Kagyu Samyé Ling Monastery and Tibetan Centre

__NOTOC__Kagyu Samyé Ling Monastery and Tibetan Centre is a Tibetan Buddhist complex associated with the Kagyu school located at Eskdalemuir, near Langholm, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.

History

The building that now houses Samyé Ling was originally a hunting lodge. The "Johnstone House Contemplative Community" was founded there by a Canadian Theravada monk named Anandabodhi. When the community declined, Anadabodhi returned to Canada; he was subsequently ordained in the Tibetan Mahayana tradition and enthroned as Namgyal Rinpoche by the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa.

In 1967, the Theravadins sold the centre to two Tibetan lamas and refugees named Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and Akong Rinpoche, who renamed it "Samyé Ling". cite news |first=Claire |last=Smith |title= True path from Tibet to... Eskdalemuir|url= http://living.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=335632007|publisher="The Scotsman" |date=2007-03-03 |accessdate=2007-09-04 ] Samye refers to the first Buddhist monastic university in Tibet, while Ling means a large house with grounds. Trungpa Rinpoche later left and founded further centres in the United States and elsewhere.

The centre flourished and developed under the guidance of Akong Rinpoche and his brother Lama Yeshe Losal, who serves as both Abbot and Retreat Master. The centre includes one of the first Tibetan temples to be constructed in Western Europe [ Ani Rinchen Khandro, Kagyu Samye Ling - The Story, Dzalendara, 2007, ISBN 0906181232] , a large stupa, and accommodation for those taking a range of courses on Buddhism, meditation, spiritual development and art.

Preservation of Tibetan art and crafts

Under the guidance of the celebrated Tibetan artist Sherab Palden Beru, Samyé Ling has also become a centre for the creation, repair and restoration of thangkas, principally in the Karma Gadri style. Since the 1970s Sherab has trained a number of western practitioners in the highly specialised techniques needed to create thangkas. The temple walls are decorated with many exquisite examples of the work of both Sherab Palden Beru and his western pupils.

Traditional deity and monumental sculpture and the creation of prayer-wheels are also carried out at the centre under the direction of resident and visiting Tibetan experts. The grounds of the centre feature many examples of their work, such as a statue of Nagarjuna.

Tourist attraction

Listed as a tourist attraction by [http://www.visitscotland.com/ VisitScotland ] , the centre attracts visitors who come simply to see a spectacular gilded temple, stupas and gardens with statues of bodhisattvas and Buddhas.

Gallery

ee also

* Abbeys and priories in Scotland
* Religion in the United Kingdom

References

External links

* [http://www.samyeling.org Samye Ling web site]
* [http://www.serve.com/cmtan/buddhism/Mirror/tlbudi04.html 1997 UK "Daily Telegraph" profile of the Samye Ling community]
* [http://living.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=335632007 2007 profile from "The Scotsman", including much on the early days of Samye Ling]