The first Chagdud Gonpa lha khang (temple of the deities) was built by Drutsa Gangpa, a student of Ka Dampa De Sheg (the founder of Katog Monastery). It was built in 1204, the same year that his teacher passed on to parinirvana. Three hundred years later, after the temple had been destroyed by fire and partially rebuilt, the great siddha Chagdud Sherab Gyaltsan completed the renovation process.
When it came time to transport the temple’s massive log pillars up the steep mountain to the site, Sherab Gyaltsan told the monks to tie ropes to the pillars, start pulling, and not look back. A few hundred feet short of the temple some of the monks heard such a commotion behind them that they couldn’t help but look. They were amazed to see the rest of the logs moving up the incline, apparently on their own. Unfortunately at this point, the trees stopped moving, and the monks had to finish the difficult task without the benefit of their unseen assistants.
In looking back over the process of temple planning through the years, it seems that we still tend to do things the hard way. Even so, things have always worked out for the best due to the unfailing blessings of the lama and the lineage. Many designs of the temple have been drawn up and many people have contributed—Glenn, Phyllis, Bruce, Robert, and myself; and here in Brazil—Moe, Marcel, Suzie, and Silvio. Rinpoche was in the United States for many years before he first mentioned his aspiration to build a traditional Tibetan temple. Several years later the search for a site resulted in the purchase of Rigdzin Ling. Tara House was built there and has served many of the functions of a temple, but Rinpoche’s wish for a Tibetan-style lha khang remained difficult to manifest there under the dual burden of restrictive commercial codes and high costs.
When Rinpoche brought the focus of his activities to Brazil, his aspiration was rekindled with the combination of a spectacular site, the availability of affordable masonry construction, and the great receptivity of people to him and his teachings. A copy of the latest U.S. temple plans was sent down, and after reviewing them Rinpoche said, “I think we might need to move a few posts.” Thus began the process of drafting new ideas as they would arise, trying to visualize the temple with all its interdependent necessities, each revision fading like a magic city every time Rinpoche would say, “I have a better idea.” When I finally mentioned that we were on the seventeenth bathroom revision, he said only, “We illusion yogis.”
Detail by detail, Rinpoche is accomplishing his vision, melding the natural beauty of the site with the drama of traditional Tibetan architecture, using the local materials and methods of construction, and also keeping the design flexible enough to accommodate future growth and changes. It is his wish that the lha khang serve beings for generations to come and that he leave us with a “full plate, the meal ready to eat.”
Lama Norbu
The first Chagdud Gonpa lha khang (temple of the deities) was built by Drutsa Gangpa, a student of Ka Dampa De Sheg (the founder of Katog Monastery). It was built in 1204, the same year that his teacher passed on to parinirvana. Three hundred years later, after the temple had been destroyed by fire and partially rebuilt, the great siddha Chagdud Sherab Gyaltsan completed the renovation process.
When it came time to transport the temple’s massive log pillars up the steep mountain to the site, Sherab Gyaltsan told the monks to tie ropes to the pillars, start pulling, and not look back. A few hundred feet short of the temple some of the monks heard such a commotion behind them that they couldn’t help but look. They were amazed to see the rest of the logs moving up the incline, apparently on their own. Unfortunately at this point, the trees stopped moving, and the monks had to finish the difficult task without the benefit of their unseen assistants.
In looking back over the process of temple planning through the years, it seems that we still tend to do things the hard way. Even so, things have always worked out for the best due to the unfailing blessings of the lama and the lineage. Many designs of the temple have been drawn up and many people have contributed—Glenn, Phyllis, Bruce, Robert, and myself; and here in Brazil—Moe, Marcel, Suzie, and Silvio. Rinpoche was in the United States for many years before he first mentioned his aspiration to build a traditional Tibetan temple. Several years later the search for a site resulted in the purchase of Rigdzin Ling. Tara House was built there and has served many of the functions of a temple, but Rinpoche’s wish for a Tibetan-style lha khang remained difficult to manifest there under the dual burden of restrictive commercial codes and high costs.
