Welcome to the DGTL Tenth Anniversary  celebration on 5th July and  Enthronement ceremony of Kyabje Yongyal Rinpoche as Gaden lineage Holder on 6th  July 2008.

We are happy that you are thinking about joining us for the 10^th anniversary celebration of the opening of Dagom Geden Tensung Ling Monastery.  There is much to celebrate. In the last ten years, with the blessings of Dharmapala and the support of students and friends in Bloomington and around the world, DGTL has grown from a handful of monks and students into thriving community dedicated to the preservation of the precious teachings of Lama Je Tsongkhapa, and through them, to the cultivation of love, compassion, and peace in our troubled world.

            Since its opening in 1998, our two-story building at the north end of Lower Cascades Park in Bloomington has expanded to include a large gompa, or meditation hall, that has been blessed by the presence of many precious teachers.

 More recently, the community has purchased 128 acres east of DGTL, which will become the site of a future monastery for the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. The land – where the celebration will be held – is high on a scenic hill that resembles the pure lands described in traditional Buddhist texts.  Encircled by a wide stream, it rises through lush forest to an area that opens into several meadows, including a clearing that from aerial photographs looks like the shape of a hand; it is the palm of this hand that will hold the future monastery and the Gaden lineage of Tibetan Buddhism.

            We hope you will find here everything that will enable you to attend this momentous occasion in the history of Je Tsongkhapa’s precious lineage.   Included here are a schedule of events, a description of the location for the celebration, a list of accommodations, and transportation options. Please take note of the early June deadlines for reserving accommodations, as there are many events going on in Bloomington that weekend, and the hotels will release any rooms (with their negotiated rates) that are not reserved by the specified dates.   

             If this site does not answer all of your questions, please email us at DGTL10.gtd@bluetie.com. If you need more prompt assistance, call the monastery at (812) 339-0857, and we will find someone to assist you. 

 The Schedule of Events (free and open to the public)

            If you can, bring blankets to sit on, or portable chairs.  There will be tents, but if you are susceptible to sun, you may also want to bring hats and sunscreen.

 Saturday, July 5

9:00 am         Registration and welcome

10:30 am       Introductions welcoming and honoring visitors and supporters

12 noon         Tibetan-inspired picnic lunch

1:00 pm         Photo exhibit, nature walks, family games and activities

1:30 pm         Multicultural Peace Concert

Sunday, July 6  (See invitation for more details)

2:00 pm       The Ven. Kyabje Yongyal Rinpoche will bestow the most
                    holy initiation of  the Three Bodies of the Supreme King of
                    Dharma, the glorious Je Tsongkhapa. He will also offer
                    the great teaching of the Lines of Experience of the Stages
                    of the Path to Enlightenment.

6 :00 pm      Evening banquet

7:30  pm      Grand Ceremony of the Sri Heruka Lama Chopa tsog

Monday, July 7

All day International conference to celebrate 11^th anniversary of Dorje Shugden Charitable & Religious Society

The Location of the Celebration  

            All of the events for the celebration will be held at Ganden Khachoe Shing, the site of our future monastery, located just 15 minutes north of downtown Bloomington.  The address, for those of you who want to use Google Maps, MapQuest, a GPS device, or another locator, is 2150 E. Dolan Rd, Bloomington, IN 47408. 

            If you are driving on Hwy 37 to Bloomington, take the Walnut-College exit south. If you are driving from Bloomington’s downtown, take Walnut north past College Mall Road. At the first traffic light, turn east onto Old State Road 37.

            On Old 37, drive 3.2 miles to Prospect Baptist Church.  Dolan Road is the gravel road immediately after the church.  You will know it is Dolan Road if you see a bright yellow mailbox with black DGTL letters, across the street from the road’s entrance. 

            If you are able-bodied enough to climb a half mile uphill on a gravel road, park in the church lot, as there is limited parking on the site itself.   Walk (or drive, if you can’t make the climb) up the road. Though it’s an uphill climb, it’s steep only part of the way, and beautiful.  Ganden Khachoe Shing is situated at the end of the road. If you need to drive, please go slowly, knowing there may be pedestrians sharing the road. When you reach the house at the top of the hill, park wherever you can find a space. 

            On the day of the events, DGTL students will be there to direct you to parking, to the registration table, restrooms, tents, and other facilities.

Accommodations

Camping sites.  If you are planning to camp, you can use the property of DGTL, 102 Club House Drive, Bloomington, IN. 47404.  A portable toilet will be set up on the site.

Couchsurfing.  We can’t vouch for this ourselves, but one of our members has had good luck with couchsurfing.com, a non-profit organization dedicated to cultural exchange.  The service puts travelers in touch with residents of a destination city who have rooms to offer for the purpose of cultural exchange.  Go to www.couchsurfing.com to learn more. 

 Hotels.  With a small set of local hotels, we have negotiated group rates, which you can get if you reserve your room by the early June deadlines listed below.  

