Cologne/ Koblenz April 15th 2018
Dear sponsors of Benchen Arya Tara Ling,
we write to you today with truly joyful news. As you may know by now, April 11th, 2018 was a particularly auspicious day for all of us, because Benchen Arya Tara Ling was officially inaugurated and all of our support was crowned with great success. H. E. Drubwang Sangye Nyenpa conducted the inauguration festivities, and about fifty khenpos, lamas, monks, the freshly ordained retreat nuns, as well as several local nuns and lay practioners joined in the celebration. Dharmahaus Benchen Tashi Ling (represented by Martin and Tim Tashi) offered a large Thangka and a beautiful White Tara statue, as well as a body/speech/mind offering to H. E. Drubwang Sangye Nyenpa and offerings to all participants. The atmosphere was very relaxed and joyous—as you can see on the photos here:
and on the Benchen website under the following link:
https://benchen.org/en/monastery-nepal/news/550-inauguration-of-arya-tara-ling
In precise accordance with Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche’s wishes, the nine nuns who are on retreat there now will perform the Tara puja in the mornings and protector practice in the Benchen style in the afternoons; beyond that, they will tend to their individual practices under the guidance of Drubwang Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche. Now that the inauguration has taken place, men no longer have access to the retreat location, with the exception of the teachers (Lama Yönten is in charge), as well as Nyerpa Lama Lekshe.
We as friends and supporters of this project can continue to be of help with small or large donations. For the monthly sustenance of all nine nuns we will need about 1000€—this sum, however, will actually cover all needs: food, electricity, water, and gas for everybody, the cook, and so forth.
Those who want to support all nuns – or even one nun – are warmly invited to contribute; every donation for the sustenance of the nuns is greatly appreciated.
Please send donations to:
Dharmahaus Benchen Tashi Ling e.V.
IBAN DE76 4306 0967 4068 0776 00
BIC GENODEM1GLS
The donations will be transferred to Kathamandu once every quarter of a year.
Your Dharmahaus Team
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October 1st, 2017
Dear friends and supporters of Benchen Arya Tara Ling,
the time has come! It’s happening! Drubwang Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche will preside over the first retreat in the Benchen tradition for nuns. The opening ceremony will be held in Pharping on April 10th, 2018—a dakini day. It would be wonderful if many of you could come to celebrate that!
Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche repeatedly shared the story of the hare and the turtle (the Tibetan version of hare and hedgehog). At the time, Rinpoche suggested that the Benchen Sangha could be compared to the turtles in the story—each individual on his or her own is not necessarily an achiever, but together, we are capable of accomplishing great things. When building the nunnery, once again we were like the turtles (or hedgehogs) and together brought about a great outcome in small steps. We are overjoyed that we made all of this happen as a community. Many thanks to every each of you who made this happen!
The official announcement of the opening ceremony can be found here:
http://benchen.org/en/monastery-nepal/news/515-announcement-regarding-arya-tara-ling-nunnery
The Dharmahaus Team.
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Dear Dharmafriends, sponsors and to everybody who is interested in Benchen AryaTara Ling in Pharping, Nepal,
we have very good news to share concerning the construction of Benchen Arya Tara Ling. In May we visited the Nunnery in Pharping and thus were able to see ourselves the progress so far. We were amazed and happy at the same time to find out that the building is nearly completed! It has developed from a ruin to a impressive, beautiful strong building! Electricity, water, doors and windows, toilets, bathrooms and the kitchen, as well as the future lhakhang, 2 big assembly halls and 12 rooms – all is there waiting to be furnished! What has been accomplished so far is a great work and has been only possible due to all the generous sponsors as well as all the dedicated construction workers and building supervisors in Nepal. Thanks to all of you from our hearts!
Also we had an interview with Drubwang Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche. Main topic was the erection of a Sertok, which would bring the outer building to its real auspicious completion. Rinpoche will find an auspicious date for this ceremony and He himself will lead the ritual. We will inform you about it and you will find information on our blog at the time.
