Tibetan Aid Project

Tibetan Aid Project works to rebuild, preserve, strengthen, and perpetuate Tibet’s cultural and spiritual heritage for the benefit of the Tibetan people and all humanity. Founded in 1969 by Tarthang Tulku, a high lama living in exile from Tibet, Tibetan Aid Project initially provided food, clothing, medicine, and other humanitarian aid to exiled Tibetans in Asia. As those needs became less urgent, the focus shifted to restoration and construction of monasteries and schools of higher learning for Tibetans living both in and outside of Tibet. Since 1989, Tibetan Aid Project’s primary program has been printing and distributing sacred materials needed for the preservation of Tibet’s heritage. Each year, the organization donates funds for the production, shipment, and distribution of sacred materials at the ten day World Peace Ceremony in Bodh Gaya, India. Thousands of Tibetan refugees living in India, Nepal, and Bhutan travel to the annual ceremony to pray for peace and receive sacred objects. Many of the books that are given freely at the ceremony cannot be purchased anywhere in the world at any price. Together with its sister organizations, Tibetan Aid Project has helped distribute a total of over 3 million texts, 4.3 million sacred art prints, and 123,000 prayer wheels. This project constitutes one of the largest free book distributions in history.