Tibetan Aid Project Blog

Tibetan Aid Project celebrated the Tibetan New Year in the wonderful company of our major Taste & Tribute supporters,  Wheel of Dharma Society members, hard-working staff and dedicated volunteers.  For our “Celebration & Thanks” event, which took place on February 21, we opened the doors of our new building to our guests and showed them around our offices, library of sacred texts and   gallery.  New York photographer Greg Hale currently has work up in our gallery, featuring gorgeous images of Tibet.

The event started at eleven and continued until one in the afternoon, with a reception, door prizes, gourmet brunch and presentations made by staff who recently returned from Bodh Gaya.  Forty of our donors and friends came to the party and joined in our celebration of generosity, Tibetan culture, and the previous year’s accomplishents.  We would like to thank all of our guests, who made the event a fabulous success!  We would also like to thank our volunteers for their hard work - without you, none of this would be possible!

Tibetan Aid Project has centers all over the world - Brazil, The Netherlands, Germany and, of course, right here in Berkeley, California!  Our TAP Germany branch is located in the city of Cologne and forms a part of the greater Nyingma Mandala as envisioned by Tibetan lama Tarthang Tulku.  Dieter Dolata, director of TAP Germany, recently filled us in on all of the exciting happenings in Cologne.

This past year, TAP Germany had the wonderful experience of attending H.H. the Dalai Lama’s teaching in Frankfurt.  Staff members connected with people interested in Tibetan Buddhism and were able to raise awareness for the Tibetan Aid Project mission.  At the event, TAP shared a booth with Dharma Publishing, whose volunteers brought several of Tarthang Tulku’s texts, which had been translated into German.  TAP Germany raised money by selling malas, book covers and prayer flags.  While at the teaching, TAP volunteers distributed thousands of informational postcards and fliers.

TAP Germany operates thanks to its generous and loyal group of supporters who have continually donated for years, and in some cases, decades.  A Kum Nye group in Jena, Germany has also supported TAP for many years by sewing and selling beautiful book covers.

Thank you to Dieter for the update and the photograph!

The Nyingma Center Amsterdam recently hosted its 5th Annual Tibetan Aid Project Benefit Dinner!  Around 50 generous Tibetan Aid Project supporters attended the event, held on the 21st of Novemeber, 2009.  The evening began with a screening of Wellspring of Hope, a short film documenting TAP’s work to rebuild, preserve and perpetuate the cultural and spiritual heritage of Tibet.

For dinner, the guests enjoyed a delicious Indonesian meal prepared by Nyingma Center Amsterdam’s dedicated volunteer chef.  Pauline Bonthuis, director of TAP Netherlands, praised the chef for his spectacular dinner and aesthetic approach to food, claiming that “the guests savored the smell, taste and even the sight of the food - our chef took the time to decorate each plate with banana leaves.  For the past three years he has been making this meal for us, and I can say that the meal this year was by far his best!”

A wonderful jazz band donated its time and musical talent to the event, giving an intimate performance described by those in attendance as “fragile and beautiful.”  The band, a trio consisting of a father, daughter and one other member, entertained the guests as they ate and drank to their hearts’ content!

Following the performance, TAP supporters participated in a silent auction, which, for the first time ever, included 21 articles up for bid.  One of the most surprising and heartwarming donations to the silent auction came from a lady in her eighties who insisted upon donating her Yves St. Laurent imitation pearl necklace, Bally high heels and matching purse.  Guests also bid on a variety of Dharma Publishing books, all donated by Tibetan Aid Project in Berkeley!

We at Tibetan Aid Project Berkeley congratulate TAP Netherlands for what looks and sounds like an enchanting and incredibly successful evening!  Thank you, Pauline Bonthuis, for sending your description of the event, including all of your wonderful photos!

Thank you to everyone who made our ninth annual Taste & Tribute San Francisco a wildly successful, sold-out event!  Two hundred and twenty generous Tibetan Aid Project supporters attended this year’s benefit, held on November 20th at the beautiful Four Seasons Hotel.  By the end of this wonderful evening of giving, we had raised a grand total of $150,000 for the preservation and distribution of sacred texts!

