The Dalai Lama, known as Gyalwa Rinpoche to most Tibetans and Mongolians, has visited Mongolia seven times since 1979. In fact, the very name “Dalai” is Mongolian in origin, being a translation of Gyatso, the third part of the name of the Third Dalai Lama, Gyalwa Sonam Gyatso, who visited Mongolia in 1578 and taught there until his death a decade earlier. Since the Third Dalai Lama’s visit Mongolia has remained primarily Gelukpa, or Yellow School.
In 2007 Glenn Mullin was asked to curate an art exhibit for the Carlos Museum of Art in Emory University, Atlanta, in honor of the Dalai Lama’s visit. Gyalwa Rinpoche had been invited to Emory as Distinguished Presidential Professor, and Emory wanted to pull out all the stops. His Holiness would be there for a week, engaged in activities both for Emory University and also for the Loseling Institute, and it seemed like an excellent opportunity to involve Mongolia.
Glenn therefore approached both the Carlos Museum and the Loseling Institute on behalf of the Ariun Rashaan (Magical Healing Waters) NGO, with the idea of having four Mongolian lamas participate in the week’s activities, and assist Gyalwa Rinpoche in various religions events. The museum and the Loseling Institute both agreed, and provided the funding.
Because Gyalwa Rinpoche’s week in Atlanta was facilitated by the Loseling Institute, and Glenn had been a founding member and advisor in the early years of this Institute’s existence, and also because Gyalwa Rinpoche would be consecrating the new Loseling Institute center in Atlanta, it was decided to offer the invitations to four lamas specifically associated with Kunga Choling, a temple complex in Gandan Monastery, Ulaan Baatar, that had served as the seat of Drepung Loseling in Mongolia for the past 200 years.
Kuntu Zangpo Lama, the head monk of this temple, had been one of the two Mongolian lamas flown to Atlanta for the Portals to Shangri-La: Masterpieces from Buddhist Mongolia exhibition in 2006 (see Projects 3 and 4). Because of the success of this experience, and because he is the head of the Loseling Seat in Mongolia, he was invited to participate, and also asked to chose the other three monks who would participate. He chose Gompo and Baasan, two monks who had been in Kunga Choling since their childhood. As translator he chose Demchik Shastri, who had been his student for some 15 years, had studied in India for eight years and gained a shastri degree, and also held a Masters Degree from the University of Hong Kong. Both Kuntu Zangpo Lama and Demchik Shastri had served as translators for the Dalai Lama on previous visits of Gyalwa Rinpoche to Mongolia.
The Dalai Lama was delighted to see Mongols at his events in Atlanta, and in several of his public discourses spoke in length of his deep karmic connections with Mongolia.
Our good friend Patrick Mahoney kindly hosted and chauffeured the lamas while they were in Atlanta. In addition, after the Atlanta event was over he graciously drove the two younger monks to Bloomington, Indiana, to assist with the Dalai Lama events there. (Kuntu Zangpo Lama and Demchik Shastri could not accompany them to Indiana, having commited to a lecture tour of US universities.)
When all tasks in Atlanta had been accomplished, the two younger monks left for Indiana and then LA, where they performed religious services for the Mongolian community until returning home. Kuntu Zangpo Lama and Demchik Shastri left with Glenn Mullin on a one month lecture tour. (See Project 18)
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| Kuntu Zangpo Lama on the grounds of Ganden Monastery, Ulaan Baatar, with the two monks chosen to accompany him to Atlanta |
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| Kuntu Zangpo Lama and his Mongolian monks greet the Dalai Lama in Atlanta, Oct 2008 |
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| Kuntu Zangpo Lama and his translator Demchik Shastri with Prof Lloyd Nick, director of the Oglethorpe Univ. Museum of Art, Atlanta |
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| Kuntu Zangpo Lama and his Mongolian monks visit the CNN Center in Atlanta |
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