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Dhansara Village, Gompaland 02.02.2004

 

Latest news letter: Stupa project

Very long indeed, but there is so much to share…this being one small part only. Please take time to read and share your view through your answers to Ugen…

  

Dear sangha members,

 

As promised earlier this year, we will try to keep you informed of the latest evolution and happenings here in India. We still owe you details about the Chimmed Rigdzin Society meetings held during the butterlamp retreat, we will also send you a detailed report of the donations received during the retreat as much as a financial report of the C.R Society.

 

But there is so much going on at the moment that we wish you could keep patience for a few more weeks, to give us time to prepare all this for you, together with some pictures we shall show you.

 

But our main breaking news at the present moment is…???….

 

Yes!!!  Believe it or not, but on the 27th January, the Gompa and all of us got blessed by the very unexpected visit of Chatral Sangye Dorje Rinpoche, who came in the morning, together with his trusted specialist to build Stupas.

 

From his car, he rushed up the stairs of the Gompa to enter Rinpoche’s room, where an exchange of gifts was made, and where he could drink tea together with Amalha, his wife, his daughter and Urgen’s family. During this time C.R Lama disciples were continuously chanting the seven lines prayer, standing around the statue of Lord Buddha..

 

Then Rinpoche entered the Gompa and went to seat on the throne facing C.R Lama ‘s throne and started to do pujah, he performed Rabne (consecration of the gompa). Once the pujah was over we could all approach him and receive his blessing. On this occasion he expressed himself on the importance of building Rinpoche’s stupa and on the merits accumulated by those involved in the process. At this point, we asked his permission about using a text he wrote in 1966 on the topic. He warmly encouraged us to do so and made the wish to see this text translated in as many languages as possible. He then went all around to appreciate the paintings and the statues of the Gompa and went back to his car. He then stopped at the location where C.R Lama’s Stupa will be built and where the necessary earth to build the platform had already been brought. He exchanged a few words with Ugen and left us filled with joy and blessings in the hands of his specialist, who goes around the world to build stupas.

 

We spents several hours discussing at large all the details involved in such a construction and putting figures together. We still cannot believe in such a beautifull coincidence and could not wait to share it with you all.

 

Now, this opens on the topic of Rinpoche’s Stupa. You will find herewith what was said on the topic during the Chimmed Rigdzin Society meeting held on the 31st December 2003 in the presence of Tulku Thondup.

 

Tulku Thondup Rinpoche started this meeting reminding us that it is a tradition to have a stupa built on the place where a great master has been cremated, like it was done in Tashiding with the golden stupa of Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro Rinpoche.

He then told us that the size should of course depend on funds. But that it would be very nice to have a proper size stupa built for Rinpoche and not just a tiny one. Because this stupa will become like a center focus for all Rinpoche’s students.

 

At that point Ugen mentioned that The C.R Society had received so far 10.000 Euro donation for the project.

 

Then Tulku Thondup Rinpoche explained us that normally a stupa should face South or East, but in this case, as per the wish our Rinpoche, the Stupa should face the West in order to face the Gompa. Tulku Thondup Rinpoche, then emphasized on the fact, that the Stupa will be one of the two most significant monuments on this land, outstanding all other constructions.

 

It was then proposed we look at it more like a proper and impressive Stupa. Specially when Ugen reminded the assembly of the project to build in the future a serie of 8 stupas.

 

Then Tulku Thondup Rinpoche explained that to be perfect, a Stupa needs to be built according to particular measurements, but most important is to fill it up properly.

“According to the 3rd Dodrupchen, while he was building a Big Stupa in Serba, Kham, he advised to fill this Stupa with 100.000 of the Zung Chen Der-nga Mantras.”

Then the Stupa has to be filled with several thousands tsa tsas, with various mandalas, with various statues, Dharma texts and religious items, but also precious items likes jewels and gold, medicinal herbs and so many more things…So to build a stupa you should have a good supervisor who knows the right way to do things, because it is an amazing monument, so amazing that it is difficult to explain how much work it actually involves, it is amazing because it represent the Mind of the Buddhas.

 

At this point Ugen, told us what he already announced in Poland last year, his wish to put in the Stupa all Rinpoche’s translated texts in all languages. Then he told us, that when he met Dodrupchen Rinpoche on this topic, Rinpoche advised him to put in a set of the Kangyur and a set of the Tengyur.

 

It was then mentioned that some personnal objects of Rinpoche should also be put in the Stupa. Tulku Thondup Rinpoche told us, that yes we could do so for objects like some of his books, clothes, statues and other personnal belongings, but not too much…Then Tulku Thondup talked about the ashes. Normally, ashes should not be put in a Stupa, unless we believe this person is an enlightened being. He personnaly thinks, we all believe and agree that Rinpoche, as an Incarnation of Nudan Dorje and due to his own manifestation and realization is an enlightened being. So that, we can put some ashes of him or a tsa tsa of Rinpoche in the Stupa.

 

 

 

About the way to approach this project, Tulku Thondup pointed out to us that we have three options.

1-    We wait for a year and raise funds. And finally build the Stupa according to the funds raised after one year.

2-    We start the construction and build the Stupa according to the funds we have now.