So lets rejoice in what has been accomplished and think sincerely about what is still needed to be taken care of! Our duties in helping Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche´s project has not yet come to an end because the furnishing and interior decoration is still missing and needed. Again this will depend on your generosity!
Monetary support is needed for:
1. Wooden floors in the lhakhang and 2 big assembly halls
2. Installing equipments for kitchen (oven, cutlery, dishes, etc.)
3. 12 rooms need a basic furnishing with beds, tables, cupboards and chairs as well as the curtains (it is planned that some rooms can be shared by two or more nuns)
Our building supervisor, Benchen´s vice-president, Jimba Lodrö, calculated the sum of 15.000 Euro to cover all those expenses.
Compared to what has been sponsored up till now the sum is not so great and we are optimistic that the building (with your help and support) soon will be totally finished for the first nuns to move in and fill that place with all their good energy and Dharma practice as it was envisionend by our dear Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche! By the way, is it not really amazing and wonderful that this project was started before Rinpoche left into Parinirvana and now is nearly completed as Yangsi came back?!
So, let us all rejoice in what has been accomplished so far and not stop progressing furthermore helping to prepare an auspicious ground for greatly needed female Dharma activities with all our generous donations how small or big ever.
There are few ways to transfer the funds:
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
If you wish to be re-directed to Paypal go to our front page http://www.aryataraling.org and scroll down under You can help! You will find the Paypal button there!
Dharmahouse Team
Dear Benchen Community, Friends and Supporters of Arya Tara Ling,
this is an urgent appell to all of you to help to fulfill the wishes of Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche, to construct a Benchen Nunnery and Retreat Center for nuns, both unique in the history of Benchen community, and now under construction in Pharping, Nepal.
Over the last 3 years while waiting for Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche’s reincarnation to appear, this project has progressed greatly due to many generous sponsors! So far the building is nearly completed. As you can see on the photos below that have been taken a few days ago, the former shell building ruin is clearly becoming a very stable beautiful temple! This is truly wonderful!
However, there is still work to be done. At the moment the painting of the outer and inner walls is almost completed, the kitchen as well as the bathrooms are being tiled and equiped with sink units, toilets, showers etc. Furthermore the floor tiles have been layed out and the wooden floor on the upper floor is being work in progress. These are the last pursuits in order to fully complete the construction work and there is still about 15.000 Euro needed for that purpose. This amount has to be raised ASAP through new fundings.
Please consider this project, Benchen Arya Tara Ling and support it with your generosity. Especially now that Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche’s Yangsi has come back to continue his work to benefit all sentient beings, let us help him, in doing so. And at this historic moment when H.H. Karmapa devoted so much effort to establish the full bikshuni ordination and to benefit women in the Dharma! Let us all follow in their footsteps and support the Benchen Nunnery project!
Jimba Lodroe and Tempa Yarphel as Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche’s attendants and head representatives of the Benchen monastery administration, accompanied by Lama Lekshe as well as many construction workers and local people are doing their very best for the splendid outcome on the ground in Pharping. What we can contribute is to generously support this work to be completed in the next few weeks, if the necessary fundings are available. Please consider that urgent appel!
Thank you very much for your kind attention. On behalf of Benchen Arya Tara Ling and Dharma House Benchen Tashi Ling we send you and yours many many Tashi Deleks!
The Dharmahaus Team.
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Cologne, 4th August 2016
Dear Friends of Benchen Arya Tara Ling,
we are happy to inform you about the further progress of the construction works! So far both floors of the building are completed in shell with windows, stone floor, tiles in bathrooms and in the kitchen as well as the wires.
