Only just a month ago, on October 12th, a fire started at Tashigar South, Argentina, in the upper part of Tashigar Mandala, without knowing until now how it all originated. The fire ran fast, surrounding a few houses and burning over 20,000 square meters. The immediate response of the team of volunteer firemen from Tanti Town, Tashigar members, and supportive neighbors avoided more extensive damages. But this was only the beginning.
On October 25th, the second fire began and it was quickly controlled. The cause was also unknown.
There was a third fire on October 31st. This was smaller, but without any doubt, deliberate, as local firemen informed us.
Next day, November 1st, on land neighboring Tashigar, the fourth fire started. The wind quickly spread it, it crossed over to our land and went on to neighboring land. It also surrounded some houses, burning the roof of one of them, part of the electric network, both underground and aerial, and also the water distribution network. A large part of the border fences and half of the surface of Tashigar South were also destroyed. If we were to add our neighbors’ land, they lost almost 1,900,000 square meters. It was devastating.
When everything seemed to have come to an end, on November 8th, a fifth and sixth fire started almost simultaneously inside the Gar, confirming the certainty about the intentional origin of all of them.
After each fire, in order to prevent a restart, we had to have ash guards night and day for a minimum of 48 hours. At night, the landscape of the burnt and scorched ground seemed to transport us to another dimension.
At that moment, stupor, sadness and tiredness had already accumulated, like the mattress of ashes that darkened the ground, our skin, our nails, our faces…
Nevertheless, people went on standing on their feet, controlling the fire.
Next February 7th it will be 33 years since the Master founded this center which he called the auspicious gar. Since then, we have lived together in harmony with local neighbors and many of them worked in the past and are still working with us in a friendly and cordial relationship.
During the fires, besides the moving attitude of the practitioners who were in the area and who, without exception, got together to face the fire, our neighbors also joined in solidarity with every means they had at hand.
These shared experiences have awakened in us a feeling of deep gratitude towards our neighbors, the policemen, and town forces that were present at every fire and, especially, to Tanti´s team of volunteer firemen, who showed great professionality and amazing courage in facing the fires.
After having filed a criminal charge so that justice investigates, mobilizing the police and spreading the news to the press, a survey is being made of the numerous damages suffered: the estimated cost could be some 10,000 U$D.
The past weekend, after a long drought and when the fire had already calmed down, the rain arrived. With the rain, the earth started to change from black to green. Plants are starting to grow again and we feel that life continues, after the ashes.
Sergio Oliva & Paula De Raedemaeker
Dear Members and Friends of the Dzogchen Community of Tashigar Sur,
From October 12th to November 8th, 2022, six fires – three of them huge – hit Tashigar Sur in Argentina at the very core of its lands and living nature. Fortunately, no human life was injured. Nevertheless, the lands, vegetation, water pipes, electricity systems, internet tower and roads were damaged by the fires. Not to mention the astonishment, stress, and sadness they caused in our hearts and lives.
The estimated cost of the damages is around US$ 10,000.
We are making every possible effort to repair those damages, and we are kindly asking your help in this endeavor.
Please, if you can collaborate with us, we are giving the account information to which you could make your donation. Any amount is very important to us.
CURRENCY: US$ OR EUROS
PAYPAL
Account: [email protected]
Account Name: Tashigarsur Membresias
CURRENCY: $AR
Banco Santander Río, Sucursal 374
COMUNIDAD DZOGCHEN
Cuenta Corriente en $: Nº 351/1
CUIT: 30-68101628-3
CBU: 0720374720000000035118
Alias: BARCO.MADRE.TEMPLO
Please let us know of any contribution you make, by writing to [email protected].
With love and gratitude,
The Gakyil of Tashigar Sur