3-    We start to make the necessary foundations to build a big Stupa of maximum 13 meters high and start the work. While getting together to raise the necessary funds.

 

The maximum height being defined by the rules and regulations related to Bagdogra Airport. The Gompa itself is 13 meters high. So after vote we all agreed that this should be the way to limit ourselves.

 

The 3 options were put to vote. And it is the third option proposed by Tulku Thondup Rinpoche that was passed and unanimously agreed. On the basis that the sangha should work together and organize itself in order to raise the necessary funds, approaching other sanghas, making fund raising brochures and so on. This decision was also taken on the understanding, that due to local weather conditions, construction work can only really take place for 7 months in a year. The best months being from January to April, then the heat and the monsoon come to disturb the work, forcing us to wait until mid October, sometimes later to start again. The target being, to see the Stupa completed for the start of next Butterlamp retreat.

 

Now, let us share with you some of the understandings we got from Mr Dhamtsik Dorje Lama, architect of Buddhist Stupas.

The plan that was discussed, was for a 44 feet (13 m) high stupa, with a base of 26,8 feet (7.5m) as it was decided during the society’s meeting.

This Stupa is plan to be built with a prayer wheel inside, in order to allow visitors in the future, to stay around the stupa and turn the wheel, specially elderly people. The room for the prayer wheel shall be 14 feet by 14 feet, while the bumpa will be 7 feet by 7 feet.

Based on these requirements, Mr Dhamtsik Dorje Lama was asked to give an estimate. His answer was that he normally never gives estimate, as he does stupas for the Rinpoches, and Rinpoches usually never ask for detailed estimate. He is more used to start the work and ask for money on a regular basis, while the construction is going on.

We explained him that the situation here was a bit different and that we would like to get some details about cost.

There he told us that he made such stupa, three years ago in Nepal, with the same size and prayer wheel and the final cost was 25 Lakhs Indian rupies, including the filling of the stupa…Which should be around 55.000 Euro today. He has offered us his expertise to supervise the work, for a 5% of the overall cost  as a remuneration. So far no deal has been confirmed.

 

This would include the preparation of 50.000 tsa tsas of various type, which cost an average of 10 rp per piece to make, cook, paint and fill. A Sertok of 5 feet high in golden copper which cost is around 150.000 rp.A 4 feet high Lord Buddha statue. A tree of life of 14 feet high fully prepared, filled and decorated. Semi-precious stones powder for the bumpa and the base. A set of Kangyur and a set of Tengyur. A team of 10 to 12 workers for 9 months. A team of 5 to 10 people to make the tsa tsa during the same period. A team of people will also be necessary to prepare the Zung (Mantras), mentioned above.

 

The stupa shall be built out of bricks and cement. The sertok and the tree of life need to be ordered and prepared long time in advance ( around six months ).

 

Tsa tsa and Zungs retreat:

 

At the present moment  Kashya, Aneta and Adela from Poland and Nathalie and Alexis from France are currently working and have opened a tsa tsa workshop 10 days ago, producing an average of 150 of them per day, with the help of the 5 young lamas now staying at the gompa. They plan to stay for another 2 to 5 months depending on their personal situation. Peter Petersen and Agatha, also just arrived to make a 3 months retreat here.

 

In front of the situation and the amount of work to be done, but also with the understanding of the meaning and of the accumulation of merits which lay behind the fact to work on the construction of a stupa in general and the stupa of your Tsawai lama in particular, we would like to invite those of you who have the time and the desire to be involved in this once in a life time opportunity to come and join us to make tsa tsa and prepare zungs

.

Our schedule is as follow: The workshop opens at 8.45am, we make the Small Rigdzin together and recite mantras while making tsa tsas, till 12noon. We close the workshop and bring the tsa tsa to dry. Then lunch is at 12.30. The tsa tsa workshop opens again at 2 pm and we work mostly in silence, continuously until 5 pm. This way to make tsa tsa and prepare zung becomes our main practice. We are improving the organization and our productivity day by day, but in order to produce these 50.000 tsa tsa and prepare these 150.000 zung much work is required. Please feel free to join us at your own time and convenience.

 

The conditions are as follow. C.R Society charges 75 rp a day for the food and accommodation is on donation basis.

 

Of course the best time to come is from now on till May, but the workshop will still be open all around the year, as it will be shifted inside the gompa, once the rain starts. Please inform Ugen before your arrival for us to prepare your accommodation…

 

We all are looking forward to see you here and involved in this great project. For those of you who cannot come, your support is more than welcome. Your support can come in many ways. It can be through spreading the news around you about this stupa project, it can also be by showing that you care, by asking us regular updates, it can be by creating awareness about what is happening at the gompaland at the present moment, but also by creating awareness about what is the symbol of a stupa, how important it is to build such monument and how much this activity is a Dharma activity…and of course you can help and support by getting together and raise the necessary funds to complete Rinpoche’s Jang Chub Chorten…Now you know it all…Thank you for reading us at length…

 

Ugyen Chemchog Lama, Dhansara Village, Gompaland 02.02.2004

N.B:    - Chatral Rinpoche’s text in english shall be sent to the website soon

            - More news shall be sent to you, specially details about the project to bring Lord            Buddha relics in Gompaland during next year Butterlamp retreat.