LING ~ CENTRE
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THE
TIBETAN BUDDHIST CENTRE for study and meditation, Karma Deleg
Chö Phel Ling, was founded in 1975. The founders belong to the Karma Kagyu lineage within Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism,
generally addresses as Vajrayana Buddhism.
Karma Kagyu means Karma Practice and now heading the Kagyu lineage as its foremost practitioner is the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa,
Ogyen Trinley Dorje, sometimes called The Living Buddha.
In 1977 Chödje Lama Gawang Rinpoche was sent to the Netherlands by the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa as his sole representative with additional responsibilities in Germany, Austria and France. At first Gawang Rinpoche settled in the middle of the Netherlands, but when the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa was presented a piece of land with an old farmhouse in Friesland in 1986, he moved North. Here, near the terp village of Hantum, he first initiated the building of a formidable Stupa and subsequently a retreat compound with a temple in Tibetan style.
But before any building activities could take place, the existing access road - a sand track that transformed into a series of mud pools in winter - had to be asphalted. Who know how wet and heavy the Frisian clay is, can image what a heavy job it was level the trajectory and lay the macadam road by hand. With the aid of many volunteers, also non-Buddhists from Hantum village, the job was done in the best of spirits. The photo album that can be perused at the centre, testifies of the jolly atmosphere during this otherwise tiresome chore.
When the road was ready, first the construction of the Tashi Gomang Stupa was undertaken before the retreat centre and the temple were built. Gawang Rinpoche sometimes jokingly says, "other Lamas built the largest possible retreats upon arrival abroad, but I found having the largest possible Stupa more important."
In October 1991 the work was finished and the centre was officially opened by the mayor of Dongeradeel, Mr Sybesma. The complete municipal and church councils were present and the next day more than 5000 visitors could be received thanks to the support of the local community, which provided assistance and facilities to receive the large numbers of. Often Gawang Rinpoche reminisces in gratitude about this event.
The 16th Gyalwa Karmapa has visited Hantum on several occasions and aired the opinion that meditating practitioners should be able to attain the level of Jetsun Milarepa, founder of the Kagyu lineage, on this site as a result of its great peacefulness. He gave the name Wene Karma Chö Ling to the centre, which can be roughly translated as ´remote and peaceful dharma garden´. As, according to the Karmapa, a week's meditation here equals a year of meditation in Kathmandu, it certainly is an auspicious place for meditation, contemplation and study. Meanwhile the center has been visited by many Tulkus, Rinpoches, Lamas and teachers in Tibetan Art and Medicine, such as: the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje; the regent Tai Situ Rinpoche; Gyaltsap Rinpoche; Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche; the Maitreya-emanation of Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche; Chödje Lama Namse Rinpoche; the Choegon Rinpoche of the Drukpa Kagyu; etc..
Under Gawang Rinpoche's guidance the centre came to bloom and was ever more extended and improved. Among other constructions and statues, the site comprises: a Tashi Gomang Stupa - the only one in northwestern Europe with a circambulation along 108 Mani Khorlos; a temple with innumerable Buddha statues and containing the complete Kanjur; a Tibetan style retreat compound; another separate building (the old farmhouse) with retreat facilities; a carport and an auxiliary building for storage and later envisaged other purposes.
Chödje Lama Gawang Rinpoche lives and works completely according to the Dharma and as a consequence pupils can receive lessons and instructions on their own individual level on the moments they are accessible. Everyone is welcome for a visit, courses and consultation with Chödje (Dharma Lord) Lama Gawang Rinpoche. Please see the Visitors Information page for more information about a visit or stay.
The Stupa
A Stupa (Tib.: Chörten) is a construction that is meant to reinforce altruism, harmony and well-being. Sometimes a Stupa is also seen an instrument for acupuncture of the earth, promoting the flow of positive energies. Through its abundant symbolism, a Stupa is believed to have a positive effect on its environment and especially on those who take the time to circambulate it reverently.
In the Sutras that accounts of Buddha Gautama teachings, the positive effects of the construction of Stupas are mentioned. The text says that dust particles collected on a Stupa, if spread out by the wind, can transmit the encouragement of the Buddha for whoever is touched by them. After Buddha Gautama became enlightened he made the following comparisons: the body of a Buddha we can know as Buddha statues and pictures; the speech of a Buddha is written down in the Sutras; the mind of a Buddha - the most important aspect - is expressed by a Stupa.
Eight different Stupa designs are distinguishable, each corresponding to a phase in the life of Buddha Gautama:
- the Stupa of the descent to the human world;
- the Stupa of wonders;
- the Stupa of the collected lotus flowers;
- the Stupa of the victory over negative emotions;
- the happiness supplying Stupa with many recesses;
- the Stupa of reunion;
- the Stupa of the victory over the illusion;
- the Stupa of Parinirvana (highest nirvana state);
(1.) Just above ground level is the seat of the Stupa associated with the sangha, the community of Dharma practitioners.
(2.) On the raised first floor level is the square base foundation that represents the Buddha's lotus throne, symbolizing a state of solidity and the forces of faith, concentration, mindfulness, perseverance and wisdom. In Hantum it contains an altar room with thousands of Buddha figurines mostly made by Gawang Rinpoche himself.
(3.) Above it are the four steps - the unmeasurable dimensions of mind, also representing the Buddha's crossed legs. In Hantum this part has many openings or doors (gomang) to the vaults of happiness and prosperity. Each opening in Hantum houses a little statue.
