In 1996, the Tengboche Development Project urgently needed funds and Helen Cawley and Michael Schmitz decided to start to give guided monastery tours to tourists asking for a small contribution to finance the water system. It became more and more apparent that important information needed to be given to tourists and the Sherpas alike, and that this information was very much appreciated by all. In particular information on how to behave in a Buddhist monastery and how tourists could contribute to sustainable solutions to the impact they were having on the area was needed. 

The guided tours became very popular and often over 100 tourists attended a tour. It was impossible to continue indefinitely with the tours and the production of some films containing essential information was a sustainable solution. After 7 years of everyday tours, it was decided to produce a film explaining an appropriate behaviour in a buddhist monastery, the sacred symbols (Mani Wheel, Mantras, etc) and the ecological destruction caused by tourism in the Khumbu Region.

In realizing this project we were extremely lucky. We had found probably the wildest film maker on this planet to help us. Mr. Steen Stender, a Danish national, with a wide range of experience in film making, saw the need for such films and agreed to help us. The prospects of having a virtually non existing budget did not make him very happy, but he helped us and walked with us to the hardest places on the planet. He shouted and screamed a lot, but the Himalayas are very spacious and no one was disturbed. He got the job done and even came back to make a second film. We are extremely greatful to him.

During the period of Tengboche Development Project and Sacred Land Initiatives until 2006 the two film which were completed have gained widespread acknowledgment:

Sacred Land Tengboche Monastery Visitors Film

Sacred Land is a film about the history and development of Tengboche Monastery. It explains many of the Sherpa cultures and customs, like prayer flags and wheels, butter lamps, buddhist ceremonies and the danger of loosing the Sherpa identity. Also it explains for a foreigner, how to behave in a buddhist monastery. About 20,000 tourists visit Tengboche each year which places a huge burden on the small number of monks there. Tourist inadvertently often behave inappropriately for instance kissing and smoking in the temple hall. Guidelines are urgently needed to avoid cultural clashes and disturbing the monks. As Tengboche is a sacred place and a wildlife sanctuary, the abbot of Tengboche asked anybody staying there to refrain from killing. This information was all included in the film and it is continously shown in the newly built Eco-Center at Tengboche Monastery.

Sowa Rigpa The Art of Healing Film

Sowa Rigpa, also know as Tibetan medicine is a healing technique of 2500 years old. The film explains the fundamental knowledge base of Sowa Rigpa and the danger of loosing many high Himalayan plants due to over harvesting and suggests the establishment of high altitude medicinal gardens. Conservation agencies worldwide are now recognising the value of an ancient medical tradition called Sowa Rigpa, which has systematically recorded the properties of over 3,000 herbs and aromatic plants found in the remote regions of the Himalayas.

The traditionally trained doctors, or Amchies and the highly educated meditaion masters of the Himalayas, are now in the forefront of efforts to protect the fragile Himalayan environment.Sowa Rigpa is an ancient medical tradition practised across the Himalayas and the Tibetan plateau. Medicines are made from high altitude plants, which are coming under threat from unsustainable use.Set against the natural beauty of the Everest region in monsoon season, this film shows the amazing richness of the biodivercity of the Himalayan plants and flowers.

Illustrated with beautiful 17th century medical paintings from Tibet, we get a glimpse into the comprehensive study of medical sciences and botanical knowledge on which Sowa Rigpa is based.

In a wide ranging series of interviews ranging from the traditional views of great Tibetan meditation masters to the modern approach to conservation, we explore the issues.

Commentators in Sowa Rigpa Film

• Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche
• Tengboche Rinpoche
• Amchi Kunzang Dorje
• Amchi Ngawang

This film is a tribute to the work of Yeshe Chodron Lama and all those who have dedicated their lives to the conservation of our natural environment.