I Don’t Pity the Children

Often people think that the kids in the monasteries are taken in out of pity. It does occasionally happen that a monastery will take in a child who is an orphan or whose parents can’t raise their child for whatever reason. Most are not like that though. Especially the children here in the retreat centre. Most of the kids here are from stable homes, many of whom are comfortably well off.

I wouldn’t be able to work as hard as I am just for the sake of alleviating some discomfort from a lack of resources, etc. That is not a major source of suffering. We can see this when we look at the world and how the richer a society becomes the more the rates of depression, suicide, etc, rise.

So I’m not looking after the children here just so they do not go hungry and get an education. They wouldn’t need to come here for that. The truth is I have very high hopes for these children, as do their parents who bring them here. I don’t pity the children. I envision them growing to become learned, kind, capable and courageous men and women – sources of inspiration and knowledge for future generations. They may not be much to look at just now, but I’m confident that given the right education, opportunities and encouragement, at least a handful of them will go on to make a positive difference in the world.

Drupon Khen Rinpoche – January 2024