SCIENCE for MONKS

Science Room Launched - 2009

The group launch a new section of the monasteries library dedicated to science. Yungdrung, one of the group members, is also the monasteries librarian, making the library a natural home for the new science room. In preparation for opening the room, they organized books and materials received from their western supports and set-up furniture to make a comfortable working room. On days where the monks are free from traditional studies, the group opens the room and hosts open houses where members from the monastery stop by to read articles and books on science. They also screen science movies that have been translated into Tibetan language.

Visitors are allowed to borrow written works, and they have set-up a borrowing system that allows monks to check out books and articles to be read in their rooms at leisure. Sometimes the visitors ask difficult and profound questions and the group helps them get the answer from the science teachers in the nearby school.

Sharing Experiences in Science with Monastery – 2009

During their bi-monthly meetings the group meets to discuss the work they have done individually and to complete group assignments.

Every time members from the Bon monastery leave to attend a science education program, upon their return they are requested to give a talk to the entire monastery of approximately 300 monks. The Abbot, who is extremely supportive of science education, asks them to talk about where they went, what they did, and what they learned. The session typically lasts 1.5 hours with several questions about science raised by the monk audience.

Group Expands – Fall, 2009

The Zhung-Zhang group started meeting together with two more monks that recently started attending workshops organized by the Emory Tibet Science Initiative, doubling the group size to 4.