanence through their lived experiences and become teachers to us all. In the face of disaster, she said, we should transform our understanding of impermanence into concrete acts of care for others.

At noon, the delegation visited Trishuli Gumba, where a memorial service marking the forty-second day after the deceased’s passing was being held for flood victims. Dharma Drum Mountain monastics offered blessings through the chanting of Amitabha Buddha’s name and presented prayer beads to local villagers as a gesture of goodwill, wishing that faith would help bring peace and stability to their bodies and minds. Afterward, His Holiness the Third Degyal, Tulku Pema Rigtsal Rinpoche, Venerable Chang Zheng, members of both monastic communities, and university student volunteers worked together to pack essential supplies. They distributed the packages to disaster-affected families attending the ceremony, turning prayers of remembrance into tangible support for daily life.

On the morning of October 3, the third Dharma Drum Mountain disaster relief delegation visited Dicky Tsering Home, an orphanage founded in 2017 by Geshe Sonam Wangchen, to learn about the children’s daily lives and education. As the visit coincided with a holiday, the children welcomed the monastics with traditional dances, yoga performances, and Tibetan-language chanting. Venerable Chang Zheng shared that the performances reflected the children’s strong connection to their traditional culture. The clean and orderly living environment also demonstrated the dedication and care that Geshe Sonam Wangchen and the teachers had invested in the children’s long-term education and well-being. Dharma Drum Mountain volunteers brought lollipops, handkerchiefs, and reusable tableware to share with the children. Venerable Chang Zheng also presented a charitable donation on behalf of Dharma Drum Mountain, wishing the children safety, happiness, healthy growth, and peace of mind as they continued their studies.

That afternoon, Venerable Chang Zheng and the delegation visited Namkha Khyung Dzong to meet with His Holiness the Third Degyal and Tulku Pema Rigtsal Rinpoche. The two groups held a joint Chinese-Tibetan prayer ceremony in the monastery’s main hall, offering prayers for those who had died in the floods and for all affected communities. The ceremony also helped strengthen their shared commitment and aspirations ahead of their subsequent relief visit to Nuwakot.






◎ Original text in Chinese: 梁金滿
◎ Photos: 李佳純
◎ Translation: Patricia Yang  
◎ Editing: Keith Brown