This letter begins with a reminder that forty years ago, the handful of people who comprised the refugee Menri community lived in mud buildings with tin roofs, and they did not have enough to eat. Through the devoted leadership of the Abbot, H.H. Menri Trizin 33rd, and through your faithful support, Menri has become a remarkable cultural center of learning and religious practice where the Bon tradition flourishes and where opportunities for wellness and education provide great hope for the future of Bon.

In spite of current world-wide financial woes, the Bon Foundation has stepped up its efforts to support the people of Menri and to initiate new projects to help preserve Bon history and culture. In the face of rapidly changing times, it is extremely important to preserve the documents, literature, and history of this important Tibetan culture which is a genuine link between early civilizations in Asia and traditions still being practiced.



Our sponsorship committee has increased its efforts to seek wellness and educational support for the people of Menri Monastery and Redna Menling Nunnery and we encourage you to find room in your charitable giving to assist the children here who are the future of Bon Support a Menri Bon Child. For example, a generous contribution from one of our board members resulted in a reliable internet system for the community of Menri Monastery which occupies a remote hillside in northern India. In addition, the monastery and nunnery now have solar powered hot water--an improvement that contributes to the health and hygiene of the community--financed largely through donations from members of the board. Another member works actively to send doctors to the site to provide check-ups for the children and adults there. People have raised funds through Bon films and power-point presentations in their homes. Others have organized clothing drives to send badly-needed warm clothes to the adults and children of the community of Bon refugees. Acts such as these have resulted in a marked improvement in the quality of life in the Menri community so that Bon can continue to develop and grow.



In the area of cultural preservation, there is excellent news. Several years ago, the Bon Foundation initiated a scanning project that trained monks to scan their sacred texts whose shelf-life is threatened by the climate of northern India. This project has produced CD sets of the Bon Kanjur and Tenjur (New Collection of the Bon Katen) -- and more in the works -- which are being made available to institutions and students Bon Goods. While the scanning project moves ahead, a recent grant from the Reed Foundation has made it possible for the Tibetan Yungdrung Library to print and publish its own material. This printing capability will mean that the monks can use scanned material for printing the library's long narrow Tibetan "pecha" style books on demand that can be used or distributed in any way the library wishes -- a monumental step toward the survival of Bon literature. The library's Documentation Center continues its work in recording events and rituals, and maintaining its films, photos, and archives Menri Projects Bon Documentation Center.

In closing I heartily thank our current board members, officers and administrator (see a listing of these in About Us) who work tirelessly to serve the Bon Foundation's mission. I welcome any of you who may wish to screen short documentary Bon films and power points for the purpose of raising interest and support. Or if you would like to participate more directly in any of our efforts I hope you will contact me at boninfo@bonfoundation.org to discuss your interest and ideas.

Yours in Bon,

Karan Shelley, President