After consulting Jimba Lodro and Tempa Yarphel we are facing final costs to finish the building in total amount of 40 – 50 000 EUR. At the moment the project is RUNNING OUT OF FUNDS which is problematic as every delay in the construction works is always a probability to loose the workers and face additional costs due to ever raising prices in Nepal after the earthquake. YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT IS URGENTLY NEEDED! Please consider to help Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche’s project of the Benchen Nunnery reality! May Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche’s Yangsi see the fruition of his predecessor’s vision soon!
Yours,
Dharma House Team.
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Happy Losar 2016!
Dear friends, supporters and sponsors of Benchen Arya Tara Ling nunnery,
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Cologne, July 6th, 2015
Tashi Deleks from your Dharmahaus-Team
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Cologne, February 26, 2015
Dear friends and supporters of Benchen Arya Tara Ling,
for the beginning of the new Tibetan year of the female-wood-sheep we updated some photos of the progress made in Pharping. As you can see the second level with the roof is nearly finished and the interior construction is about to start.
Our gratitude goes to Drubwang Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche and all sponsors for your generous support! We also thank Jimba Lodro and Lama Lekshe for continous taking care!
We wish you all a healthy, prosperous and happy new year! Please consider supporting Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche’s Nunnery
Your Dharmahausteam
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Cologne, August 11, 2014
H.E. Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche generoulsy supports the Benchen Nunnery in Pharping, Nepal
Establishing a nunnery in the Benchen tradition was a heartfelt wish Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche had been nurturing for a long time. But the favorable conditions that enabled the foundation of such a monastery would not come together until shortly before Tenga Rinpoche’s parinirvana. Tenga Rinpoche ordered the Cologne domiciled Dharmahaus Benchen Tashi Ling Trust to support the realization of this project.
Thanks to your financial support the construction work is already well advanced. At the moment, the second floor of the building is being constructed, as you can see on the photos of the nunnery project‘s website http://www.aryataraling. org. After its completion, the shell construction phase will be finished.
Upon hearing about the nunnery project, His Eminence Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche who has a close and long lasting heart connection with Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche expressed his wish to offer his contribution. After Losar 2014 Chokling Rinpoche produced special Norlha prosperity vases in his monastery Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling in Boudanath, Kathmandu. He filled these vases with precious substances and blessed them in the course of pujas performed for this particular purpose. The vases were manufactured according to a terma by Guru Padmasambava which were revealed by the first Chokling Rinpoche, the great Terton Chokgyur Lingpa who is also called „the King of Treasure Revealers“. The vases are meant to bring about prosperity, success and favorable conditions for dharma practitioners, and to harmonize the elements at any environment where they are placed.
Rinpoche will personally hand over the vases as gifts for especially generous sponsors who have spent more than 5.000 Euros for the nunnery construction. This will happen in Cologne on 12 September 2014 in the course of a prosperity puja that Chokling Rinpoche will preside and which will be performed exclusively for supporters of the nunnery project. For this purpose, Rinpoche produced a total of 20 vases, 12 of which are currently still available. The corresponding funds would make it possible to meet the second target of the project, the final completion of the building in Pharping.
All sponsors of Benchen Arya Tara Ling are cordially invited to participate in the prosperity puja. Every sponsor will be offered a special gift and a heartfelt thanks! Please register by email until 31 August at the latest.
We cordially thank all supporters and are looking forward to meeting you on this special occasion. All the best – and see you soon!
The complete information about Chokling Rinpoche’s programme in Cologne from 13 to 20 September 2014 are stated on www.chokling.org.
You can find more about the history of H.E. Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche‘s and Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche’s relationship (with more pictures) on http://chokling.org/ven-tenga-rinpoche-chokling-tersar/
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Cologne, August 3, 2014
Dear Friends and Sponsors of Benchen Nunnery,
please find the new photos from Pharping by Jimba Lodrö. Despite the monsoon the building is growing and the work on the second floor has already began. There are good prospects for finalising the building soon! Your financial support in this stage of the project is crucial. Please help now!
