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THE SNOW LION BUDDHIST NEWS & CATALOG
Dalai Lama's Personal Monastery Builds Him a Kalachakra Temple In Ithaca, New York
The Dalai Lama teaching in the newly-constructed Kalachakra temple
at Du Khor Chöe Ling |
April 1, Ithaca, NY
He'll be back.
Much to the delight of the locals, the mayor, and the monks and students of Namgyal Monastery in this picturesque college town, during his recent visit His Holiness the Dalai Lama said he would return to Ithaca as soon as a new Namgyal Kalachakra temple complex is completed. At the rate things are going—the central temple itself is more or less finished—that will be soon. Joking, His Holiness indicated that he may be one of those guests that come uninvited and then stay. And stay. And stay.
The word within the larger Buddhist and Tibetan refugee community is that the construction of this Kalachakra practice center is highly significant—for many reasons. |
In fact it was his Holiness who, a few years back, named the proposed temple complex Du Khor Choe Ling (Land of Kalachakra Study and Practice) and suggested that the main shrine room be constructed as a three-dimensional Kalachakra mandala. In the last decades His Holiness has demonstrated the importance and particular relevance to these times of Kalachakra by offering its teachings, blessings, and initiations frequently, and all over the world.
The Dalai Lama examines a model of Du Khor Chöe Ling
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And who better to serve as a resource on Kalachakra than the Namgyal monks? Remarkably, His Holiness gave them not only permission, but an actual directive, to give Kalachakra teachings, according to a Namgyal board member.
In Tibet, Namgyal was located within the Potala Palace in Lhasa, and served as the Dalai Lama's personal monastery. Its monks have the unique charge of assisting His Holiness and maintaining the ritual practices and teachings of the four main Tibetan Buddhist lineages. When His Holiness moved to Dharamsala, India, a new Namgyal was established there, adjacent to His Holiness' residence, so that the monks could continue their necessary work. In 1992, the only Namgyal branch in the West was created in a charming old house in downtown Ithaca. There it has served not only as a monastery but also as an institute with a roster of classes five days a week. Students comes from all over the country to study there.
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But with the construction of the new complex, Namgyal will move to a new level. His Holiness has requested that Du Khor Choe Ling host and organize Buddhism and science dialogs, perhaps in conjunction with the two local colleges, Cornell University and Ithaca College. Also, he said he was very impressed with the level of interfaith interchange already in place within the Ithaca community—interfaith dialog has always been one of his priorities—and requested that Namgyal foster more such fruitful exchanges. As a sign of his commitment to all these projects, he's sending his own private translator—Lharampa Geshe Dorje Dhondul—to participate and teach in Ithaca in the upcoming year. |
Architectural rendering of the entrance to the complex |
More than a temple, the new complex will house a residence for His Holiness, library, conference space, and dining room, as well as monk's quarters and retreat rooms. Laid out like a mandala, the 13,000 square feet of buildings are situated on 28 gorgeous wooded acres near Ithaca College, in an area known for its lakes and hundreds of spectacular waterfalls.
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More information about the monastery . . .
To see more of the building plans and read an earlier article, please visit http://www.snowlionpub.com/pages/N75_9.html
For more information on Du Khor Choe Ling and Namgyal, please visit www.namgyal.org or call 607-273-0739.
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Architectural building plan for the new monastery complex
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