The temple in Dharma City
« Temple » is the word for the place to gather, and it also means “the house of the deities”. Traditionally these two functions are often combined in the same room, but not always.
It is the biggest room in the centre and also most beautiful. It is decorated with traditional paintings, statues and ornaments. It is used as a lecture room and a meditation room.
The paintings depict the story of the Buddha or present the deities or famous meditators.
Meditation on deities is one of the methods used in Tibetan Buddhism to develop our inner qualities. The majority of these deities started as humans and became « deities » after engaging and perfecting the path set forth by the Buddha. They are a source of inspiration and a representation of our own potential.
It is also support for many visualisations that we practice. Ornaments and attributes of the deities have a lot of deep and symbolic meaning. Contemplating them helps to understand the profound meaning of Buddhist texts.
The big statue of Guru Rinpoche has a unique story. It was crafted in 2008 by renowned artisan in Nepal to be the main statue of a temple in Dzogchen in Tibet. Because of the situation with the Olympics that year it was impossible to send the statue to Tibet, and it was decided to bring it to Belgium. A video of that event is available on Youtube.
It is important that the temple is as beautiful as possible, so that everyone who enters it feels in peace and uplifted.
The temple also contains many philosophy texts. There are the Kangyur (100 volumes of 400-500 pages containing the teachings given by the Buddha and translated into Tibetan), the Tengyur (commentaries by great philosopher in Sanskrit and translated in Tibetan), and also many texts by Tibetan famous scholars.
The temple is a good summary of the approach of the Buddhist path: study, reflexion, and meditation.
The temple is open to visitors at many occasions. Guests are most welcome; however, you are asked to consult the organizers first. Visitors are let into a temple with a guide who can provide a short introduction.
Special Ceremonies and Spiritual Support
There are moments in life when many of us need spiritual support. According to Tibetan tradition such services are performed by lamas and practitioners who ask for it.
There may be moments of joy and happiness that you might want to be strengthened or moments of sorrow when you need help and guidance. It may be a wedding ceremony, a child has been born, or one might be at the point of departure from this life.
According to your wishes, we can provide the presence of a Buddhist teacher. It may be for a talk and to give guidance or if you wish, the recitation of Buddhist prayers can be performed. Feel free to contact us and we will be happy to help you.
Special Ceremonies and Spiritual Support
There are moments in life when many of us need spiritual support. According to Tibetan tradition such services are performed by lamas and practitioners who ask for it.
There may be moments of joy and happiness that you might want to be strengthened or moments of sorrow when you need help and guidance. It may be a wedding ceremony, a child has been born, or one might be at the point of departure from this life.
According to your wishes, we can provide the presence of a Buddhist teacher. It may be for a talk and to give guidance or if you wish, the recitation of Buddhist prayers can be performed. Feel free to contact us and we will be happy to help you.