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Cologne, May 25, 2014
Dear sponsors and friends of Benchen Arya Tara Ling, Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche‘s nunnery in Pharping, Nepal,
After some weeks of staying in Pharping during the completion of Kaybje Tenga Rinpoche’s stupa, I would like to make some notes on the progress of the nunnery building.
First, I must say that during the time of my stay there was not much construction work going on at the nunnery, because all available workers were busy completing Rinpoche’s stupa. This project was given top priority, as everything had to be finished by the end of March. The impressive and most beautiful stupa was completed in time, and Drubwang Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche performed the inauguration ceremony at a large celebration. I was very glad that in the course of the inauguration ceremony I was able to find new sponsors for the nunnery and I handed out about 1000 flyers to the guests. The fact that the issue of Rinpoche’s nunnery was generally arousing a great deal of interest made me very happy.
And now for the nunnery itself: the second construction phase has now been successfully completed. The outer and most of the inner walls on the first floor have been rendered, the windows are fitted and all the frames were taken off and renewed. The new interior of the house has been arranged, the shell construction of all rooms has been finished, and solid doors from wood have been encased. There are now ten rooms on the first floor, with additional allocations for kitchen and bathrooms.
Together with the construction management consisting of Jimba Lodrö, the Benchen Monastery’s Vice President, and Lama Lekche who is the person in charge at the site, we have after all agreed to embark directly on the third project phase, which is to complete the second floor at best before the monsoon. According to Jimba, prices for construction materials are rising continuously in Nepal, and it would therefore be good advice to finish as soon as possible. This would mean that the nuns’ moving won’t be accomplished directly after the second construction phase as originally intended, but after finalising the construction works.
During the third construction phase the available space for usage in the house will almost be double as much as now; an adequately sized Lhakhang (meditation room) and at least four further rooms will be established.For the continuation of the building activities, the wooden window frames for the second floor have already been manufactured in the monastery’s joinery and construction materials have been purchased. After the inauguration of the stupa and a short holiday the construction work has been taken up again. As soon as the second floor will be completed in the third phase, during the fourth construction phase, solar power and water pipes shall be installed, and when the interior design is fixed the first nuns will be able to move in.
We very much hope that after all our target to have the nunnery ready for occupancy next year can eventually be achieved soon!
As regards finances, the amount of donations we have been able to collect for the nunnery is 38,000 Euros and all the money has been devoted to the establishment of the building. For the third phase we will need an additional sum of approximately 20,000 Euros. And it must be considered that the prices in Nepal are currently exploding. In terms of price level, some goods have virtually caught up with European standards; that is the reason why estimating costs is getting more and more difficult. At the same time Jimba Lodrö is a very conscientious project supervisor whose approach is always to act as cost efficient as possible.
Together we have all been able to manage a big leap towards the accomplishment of Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche’s project of building a nunnery according to the Benchen tradition, thanks to your generous donations. In order to achieve the aims, your continuous help is still very much appreciated. Please stay tuned!
Many thanks to all of you!
All the best and tashi deleks,
Dharmahaus Benchen Tashi Ling e.V.
Lioba Boldt
Vice Chairman
Dharma Haus Benchen Tashi Ling e.V.
Tel. +49 261 1335599 und +49 221 12062900
http://www.dharmahaus.org
Email: dharma.haus@aol.com
recent photos of the work in progress…
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Cologne, Summer 2013
Dear sponsors and friends of Benchen Arya Tara Ling
Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche’s Nunnery-Project in Pharping, Nepal
We have a good news! Thanks to your generous donations the construction of the nunnery is progressing succesfully. Under the management of Jimba Lodrö, Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche’s nephew and member of the Benchen Monastery committee in Kathmandu as well as of Lama Lekshe, the responsible Benchen monk in Pharping, it was possible to renovate the building properly. So far 10 rooms on the ground floor have been completed roughcast. The floor and the walls were improved and cleaned, power was installed, the wooden windowframes which were installed incorrectly by the former owner were reinstalled correctly. New passages were created and between the diningroom and the kitchen a doorway was installed.
