46-year-old Ngawang Chonzin is the deputy director of Drepung's administration council. He's been serving at Drepung for 18 years and has witnessed significant improvement of the monastery's environment and lives of monks. Ngawang Chonzin believes knowing the past is important.

Ngawang Chonzin from Drepung Monastery said, "It's important to study the historic knowledge of Tibet's Democratic Reform 50 years ago. Most of the monks at our monastery are young. Without studying, they cannot understand the huge differences between the old and the new society and the tremendous changes Tibet has embraced over the past half century.

Ngawang Choedrag says many monks now realize it requires social stability for their religious beliefs to be promoted and carried forward.

Some of the monks at Drepung were involved in the March 14th riots last year. But through the study of Tibet's history, many have realized the region's stability and prosperity today are hard-won achievements. They say as monks, they will contribute to Tibet’s stability by studying the sutras carefully and focus on doing good deeds to benefit others.

(CCTV March 27, 2009)