Mahamudra Hermitage Project

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Ngawang Drolma
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Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2009 8:44 pm

Mahamudra Hermitage Project

Post by Ngawang Drolma »

I don't know much about this project, but it caught my attention. The United Trungram Buddhist Fellowship is building a dharma center in New York, USA and the project is ongoing. It's called the Mahamudra Hermitage Project and it looks like it will be a pretty nice center. Trungram Gyaltrul Rinpoche is the Spiritual Director of the center and the main teacher is Khenchen Rinpoche Drupon Trinley Paljor (a primary lineage holder in the Karma Kagyu lineage). There's more details about the people associated with UTBF here: http://www.utbf.org/en/teachers/lamas/ Here is the organization's main website: http://www.utbf.org/en/

This is their vision statement for the Mahamudra Hermitage Project which is very clear in its meaning and intent. The project seems valuable, particularly if you reside in the area or are able to travel there.
Our Visions

We believe that true happiness is the purpose of life. It can be experienced but only truly through spiritual awareness. All of us deserve it, and each of us has the potential to achieve it.

We have a vision that, with our efforts, many sentient beings are helped toward this truth for themselves, seek deeper for the meaning of their lives, receive proper teachings on the inner science of awareness, put them into daily practice, and impart their wisdom for the benefit of others. This practice helps for the full development of human potential and enables individuals to become more fearless, joyful, wise, and compassionate.

For such practice and profound awareness, the quality and clarity of the teachings must be consistent, thus instructions from an unbroken teaching lineage is indispensable. It is our hope that such irreplaceable wisdom teachings, passed down for millennia by an unbroken lineage of teachers are protected from negligence or destruction caused by human or natural forces. It is our hope that the Trungram Tradition is well kept, and through this tradition, effective Buddhist practices in general, and Vajrayana in particular, are kept live and promoted globally without boundaries.

We also have a vision that the centuries-old cradle for such precious teachings, the cultural heritage of Indo-Tibetan arts, language, astrology, and medicine among others, be preserved for the future generations.

Realize the Visions

We are working to provide a suitable place where our vision can be realized. We want to provide the opportunity for continuous access to the teachings of inner science and the unbroken lineage of teachers.

The teaching and learning processes depend on the right environment - a place where a teacher can teach, and a student can receive, understand and practice these teachings.

These realities inspired us to establish the Mahamudra Hermitage, a teaching and practice center, in New York State in the United States. It is to consist of several focal points within the grounds to meet various requirements. There will be a main shrine area for meditation and teaching, a short-term meditation center and a long-term retreat center. At the hermitage, we also provide the opportunities for learning cultural arts such as Tibetan mandala and torma preparation, as well as other traditional domains of knowledge.

This hermitage will provide an exceptional opportunity to be taught Vajrayana Buddhism, with the special practice lineage of the Trungram tradition. It also makes these precious teachings more accessible, ensuring their continuation for future generations.
-Dharmakaya.org
There are various ways to contribute to the project and they even have an online store. Proceeds go to the Mahamudra Hermitage Project. Click here to see tax-deductible options or an online store: How to help.

Dharma centers are so precious! I love seeing Buddhism continuing to grow here.

Best wishes,
Laura


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Above photos are taken from the collection of online photos of the land where the center will be built:
https://www.dharmakaya.org/project/intro/land.php
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