NEWS

Bhikkhu Tapassi Dhamma Shrestha: A brief Introduction

My name is Bhikkhu Tapassi Dhamma. I am a Buddhist monk living in Kathmandu, Nepal. I entered Buddhist monkhood 38 years ago at the age of 13. I learned Buddhist Studies and practiced monkhood in Sri Lanka for 10 years under the High Priest of Sri Lanka Aggamahapandita Kotugoda Dhammawasa Mahanayaka Thero. 

At the age of 24, I returned to my country Nepal as a high-ordinated young monk. I took up the Buddhist duty of serving humanity and taking up social responsibility. I started with nothing in hand except the gems of Buddhist education. With the help of a few enthusiastic local community people, I established a small Buddhist temple named Charumati Buddha Vihar to practice and teach Buddhist way of living and to conduct social works. The community people started attending the daily teachings and practices, and found it beneficial in their life. The community people joined hands with me in doing activities of social responsibility.  Currently there are 500 regular members of all ages practicing Buddhist way of life and ready to participate in every humanitarian and social welfare activity when and where needed. They volunteer, they donate and they facilitate social works. Today, I have affiliation with many Buddhist organizations around the world with whom we participate in exchange of cultures and ideas.  

I have also established a social welfare organization named Charumati Buddhist Mission Nepal which works for community-based services ranging from youth empowerment to vocational training, free healthcare services, environmental protection activities, social awareness programs, disaster-relief campaigns, educational support to community schools in rural and remote areas and many more. Youth mobilization for social service is promoted and encouraged in Charumati Buddhist Mission Nepal. We also provide necessary support to deprived and underprivileged community people to learn skill-trainings so that they can make their life better.  

During the devastating Earthquake in 2015, we reached 11 disaster-hit districts, rural to remote, and distributed relief such as temporary rehabilitation materials, medicines and foods and clothing. During Covid-19 Pandemic too, we are continuously providing medical and healthcare equipment to health workers and public servants to fight the pandemic. 

We are also involved in conservation, renovation and promotion of Buddhist heritages. One successful example is the 2300 years old Buddhist archeological monument Charumati Stupa. We advocated for its renovation, participated actively in the work and are now conserving and promoting it.  The stupa carries the history of one of the daughters of Emperor Ashoka named Charumati who was an influential queen turned into a Buddhist nun. Currently, we are working on a project of constructing an International Buddhist Center in rural Nepal which will provide free Buddhist education to novice monks, free education to community children, free community health clinic as well as a community home for orphan children and homeless elderly people. We are in the fundraising stage for the cause. 

Our organization members, especially the youths, are full of enthusiasm and eagerness to bring positive change to people's lives in all possible ways. My experience says that encouraging youths to eagerly take responsibility for society is the best way to do it.  And we continue to inspire youths and employ them for the betterment of the society we live in. 

For my social works and activities, Asia Awards powered by RULA Awards has acknowledged me with a praiseworthy award titled “Outstanding Social Worker” under the category “Asia’s NGO/Social Service Awards”. It is a great privilege and honor for me to receive this prestigious award. It is great to know that Asia Awards has been acknowledging promising and outstanding people and organizations from various sectors in Asia through this prestigious award. I would like to appreciate and thank Asia Awards for this recognition. Thank you.