A friend in Need

A friend in Need.

 

When I was teaching in Nepal, my best student’s name was Dhundup.  He is a Tibetan, about 20 years old.  His English was pretty good and we talked often about his past and how he left his family when he was about 10 and crossed the Himalaya south into Nepal and joined the monastery on the outskirts of Kathmandu.  Because he was a refugee, he has no passport and cannot visit his family and the border guards won’t let them within three-hundred yards of Tibet.  His only contact is writing letters.

 

Mind you, this is years ago.  My memory is never exact about such things, but I remember feeling the strain of being so isolated from your family and having so few resources to remedy the situation.

 

Dhundup was sort of my liaison between the other monks, especially the little guys whom I cared so much for and whom spoke no English at all.  He also talked about aspirations of one day leaving the monastery and traveling abroad.

It is a bit of a misconception that all monks are spiritual people.  Often monasteries are sort of religious boarding schools; many of the young monks didn’t choose to be there and have little spiritual ambitions.

Dhundup is somewhere between.  He is a good student and a good Buddhist, but still is interested in the mysteries of the outside world, a world that increasingly influences Nepal.

 

This is not what this letter is about, however, though it is about Dhundup.  Dhundup is my friend and we have been in contact regularly since I left Nepal in 2002, 2003 (?).  In his last writing he told me that he has been in chronic pain in his abdomen.  It has gone on for over a year now and the clinics can’t tell him anything.  This is what he wrote:

 

“My stomach pain started in may 2006 near the bladder. Slowly it effect to the left Kidney and left lung. These days my left ribs cage and back bone are paining. I am afraid that slowly it will cause cancer if i don't check to good doctor and hospital. This is my full wishes to get the good doctor if you could favor me. This is all for you today. Bye.”

  

He needs to visit a doctor in a proper hospital but, as a monk, has no money to afford such a visit.  I don’t know why the monastery can’t pay, though I know they are always poor.  Perhaps they’ve already expended their resources on the clinics he visited.  I am looking into it.

 

I am Dhundup’s one western friend.  He wrote to me for help.  If not me, then who?  Or, better yet, why not me?  I want to help him and I need your help to do it.

 

I want to raise some money that I can send to him in order that he can seek treatment for his malady.  Who knows what it is or whether it can be treated or whether this effort will raise enough to attempt it.  But it doesn’t matter in the end.  I will try.

 

It has been my ambition to do grassroots charity work.  Well here’s a chance.   Help me if you can.  Dhundup is a good friend.  He is in pain and needs help and we can do something to help him.

If you see fit, send a small donation to this address:

 

Jonah Manning

Attn: Lockie Oliphant

1699 Woodlake Dr.

Columbia, SC  29206

 

This is my sister and she will have it deposited into a special account from which I can wire the money to the administrator of the monastery for the purpose of Dhundup’s health care.  Since monks occasionally obtain sponsorships, I think they are used to dealing with money in this way.  We shall see.

 

Send me any thoughts or commends.  I am shy about writing for money, but this is an important and personal cause for me.  I don’t expect much, but help if you can.  Every little bit. . . as they say.

 

-jonah