In spring we had received feedback from Lioba Boldt, the vice-president of the Dharma Haus Benchen Tashi Ling, who has been in Pharping at that time, that there had been good progress and that the workers had been busy from early morning until late at night. At March 27, a so called “Holy” feast for the Hindus and the beginning of holidays in Nepal work stopped for the time being and the workers returned to their families. They returned mid-April to start anew. In the meantime plenty of stones had been delivered for further construction that were stored in front of the nunnery.
In April the weather in Nepal changes as the monsoon arrives with rain and storms. We expected problems for the nunnery from the monsoon-rain because the building was not yet weatherproof, in particular the stairs and the roof had not been finished, the ceiling of the first floor still decrepit, so the newly renovated parts of the building were in danger to be ruined again. However, due to a kind generous donation from two sponsors the problems have been solved in time. Thanks to this donation and the skillful planning of the management team in Pharping the building has been weatherproofed before the Monsoon started and the first stage of the construction is now completed. This is trully wonderful!
At the same time the legal act of acknowledgement of the non-profit association Dharma Haus Benchen Tashi Ling, which manages the fund raising for the nunnery, is progressing towards completion. A bank account has been opened in Germany to enable direct donations to the nunnery.
Bank account
Name: Dharma Haus Benchen Tashi Ling
Account: 406 807 7600
BLZ: 43060967
Bank: GLS
IBAN: DE76 4306 0967 4068 077600
BIC: GENODEM1GLS
Purpose: Nunnery
As soon as the documentation is complete we will be able to give the sponsors a receipt in order for you to get a tax reduction on your donations (applies for German sponsors only). Since the tax reduction can apply on donations given from that date onwards only, we’ll keep you informed and let you know as soon as the tax reduction document is completed.
Now the second stage of the project has begun.
For this phase, which will set up ten rooms on the first floor (furnished), a kitchen, a diningroom and a bathroom (furnished) and a gompa (no furniture), about € 25.000 is needed. Recalling Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche’s message: “Once we start building the nunnery this place will neither vanish nor will it be destroyed in the future. It will remain in Pharping for ever.” we invite you heartfeltedly to contribute to the completion of the second stage of the construction of Benchen Nunnery. As already discussed with H.E. Drubwang Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche, as soon as the second stage of the project is finished His Eminence himself will choose ten nuns who will move into the nunnery and receive teachings under his guidance. We would like to thank H.E. Drubwang Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche for his ongoing support and we hope very much that the first nuns will move in as soon as possible! In this way the work of the Benchen nuns for the benefit of all beings could start very soon and the first Tara praises of the Benchen nuns could be heard in the Pharping valley already next year.
Recalling the kindness of Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche, who wished for the completion of this project from the bottom of his heart, please accept our deepest gratitude and many many thanks for all your help! May your support we the source of joy and everlasting hapiness for you, your families and all the other beings.
With best Dharma wishes
The Dharmahaus Team.
Dharma Haus Benchen Tashi Ling
co / Boldt
Thürmchenswall 6
D – 50668 Köln
Tel. +49 261 1335599 and +49 221 12062900
http://www.dharmahaus.org
Email: dharma.haus@aol.com
YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE ENGLISH FLYER HERE:
Arya_Tara_Ling_Flyer_eng
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Sept. 27th 2012
Dear friends of Benchen Arya Tara Ling,
the work on the Benchen nunnery has just begun! Due to your generous donations that have been collected this summer a new road that will connect the nunnery land with the public road has been started. Jimba Lodrö who organises the construction works has just sent us the pictures from the location. It’s a great joy to see the project progressing!
Please remember that there is still appx. 190 000 EUR needed in order to complete the project. Donation of any amount of money is welcome very much !
Thank you!
Dharma Haus team,
Benchen Arya Tara Ling 