Jade Harmon
Dr. B
Rels 2001
31 May 2013
Virtual Ethnography
The Drepung Loseling Monastery is a Buddhist center for Tibetan Buddhist studies
located in Atlanta, GA. In the 1950s there was two other Drepung Loseling monasteries, one in
Tibet and one in India which they help support by gathering donations at the Atlanta location.
When the Dalai Lama visited Georgia, his assistant was offered a scholarship at the university.
With the help of the Dalai Lama as the patron and the oversight of his assistant, Geshe Lobsang
Tenzin, the Drepung Monastery opened in 1991 and affiliated with Emory officially in 1998. The
president of Emory university comments on the uniqueness of the affiliation by saying it will
“reach across borders, across traditions, across cultures with compassion and curiosity, bringing
all the good habits of heart and strong habits of mind to bear in the process.” A few years after
opening, this center had become a well-known Buddhist community across the country.
This Atlanta institute’s teachings are modeled after the two other Drepung Loseling
monasteries. There are three teachers at the monastery who oversee the activities. There is also a
fourth teacher who focuses on teaching Tibetan language classes and translating within the
center. The mission of these teachers is to spread the knowledge and traditions to the western
civilization and to help preserve the Tibetan culture. The center is known as a sanctuary around
Atlanta that helps people to find peace, kindness and understanding. For newcomers, there is a
portion of the website explaining the proper dress and etiquette when attending classes or
meditation sessions at the center.
The most important and influential aspect of this center is the events, classes and retreats
it provides. Drepung is open to the public three days a week for meditation hall. In addition to
this, they have weekly speaker series when the teachers and sometimes even Tibetan medical
doctors lecture on a certain topic. The center offers classes in philosophy and meditation.
Uniquely, this center has a service in which a monk can perform private blessing ceremonies,
home and business blessings and prayers. These monks travel a yearlong tour around the United
States. They are monks who came to this county to gain religious freedom. Another program the
center is trying to fund is a “Little Tibet” which will be a new Buddhist center with a larger
meditation hall, an art gallery, a gift shop and a children’s play area. Currently the biggest
displayed program on their website is a link to buy tickets to see the Dalai Lama speak at the
Gwinnett Center.
Like many other religiously affiliated centers, Drepung asks for donations and support in
quite a few ways. One can donate to building “Little Tibet”, sponsor a monk, donate percentages
of their online sales and purchases to the monastery and they can become a volunteer for the
center. These diverse options help to support the center in every aspect. Besides donating, the
center also has the option for practitioners to pay for a membership to the facility which provides
them with a free retreat, access to their library and discounts for online and mail purchases from
Tibetan Traditions. There is more information about upcoming events and programs on Drepung
Loseling’s Twitter and Facebook account. The website community for this center seems very
welcoming to any new or experienced Buddhist believers.