Due to the continuous efforts of many sponsors around the globe and the team of the Benchen monastery, Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche’s plan to turn an already existing shell building at the property into the nunnery has come true! As you can see – the results are promising! The two-storey building is equiped with individual rooms, kitchen and bathroom downstairs as well as Gompa and some additional retreat rooms upstairs. It provides stable conditions for the women who wish to practice and study the Dharma in the Benchen tradition there.

Even though the construction works have been succesfully completed, the project still needs your ongoing support! In order to cover daily costs of the building – electricity, gas, water supply etc. – as well as food and practice materials for the nuns, there is appx. 1000,- EUR needed every month.

You can help to bring Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche’s vision to perfect fruition by sponsoring just any amount of money! You can either install one time payment or send a money on a monthly basis.

There are many possibilities to transfer the money:

1. To the account in Germany:

Name: Dharma Haus Benchen Tashi Ling e.V.
Account Number: 406 807 7600
BLZ: 43060967
Bank: GLS
IBAN: DE76 4306 0967 4068 0776 00
BIC: GENODEM1GLS
Reference: Nunnery

2. To the account in Poland – for the account details please contact Benchen Karma Kagyu Association in Poland http://buddyzm.eu/index.php?lang=pl

3.Via PayPal to dharma.haus(at)aol.com

For all the information please don’t hesitate to contact:

the Trust of the Dharma Haus Benchen Tashi Ling in Cologne, Germany

Dharma Haus Benchen Tashi Ling e.V.
co / Boldt
Thürmchenswall 6
D – 50668 Köln
Tel. +49 261 1335599 (Lioba & Martin) and +49 221 12062900 (Thea & Tim Tashi)
Email: dharma.haus@aol.com

Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche, one of the most renowned Tibetan Buddhist masters of our times, envisioned the establishment of a place for women to practice and study the Dharma  in the Benchen tradition already in the 1990’s.

Due to favourable circumstances Rinpoche finally managed to buy land with a shell building suiting this purpose in 2011, shortly before his Parinirvana.

The name for the nunnery Benchen Arya Tara Ling has been kindly bestowed by Drubwang Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche in Pharping in June 2012.

In the Spring of 2018 Rinpoche’s vision has been brought to fruition as a result of continuous efforts of Benchen monastery and generous sponsors of Dharma House Benchen Tashi Ling based in Cologne, Germany. on April 11th 2018 the nunnery has been officially inaugurated by Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche and inhabited by the first nuns in the Benchen tradition. It is especially auspicious that Drubwang Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche is overlooking the spiritual part of the endeavour! Furthermore, Rinpoche established Lama Yönten Palsang as a teaching supervisor and Lama Lekshe as a nyerpa taking care of the daily needs. Except of those, men no longer have access to the retreat location.

For the latest news and the step-by-step history of the project please see Work-in-Progress

Please feel welcome to support this project! Any smaller and larger donation is going to be transfered directly from Dharma House in Germany to the nunnery account in Nepal in order to cover the daily costs and needs of the women practiting there!

„Since long time I have been thinking to establish either a nunnery or a retreat center for nuns. But even though I had a strong wish it was impossible to fulfill it because there was no proper land to buy or the prices were much too high. At the end due to favourable circumstances and a private donation in 2011 a beautiful piece of land just next to the already existing Benchen Clear Light retreat center in Pharping has been purchased.

The location of the land and its size are very nice. There is a wonderful view on one side and there is no neighbour as it lies on the edge of a mountain, which is really perfect. Also, there is a shell building on the land already that can be turned into the nunnery. In addition, there is a possibility to extend the number of retreat houses there in the future.

Once we start building the nunnery this place will neither vanish nor it will be destroyed in the future. It will remain there forever. The nuns living there will engage in the Dharma practice – there will be Tara practice in the morning, Mahakala practice in the afternoon, and individual practices in between the sessions. This place will be the right place to practice and study the Dharma.

Through these Dharma activities we are all going to accumulate great deal of merit that can be dedicated to your parents, your loved ones, and all sentient beings. This will be one of the best ways of accumulating merit. Through the power of the merit we will obtain great deal of temporary and ultimate benefits. At the end, this merit will be the cause of attaining enlightenment.

Many Tashi Deleks and see you soon!”

This message has been recorded 2011 by Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche and translated into English by Sherab Wangchuk of Benchen.

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Photos of Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche granting the blessing for the nunnery. Pharping, Nepal, 2011.