Teacher for Life

When Donyo first arrived at the Gyuto Monastery in 1974 he was introduced to a teacher called Ven. Tamdin Wangdu who was responsible for Donyo’s welfare. Ven. Tamdin Wangdu was in his late 40’s, of small build, with snowy gray hair and a wrinkled face and had a very good heart. He was asked by the Monastery to take care of Donyo and his brother as his personal students. Surprisingly, he was very keen to take on the responsibility of the two little boys he had never met him before.

Donyo lived with Ven. Tamdin in a British resort house in Dalhousie in Northern India. It was a beautiful small hilly town with a lot of trees and many walking tracks around the hills. During the winter season they had a lot of snow and sometimes they would see large animal footprints outside the door in the snow. Sometimes he remembers hearing loud strange noises around the building at night. When they went out at night they had to be very careful because they might be attacked by bears or leopards.

When Donyo was about sixteen, he became ill and needed regular medical treatment. He was so sick he could not even study. Eventually he was diagnosed with TB and had to have many injections to fight the disease but he remained very ill and became weaker and thinner. During this time Ven. Tamdin nursed him night and day until he was fully recovered. His teacher told him that he would rather die than have Donyo die as he could not bear to give his parents the terrible news. Ven. Tamdin also said that when he was old and sick that Donyo would not be able to put one spoon of water in his mouth. From this Donyo realized that he may not live with his teacher forever and that he could not predict when they would be separated.

In 1985 Donyo was sent with a group of sixteen monks to Dharamsala for two years by the Monastery as part of his duty to perform Pujas for the local community. However, before he had completed his duty, he received a message from the Monastery, saying that his teacher Ven. Tamdin was not well and had left the Monastery for medical treatment. As soon as he heard the news that night he left Dharamsala and traveled alone by bus and train for four days to see his teacher, Ven. Tamdin. It was the first time he had traveled by himself for a long journey inside India. Because he was small and skinny he was very scared on the train even though there were thousands of people traveling with him. After four days traveling, Donyo reached Kalimpong, where his teacher was in an excellent private Christian hospital. Fortunately, although he was seriously ill, he was still alive, lying in his bed surrounded by some local Tibetan friends. His teacher didn't know that Donyo was coming to see him but when he saw him he was extremely happy and had tears in his eyes.

As soon as Donyo arrived he took a full responsibility for his teacher. Ven. Tamdin’s main problem was cancer but he was not able to communicate verbally because he had a severe throat infection. Donyo spent twenty four hours a day, every day with him, and was delighted to be able to serve him to repay his teacher’s kindness. Although Donyo did every thing he could the situation was worsening even though Ven. Tamdin was receiving very good treatment in a private hospital. After about five months Donyo ran out of money to pay for him to have a private doctor and a private room in the hospital. He asked his parents and other family members for financial support for his teacher and as a result was able to keep him in hospital.

One day when Donyo was sitting next to his teacher he reminded him of some stories he had told him many years before. He reminded him that he had said "when I get old and get sick, you won't be able to put one spoon of water in my mouth" and told his teacher "now is the time for me to take care of you and I'll never leave you alone". Ven. Tamdin was very emotional at that time. Three days later, Donyo lost contact with him even in writing and knew his teacher would not live long. From then on Donyo dressed in full robes every day and night because he wanted to be next to him when his teacher took his last breath. Around five o'clock in the morning Donyo was just dozing on his bed and heard a loud hiccough which woke him up. That was his teacher’s last breath and Donyo had lost his teacher, Ven. Tamdin.

According to an astrologer Donyo had to purchase a Buddha statue and he bought a beautiful 16 inch high quality Buddha statue in memory of his teacher. At that time, Donyo and his brothers made a commitment that from then on they would offer a butter lamp or candle light every night in front of the Buddha statue and try to recall their teacher’s kindness. The candle light is still burning in Donyo’s room at the monastery tended by other monk’s on Donyo’s behalf.

Ven Tamdin passed away in 1988 but Donyo has never forgotten him and his kindness. Donyo says Ven. Tamdin was like a second father to him, a true teacher for life.