(4.) Then comes the bumpa, the rounded vase-like part said to represent the torso of the Buddha. with the harmika on top of it. In Hantum the bumpa houses a large Buddha statue visible from the front, resembling the 16th Karmapa with the Black Hat crown on. The vase symbolizes water, the state of fluidity and the essential conditions of enlightenment: concentration, effort, equanimity, flexibility, mindfulness, joy and wisdom. (5.) Immediately on top of the bumpa is the harmika, a platform whose sides represent earth, wind, air and fire - each side facing a cardinal direction. The harmika can also be imagined to be a balustraded platform from which the Buddha views the environment, intimating respect. On some eastern Stupas, a pair of eyes is painted on each of the four sides, as if the Buddha is still watching in all directions. Furthermore the harmika is said to be symbolizing the eightfold noble path. (6.) Positioned on top of the harmika is a spire of thirteen rings tapering upward. These 13 rings successively symbolize the ten powers of a Buddha and the three close contemplations. (7.) Finally, in the top are the ornaments for a parasol (to ward off evil); the moon (method); the sun (wisdom); with the flaming jewel at the highest point - symbolizing the highest enlightenment (Parinirvana).
What's also special for the Hantum Stupa is that it had to be built on a 3.5 meters tall subterranean foundation in order to reach a stable sand layer below the Frisian clay. Gawang Rinpoche did not apply the usual Dutch method of having piles rammed into the ground by heavy industrial equipment, but he had the substructure moulded in reinforced concrete in the shape of Mount Meru, the symbolical representation of the samsaric worlds.
Another unique feature is that this Stupa contains samples of all the regions of the globe, apart from one - Alaska - which is presently (2006) being collected. Additionally it contains a very special relic of the Third Buddha, Eusung who lived thousands of years before Buddha Gautama (Siddhartha Gautama is regarded as the fourth main teacher to the world). This extremely rare relic was offered by Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche during his visit to Hantum in November 1987.
All artifacts contained in the Stupa have no commercial value, but are of religious value only.
The 108 Mani Khorlos
Tibetan monasteries are often equiped with rows of prayer wheels driven by wind, water or human energy. Both lamas and laymen, during their mantra practice, are also seen to use little hand wheels in the form of a small drum rotating on a stick with an excenter weight circling around the axis on a string in order to supply an accelerating centrifugal force.
The Vajrayana Buddhist aims at attaining freedom from the worlds of suffering, not only for himself but for all beings, by applying Buddha's teachings to accelerate liberation from bondage to ignorance and desire, which would take tens of thousands of rebirths to realize if the Dharma is not heeded. Mantras usually express this wish and as a result of the existence of innumerable beings in the six worlds - of which the human world is the only one that allows promotion of the Dharma - never enough mantras can be said and methods were devised to multiply the amount of mantras said.
One of these methods is the turning of the mani khorlo drums that contain tens of thousands of small printed mantras that get activated for dispersion by turning the contraptions so that the good wishes are spiral out to the environment from where they will one time resonate back to the initiator.
One of the most used mantras is the Chenrezig's Aum Mani Padme Om, pronounced in Tibetan as Om Mani Pamme Hung. Respectively these words stand for the basic existence syllable; the Jewel and the Lotus - together representing the Three Jewels: the Sangha, the Buddha and the Dharma. But each of the six syllables can also be thought of as the addressing of each of the six samsaric worlds to which one's best wishes for liberation are directed.
While doing circambulations (always in a clockwise direction keeping the mani khorlos and the Stupa on your right hand side), the mani khorlo drums are turned quietly while one discretely recites the chosen mantra. When persons are behind you, it is considerate polite to skip drums according to the number of people that follow behind you.
In
Hantum 108 of these prayer wheels are positioned around the Stupa under a roofed open gallery. They were taken into use during spring
of 1999 in the presence of Chödje Lama Gawang Rinpoche, Lama Drubju from Tibet and many donating friends of the centre.
Thanks to their support the centre could be improved on a continuous basis and on behalf of the Gyalwa Karmapa, Gawang Rinpoche
would like to express his gratitude herewith to all who made this luxurious Stupa circambulation possible.
Guru Rinpoche with the Two Phurbas
Along the
path to the Stupa and the Temple compound stands a stall with a painted statue of Guru Rinpoche. Under supervision of
Chödje Lama Gawang Rinpoche this work was produced on the centre together with a number of other statues found around
the Stupa and in the temple compound. The statues were inaugurated by the 9th Choegon Rinpoche in the summer of 1998.
The Choegon Rinpoche is the "Holder of the Teachings" of the Drukpa Kagyu lineage and has taught at the Hantum
centre for six days during that occasion.
The statue of Guru Rinpoche is considered to be of positive influence on the thoughts of everyone who circambulates it reverently. It is said to support the persons who approach it against stress and monkey thoughts so that the mind is calmed and thoughts can be controlled. Guru Rinpoche, or Padmasambhava, is seen as the living embodiment of Buddha nature, the natural state of mind. The phurba is a many sided ritual dagger and symbolizes the ability to tame demons. In Tibetan culture a miniature silver phurba is not uncommonly worn on a chain around the neck and is believed to reduce the bearer's exposure against negative emotions. In these stressful and hurried times the statue of Padmasambhava with the two phurbas - in which Tibetan medicine, Buddhist relics and special stones have been incorporated - already supplies relief by a respectful greeting of it.
More Information?
Gladly we will guide you around and answer your queries on Sundays when we keep open house. But if you want to come with a group for educational purposes we can also guide you around during weekdays on appointment. Every year more than 10.000 people visit the centre to our old Lama's enjoyment. For more information about a visit, please link to the Visitors Information page.
updated until August 9th, 2006