The benefit began with a silent auction, giving those in attendance the opportunity to bid on everything from thangkas to fine wines.  The main and most anticipated event of the evening was, of course, the dinner prepared by 21 of San Francisco’s most talented chefs!  TAP is forever indebted to Chef Laurent Manrique for being the inspiration for the event each year.

The wonderful Taste & Tribute chefs!

We are also grateful to the other participating chefs: Peter Armellino of Plumed Horse; David Bazirgan of Chez Papa Resto; Bruno Chemel of Chez TJ; Ben Cohn of Spruce; Preston Dishman of Viognier; Mark Dommen of One Market; Khai Duong of Ana Mandara; Dmitry Elperin of The Village Pub; Elizabeth Faulkner of Citizen Cake and Orson; Bruce Hill of Bix and Picco; Gerald Hirigoyen of Piperade and Bocadillos; Joseph Humphrey of Murray Circle; John Paul Carmona of Manresa; Jennie Lorenzo of Fifth Floor; Jean-Pierre Moulle of Chez Panisse; Morgan Mueller of Jardiniere; Orlando Pagan of Silks in Mandarin Oriental; Mark Richardson of Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco; Gaetan Biesuz of Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay; and Liza Shaw of A16!

Seated at candlelit tables strewn with rose petals, our guests finished their delicious 4-course meals and then enjoyed the screening of the aptly titled documentary, The Gift of Compassion.  The film follows the mission and impact of Tibetan Aid Project at the World Peace Ceremony in Bodh Gaya, India.

After the film, guests participated in a fabulous live auction.  Thanks to a variety of incredibly generous donors, bidders competed for travel packages promising to whisk them away to such beautiful places as Bhutan and Thailand.  Guests generously supported the Fund-a-Library initiative by donating over $60,000 towards this effort.  The evening came to a close with heartfelt speeches of gratitude.

TAP Executive Director Rosalyn White

Thank you, once again, to all of our supporters who attended Taste & Tribute, allowing TAP to continue its vital work of cultural and spiritual preservation!  Also, a huge thank you to all of the chefs, wine and auction donors, and volunteers at this year’s event for making all of this possible!

Tibetan Aid Project’s sister organization, Light of the Buddha Dharma Foundation International recently worked in conjunction with Theravadin Buddhists from Southeast Asia to sponsor, for the fifth time, the International Tipitaka Chanting Ceremony.  The ceremony brings together Theravadin monks from around the world for several days of chanting the Pali Tipitaka.  The Thai Sangha organized the event, which took place from December 2 until December 12, 2009 in Bodh Gaya, India.  This beautiful video, made by a Burmese devotee, shows some of the highlights from the ceremony.

The 5th Annual Tipitaka Chanting Ceremony in Bodh Gaya, India

Check out these short videos on YouTube from volunteers at Yeshe De, the book production project that TAP supports. It has some great footage of the books in production

Edna - Yeshe De Volunteer Short

George - Yeshe De Volunteer Short

Robert - Yeshe De Volunteer Short

Jesse - Yeshe De Volunteer Short

On Friday, October 30th, the Tibetan Aid Project, Berkeley Ironworks, and filmmaker Lance Trumbull joined together to host a screening of the award-winning film Everest: A Climb for Peace.

Narrated by Orlando Bloom and hailed as a “tremendous achievement” by the Dalai Lama, Everest: A Climb for Peace is not just a typical Everest film, but a socially relevant documentary about the human spirit. Individuals of differing faiths and cultures gathered together to climb the world’s highest peak in solidarity of peace. It is an inspirational film, which has some of the most incredible Everest footage ever shot, including a dramatic rescue near the summit.

Lance Trumbull, the Director and Producer, was here for a Q&A after the film.  Click here to read his blog about the event.

This free event took place at Berkeley Ironworks Climbing Gym, and we can’t thank them enough.  We can tell that this collaboration is just the beginning of a new friendship! They gave us space to serve refreshments at 8 pm, with the movie and presentation beginning at 9pm. About fifty attendees, staff members, and curious bystanders had the opportunity to learn more about the peace climb, as well as the work TAP does to preserve the cultural and spiritual heritage of Tibet.

