Tibetan Library, Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh India

The Library of Tibetan Works & Archives was a doorway for thousands of Westerners into Tibetan Buddhism. Begun in 1970 to house scriptures brought by refugees from Chinese-occupied Tibet, it also became the venue for daily classes on Tibetan Buddhism for non-Tibetans. Its first teacher was Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey, and its first students a motley crew of backpackers, hippies and spiritual seekers who either stumbled into or were drawn to the cool heights of Dharamsala in North-West India. 

Tibetan Library, located at Gangchen Kyishong Complex (3km), is just halfway up the mountain between lower Dharamsala and Mcleodganj. It is the archive store of Tibetan works, cultures and arts. The library encloses original Tibetan manuscripts and serves as an excellent depository of rich heritage of Tibetan literature.

The following story is from an early draft of Schettini’s memoir, The Novice. The Library of Tibetan Works and Archives (LTWA) is a Tibetan library in Dharamshala, India. The library was founded by His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama on June 11, 1970 and is considered one of the most important libraries and institutions of Tibetan works in the world.