 Raddison Hotel
1710 N. Kinser Pike, Bloomington, IN 47404
(812) 334-3252   Fax: (812) 333-1702
www.raddison.com

            The Raddison Hotel is Bloomington's largest and only full service hotel.  The newly renovated hotel features a full-service restaurant, lounge, indoor pool, game room, and fitness center. The hotel is located on the Highway 45-46 Bypass on the north side of Bloomington, just a half mile from DGTL monastery.

Group Rate: $89.  Please when you call make sure you mention our password (DGTL).  To get the group rate, make your reservation by June 1.

             Comfort Inn
             1700 N. Kinser Pike, Bloomington, IN 47404
             (812) 650-0010  Fax: (812) 650-0009
             www.comfortinn.com

          This smoke-free hotel is next to the Raddison and managed by the same people. It is not a full-service hotel, but it serves a complimentary continental   breakfast and has a 24-hour exercise room. Outdoor pool should be ready by July.  Group Rate: $69. Make your reservation by June 1 to get the group rate. Please as password (DGTL).

            Hampton Inn
            2100 N. Walnut St., Bloomington, IN 47404
            (812) 334-2100  Fax: (812) 334-8433
             http://www.bloomingtonhamptoninn.com

                   This established hotel, is across a busy street from the Raddison, near  Denny’s Restaurant, on Walnut.   It is not a full-service hotel, but it serves a continental breakfast and has an exercise room and outdoor pool. Group rate: $149.  To get the group rate, make your reservation by June 4. As soon as we receive it, we will put up a web link to expedite your reservation.

            Days Inn
            200 E. State Road 45/46 Bypass
            Bloomington, IN, 47408 
            Phone: (812) 336-0905  Fax: (812) 336-0905
            For email reservation: daysinn1884@yahoo.com
            www.daysinn.com

         This hotel is near all the other hotels, next to Denny’s Restaurant and the Hampton Inn on Walnut. Complimentary continental breakfast, but no pool or exercise room. Group rates: $84.95 (two double beds) and $74.95 (one double bed).  To get the group rate, make your reservation by June 4.  We were told that the    most reliable way to get this rate is to reserve your room by email or by phone, not online.  Be sure to tell them you are with DGTL.

              Country Hearth
              1722 North Walnut Street
              Bloomington, IN. 47404
              Phone: (812) 339-1919
              E-Mail: ruudj@gfhotel.com          

                  This Country Hearth Hotel is near the Hampton Inn and less then one mile to the DGTL monastery.  Decent hotel, good location. Reservation should be made by June 16th to get group rate price. Group rate for single or double bed is 59.95.

Transportation

If you are flying, you will come into the Indianapolis Airport, which is a little over one hour north of Bloomington. There are several ways to get to Bloomington from the airport: 

·         Car rentals. If you have an International Driver’s license and a credit card, you can rent a car for the duration of your stay, just outside the airport. If you can afford it, a car will offer flexibility to get to and from the celebration site on your own.  To reserve ahead,  check www.carrental.com or the following:

·        Shuttles to Bloomington.  A shuttle service runs from the airport to designated Bloomington hotels.  You can reserve a shuttle with Bloomington Shuttle Service by calling (800) 589-6004 or (812) 332-6004.  The cost, as of May 2008, was $25 one way, $50 roundtrip.  For online reservations and the latest information of services and rates, go www.bloomingtonshuttle.com.  The shuttle will pick you up at the airport’s Ground Transportation Center.

·        Limousine service to Bloomington.  A more expensive option is a limousine, which you can reserve with Signature Limousine at (800) 589-6004 or (812) 332-6004 or with Classic Touch Limousine at (812) 339-7269.  The limousine services will take you wherever you need to go in Bloomington.  The cost, for a Signature Limousine as of May 2008, was  $92 plus gratuity, round-trip (per car, private limousine).  The cost at Classic Touch, as of May 2008, was $100 plus gratuity, roundtrip (shared limousine, per person). The limousine services operate out of the Ground Transportation Center at the Indianapolis Airport.  To make online reservations and obtain additional up-to-date information on services and rates, go www.bloomingtonshuttle.com or www.classictouchlimo.com.  Caution: Fuel surcharges may be added to the prices listed on the web.

·    DGTL students may be able to make themselves available to drive you to and from the celebration site while you are in Bloomington; just let us know ahead of time that you will have these needs, so we can arrange to have the right number of vehicles on hand.   If you need someone to pick you up at the Indianapolis airport, that may also be possible to arrange.  If we are too busy, this may not be possible, but we will do our best.

·     Taxis:Once you have arrived in our city, you can also call a taxi to get you around. Call Yellow  Cab: (812) 339-9744 or (812) 336-1400.   We do not recommend taking a taxi   from Indianapolis to Bloomington, as it is likely to be more expensive than the most  expensive options we’ve listed here.

Bloomington Visitors’ Center 
http://www.visitbloomington.com

            Bloomington’s Visitors’ Center provides all kinds of additional information on our city, including city maps, referrals to accommodations not offered here, and lists of restaurants, events, and options for recreation and entertainment.