All proceeds benefited the Tibetan Aid Project to help fund the shipment and distribution of sacred texts at the annual World Peace Ceremony in Bodh Gaya, India.

The harvest moon dipped behind the horizon as the TAP staff drove south early Sunday for Seva-thon 2009. The morning was cool in Sunnyvale, but true to its name, we enjoyed a bright, beautiful fall day.

The crowd was energized, but no one was fast enough to beat the Tibetan Aid Project staff. Brittany won first place in the woman’s 10K, and Morgan was a close second, securing the top two medals for TAP!

Morgan and Brittany posing with winning medals!

After the race everyone enjoyed great Indian food, music, dancing, and visiting with the other nonprofits there to celebrate the day of philanthropy. TAP made lots of new friends and looks forward to seeing familiar faces next year.

Morgan and Brittany both agree that, although running six miles is a blast, the best part of the day was the pre-race warm-up to Bollywood dance moves. You will have to join us next year to see what it’s all about!

Thank you to all who supported TAP - our runners raised over $1,000 in sponsorship! And thank you Seva-thon 2009 for a beautiful day of community! See you next year.

TAP volunteer Rajeev enjoying Seva-thon

Brittany, Morgan, and Monika at TAP's table

Who: Tibetan Aid Project in conjunction with the Indian Community Center

What: Seva-thon 2009 - a free community event

When: Sunday, October 4th, 8am to 3pm

Where: Baylands Park in Sunnyvale, CA.

Why? To save Tibetan culture and be part of the community of giving

The Indian Community Center (ICC) is hosting Seva-thon 2009 on the weekend after Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday. ‘Seva’ means service and ‘Seva-thon 2009′ is aimed at bringing together community and celebrating the selfless work of non-profits.

ICC’s vision is to create the largest community-wide Walk-a-thon dedicated to the service of local non-profits through philanthropy and to ourselves through exercise and awareness. Seva-thon 2009 will include a health and wellness fair and a celebration of Indian culture. There will be vendors, food, live entertainment, and prizes.

Members of the Tibetan Aid Project are participating in the Walk-a-thon and are looking for sponsors for both the 5k and 10k walk/run. Come visit our booth and join us for a day of service, community, and fun.

Ways to get involved:

Participate in a show of solidarity in the Walk-a-thon for the Tibetan Aid Project. For more information, please email Brittany at brittanym@tibetanaidproject.org

Or

Sponsor a TAPer! Morgan is running the 5K and Brittany is running the 10K to raise awareness around saving Tibetan culture.

To learn more about Seva-thon 2009 click here.

As you may know, Tibetan Aid Project has partners around the world. There are TAP centers in Holland, Germany, and Brazil! Beginning with the Tibetan Aid Project in Holland, this post is part of a series about what these foreign centers do to support the preservation of Tibetan culture.

Tibetan Aid Project Netherlands is a registered foundation in Holland and part of the Nyingma Center in Amsterdam. Similar to the Tibetan Aid Project in Berkeley, they are run entirely by volunteers. The funds they raise go directly to production and distribution of texts and sacred art at the annual World Peace Ceremony in Bodh Gaya, India.

This November, Tibetan Aid Project Netherlands will host its 5^th annual benefit dinner, similar to Taste & Tribute. Forty people will dine on excellent food, sip superb wine, and enjoy live music. This year they are adding a silent auction and we wish them the best of luck!

To inform the Dutch population about preserving Tibetan culture and spiritual heritage, the Tibetan Aid Project Netherlands travels throughout Holland giving presentations, which they hope to display soon at libraries and schools. They also mail annual newsletters and Losar thank you letters to their supporters.

Recently, Tibetan Aid Project Netherlands organized a radio interview between a journalist of the Dutch Buddhist Broadcasting Company and a young Tibetan Aid Project volunteer regarding the World Peace Ceremony. With projects like this, they hope to increase awareness for the need to fund sacred text preservation.

If interested in learning more about Tibetan Aid Project Netherlands, or any of our other foreign centers, click here.

Tibetan Aid Project Holland representatives Pauline Bonthuis, Henk Toorman and Guusje Ebbens