When Rinpoche brought the focus of his activities to Brazil, his aspiration was rekindled with the combination of a spectacular site, the availability of affordable masonry construction, and the great receptivity of people to him and his teachings. A copy of the latest U.S. temple plans was sent down, and after reviewing them Rinpoche said, “I think we might need to move a few posts.” Thus began the process of drafting new ideas as they would arise, trying to visualize the temple with all its interdependent necessities, each revision fading like a magic city every time Rinpoche would say, “I have a better idea.” When I finally mentioned that we were on the seventeenth bathroom revision, he said only, “We illusion yogis.”
Detail by detail, Rinpoche is accomplishing his vision, melding the natural beauty of the site with the drama of traditional Tibetan architecture, using the local materials and methods of construction, and also keeping the design flexible enough to accommodate future growth and changes. It is his wish that the lha khang serve beings for generations to come and that he leave us with a “full plate, the meal ready to eat.”
Lama Norbu
The first Chagdud Gonpa lha khang (temple of the deities) was built by Drutsa Gangpa, a student of Ka Dampa De Sheg (the founder of Katog Monastery). It was built in 1204, the same year that his teacher passed on to parinirvana. Three hundred years later, after the temple had been destroyed by fire and partially rebuilt, the great siddha Chagdud Sherab Gyaltsan completed the renovation process.
When it came time to transport the temple’s massive log pillars up the steep mountain to the site, Sherab Gyaltsan told the monks to tie ropes to the pillars, start pulling, and not look back. A few hundred feet short of the temple some of the monks heard such a commotion behind them that they couldn’t help but look. They were amazed to see the rest of the logs moving up the incline, apparently on their own. Unfortunately at this point, the trees stopped moving, and the monks had to finish the difficult task without the benefit of their unseen assistants.
In looking back over the process of temple planning through the years, it seems that we still tend to do things the hard way. Even so, things have always worked out for the best due to the unfailing blessings of the lama and the lineage. Many designs of the temple have been drawn up and many people have contributed—Glenn, Phyllis, Bruce, Robert, and myself; and here in Brazil—Moe, Marcel, Suzie, and Silvio. Rinpoche was in the United States for many years before he first mentioned his aspiration to build a traditional Tibetan temple. Several years later the search for a site resulted in the purchase of Rigdzin Ling. Tara House was built there and has served many of the functions of a temple, but Rinpoche’s wish for a Tibetan-style lha khang remained difficult to manifest there under the dual burden of restrictive commercial codes and high costs.
When Rinpoche brought the focus of his activities to Brazil, his aspiration was rekindled with the combination of a spectacular site, the availability of affordable masonry construction, and the great receptivity of people to him and his teachings. A copy of the latest U.S. temple plans was sent down, and after reviewing them Rinpoche said, “I think we might need to move a few posts.” Thus began the process of drafting new ideas as they would arise, trying to visualize the temple with all its interdependent necessities, each revision fading like a magic city every time Rinpoche would say, “I have a better idea.” When I finally mentioned that we were on the seventeenth bathroom revision, he said only, “We illusion yogis.”
Detail by detail, Rinpoche is accomplishing his vision, melding the natural beauty of the site with the drama of traditional Tibetan architecture, using the local materials and methods of construction, and also keeping the design flexible enough to accommodate future growth and changes. It is his wish that the lha khang serve beings for generations to come and that he leave us with a “full plate, the meal ready to eat.”
Lama Norbu
The first Chagdud Gonpa lha khang (temple of the deities) was built by Drutsa Gangpa, a student of Ka Dampa De Sheg (the founder of Katog Monastery). It was built in 1204, the same year that his teacher passed on to parinirvana. Three hundred years later, after the temple had been destroyed by fire and partially rebuilt, the great siddha Chagdud Sherab Gyaltsan completed the renovation process.
When it came time to transport the temple’s massive log pillars up the steep mountain to the site, Sherab Gyaltsan told the monks to tie ropes to the pillars, start pulling, and not look back. A few hundred feet short of the temple some of the monks heard such a commotion behind them that they couldn’t help but look. They were amazed to see the rest of the logs moving up the incline, apparently on their own. Unfortunately at this point, the trees stopped moving, and the monks had to finish the difficult task without the benefit of their unseen assistants.
