With
Spring comes more work on the Stupa as during the winter months
outside work on the stupa stopped.
At Tibetan New Year there was a great response for our appeal for
new prayer flags for the stupa and all the flags were changed with
the help of David Hayward, Mikmar and the rest of the community .
Now the snows have melted and the sun is warming the earth again and
it's time for the outside work to begin .
Chenden has returned to supervise and organise the different aspects
of the building project that includes the bridge to the island, the
completion of the canopy entrance and the fitting of the inner shrine
with wood panelling and finally the painting of the stupa in white
and gold. As he has made the decision to begin working professionally
in London he will commute between his paid and unpaid work returning
to Samye Ling for longer and shorter periods during the year. He still
feels very committed to the project but is balancing that with his
commitment to making a new life for himself in the outside world.
Amazing cabinet
work for the Inner Shrine
Recently Chenden went to Ireland with Vin Harris who is responsible
for the Amitabha Project funding the inner shrine. They went to
meet Jinpa who used to be a monk on Holy Island and is a master
carver and cabinet maker. Jinpa has been working on the woodwork
for the inside of the Stupa. On his return Chenden said "this
is going to be the most beautiful Stupa in the world". Here
is why. Jinpa is making the whole shrine , wall panelling, cabinets
for ashes, stupas and statues, ceiling and floor out of native Irish
woods. All the cabinets for holding the ashes will be lined with
cherry wood. Door panels will be made of yew, with its Celtic association
with death, door frames of oak with yew veneer bookmatched, the
four pillars in the shrine in sycamore and there will be ebony inlay
. The attention to detail and crafstmanship is astounding according
to our reports. Jinpa will be here with Chenden from May12th fitting
the base units for the shrine and cupboards and will return in October
when the Statues are complete to fit the doors, ceiling, floor and
remaining detail. We hope to have all ashes within the Stupa by
the end of the year.
Tibetan help
is on the way
A sculptor from Tibet is coming for one year to create the large
statues in the inner shrine. These will be a thousand armed Chenrezig,
Dorje Sempa and Amitabha. Karpu from Helambu in Nepal will return
to create the statues of Guru Rinpoche and consorts and complete
the Fountain of Blessings, and Pema Dorje will complete the carving
on the surface of the Stupa itself. We are truly fortunate to be
able to call on such skilled workers for such a length of time.
The Peace
Garden and the Bodhi Tree
Some years ago a small Bodhi Tree grown from seed of the Great Bodhi
Tree at Bodhgaya in India was donated to Samye Ling. As we did not
have a suitable environment for its cultivation it has since been
taken care of by the Botanical Gardens in Glasgow. Rinpoche has
plans for a large arborium to house the tree with plenty of space
inside for meditators. This will be sited close to the Stupa as
a symbol of the Buddha's presence. Plans for this will be made this
year.
Recently the
Stupa Project at Samye Ling invited Ken Cox , a third generation
plantsman who has made several expeditions to South East Tibet,
to give a slide show if his journeys to the Tsangpo Gorges in South
East Tibet. It was very well attended and the talk itself extremely
interesting. Ken, who is an expert on Tibetan plants, has agreed
to help Rinpoche in establishing a Tibetan Medicine garden. We are
hoping that over the years the Peace Garden with become unique in
Europe as a place where all the Tibetan medicinal plants that are
suitable to this climate can be cultivated, protected and used.
This will include trees and shrubs as well as other varieties, many
of which are ornamental. Ken had a meeting with Rinpoche with Betty
Richardson, (responsible for the landscaping) and Heather Ahmed,
a qualified horticulturalist, newly resident at Samye Ling . Heather
will dedicate herself to organising and fundraising for the Peace
Garden. Will Tooby who has organised the collation and delivery
of donated plants for the garden so far, first brought our attention
to Ken who runs Glendoick Gardens in Perthshire and is a world famous
lecturer in his field. For those interested in the history of plant
collection in Tibet Ken has just edited and published Frank Kingdon
Wards' The Riddle of the Tsangpo Gorges. There is also interesting
additional information from his recent expeditions in Tibet and
plans to preserve the sacred area of Pema Ko.
The fundraising
Treks to Tibet
We have been heartened and encouraged by the enthusiastic response
we have received to our Tibetan Pilgrimage Treks. Once the Samye
Ling Stupa is completed we will go on to support the restoration
of sacred sites in Tibet. This will also support Tibetans in the
autonomous region by providing work and therefore incomes as well
as restoring their heritage. The first £600 is going to Akong
Rinpoche's monastery this year. There are now fourteen pilgrims
waiting to go to Mount Kailash for Saga Dawa with KE Adventure guided
by Bradley Rowe this May. Each one has raised £600 for the
Stupa Project. We already have several people interested in a unique
pilgrimage to Rinpoche's monastery Drolma Lhakang in East Tibet
guided by Jill Personn who has been a student of Rinpoche's for
many years and has also had many years experience of guiding westerners
in Tibet. The Horse Year Special to Amnye Machen, the Holy Mountain
in East Tibet, will go via Beijing with Bradley Rowe. Both will
take place in October to November. We are now working on the programme
for 2003. The BBC is going to broadcast a programme devoted to walking
pilgrimage and will be here in April to interview Rinpoche by the
Stupa. We hope we are helping to revive this very profound way of
connecting with our spiritual life and also, by the way, breathe
some of the purest air on the planet and become physically and mentally
stronger!
Wherever a holy being has been the land is always holy and whether
or not we recognise this the blessing will always remain due to
the power of their prayers and the dedication of merit for all beings.
Somehow their blessing pervades the landscapes they have inhabited
and touches us as we pass through. Many great Tibetan Saints spent
years of their lives on pilgrimage and the poems and songs they
wrote are still available to inspire us.
Prayer Wheels
There have been many requests for prayer wheels that can be turned
while doing the korra round the stupa so we have decided to dedicate
a fund for this.. One prayer wheel has already been sponsored. The
sponsorship for each one will be £200.00
A very happy,
peaceful and prosperous Water Horse year to everyone, and may all
your good wishes come true from the Stupa Team at Samye Ling
The Stupa Team
at Samye Ling
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