In looking back over the process of temple planning through the years, it seems that we still tend to do things the hard way. Even so, things have always worked out for the best due to the unfailing blessings of the lama and the lineage. Many designs of the temple have been drawn up and many people have contributed—Glenn, Phyllis, Bruce, Robert, and myself; and here in Brazil—Moe, Marcel, Suzie, and Silvio. Rinpoche was in the United States for many years before he first mentioned his aspiration to build a traditional Tibetan temple. Several years later the search for a site resulted in the purchase of Rigdzin Ling. Tara House was built there and has served many of the functions of a temple, but Rinpoche’s wish for a Tibetan-style lha khang remained difficult to manifest there under the dual burden of restrictive commercial codes and high costs.
When Rinpoche brought the focus of his activities to Brazil, his aspiration was rekindled with the combination of a spectacular site, the availability of affordable masonry construction, and the great receptivity of people to him and his teachings. A copy of the latest U.S. temple plans was sent down, and after reviewing them Rinpoche said, “I think we might need to move a few posts.” Thus began the process of drafting new ideas as they would arise, trying to visualize the temple with all its interdependent necessities, each revision fading like a magic city every time Rinpoche would say, “I have a better idea.” When I finally mentioned that we were on the seventeenth bathroom revision, he said only, “We illusion yogis.”
Detail by detail, Rinpoche is accomplishing his vision, melding the natural beauty of the site with the drama of traditional Tibetan architecture, using the local materials and methods of construction, and also keeping the design flexible enough to accommodate future growth and changes. It is his wish that the lha khang serve beings for generations to come and that he leave us with a “full plate, the meal ready to eat.”
Lama Norbu
The first Chagdud Gonpa lha khang (temple of the deities) was built by Drutsa Gangpa, a student of Ka Dampa De Sheg (the founder of Katog Monastery). It was built in 1204, the same year that his teacher passed on to parinirvana. Three hundred years later, after the temple had been destroyed by fire and partially rebuilt, the great siddha Chagdud Sherab Gyaltsan completed the renovation process.
When it came time to transport the temple’s massive log pillars up the steep mountain to the site, Sherab Gyaltsan told the monks to tie ropes to the pillars, start pulling, and not look back. A few hundred feet short of the temple some of the monks heard such a commotion behind them that they couldn’t help but look. They were amazed to see the rest of the logs moving up the incline, apparently on their own. Unfortunately at this point, the trees stopped moving, and the monks had to finish the difficult task without the benefit of their unseen assistants.
In looking back over the process of temple planning through the years, it seems that we still tend to do things the hard way. Even so, things have always worked out for the best due to the unfailing blessings of the lama and the lineage. Many designs of the temple have been drawn up and many people have contributed—Glenn, Phyllis, Bruce, Robert, and myself; and here in Brazil—Moe, Marcel, Suzie, and Silvio. Rinpoche was in the United States for many years before he first mentioned his aspiration to build a traditional Tibetan temple. Several years later the search for a site resulted in the purchase of Rigdzin Ling. Tara House was built there and has served many of the functions of a temple, but Rinpoche’s wish for a Tibetan-style lha khang remained difficult to manifest there under the dual burden of restrictive commercial codes and high costs.
When Rinpoche brought the focus of his activities to Brazil, his aspiration was rekindled with the combination of a spectacular site, the availability of affordable masonry construction, and the great receptivity of people to him and his teachings. A copy of the latest U.S. temple plans was sent down, and after reviewing them Rinpoche said, “I think we might need to move a few posts.” Thus began the process of drafting new ideas as they would arise, trying to visualize the temple with all its interdependent necessities, each revision fading like a magic city every time Rinpoche would say, “I have a better idea.” When I finally mentioned that we were on the seventeenth bathroom revision, he said only, “We illusion yogis.”
Detail by detail, Rinpoche is accomplishing his vision, melding the natural beauty of the site with the drama of traditional Tibetan architecture, using the local materials and methods of construction, and also keeping the design flexible enough to accommodate future growth and changes. It is his wish that the lha khang serve beings for generations to come and that he leave us with a “full plate, the meal ready to eat.”
Lama Norbu
