Benchen Phuntsok Ling Europe

surrounding area

Benchen Phuntsok Ling is a Buddhist Dharma center of His Eminence Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche and Very Venerable Tenga Rinpoche in Europe. It was Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche who chose the name "Benchen Phuntsok Ling" for this place to indicate the close connection to the Benchen Phuntsok Dargyeling monastery in Kathmandu.

In a letter to his disciples from 1998 Tenga Rinpoche describes his vision of Benchen Phuntsok Ling:
"… this shall be a place for all of you where you can practice the Dharma, for some weeks, some months or any length of time. It has the goal of creating a permanent location for summer courses …"

November 14, 2016, Edward Henning died, 67 years old.
 
Our precious translator who opened the doors to Tenga Rinpoche's teachings has left us behind with grateful minds. Vivid memories appear effortlessly.
 
  • Pictures of him as a young man meeting the 16th Karmapa in Rumtek, published in the "DHARMA KING" , a mighty volume dedicated to the memory of HH the 16th Karmapa, early witnesses of Edward's decisiveness to cross the cultural borders of his British education. By his decision to learn Tibetan and act as an interpreter he became one of these early  translators almost miraculously appearing when they are needed most.

On the 31. October 2015 in Allmuthen, a wonderful day, Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche's nicely built relic stupa that had been constructed at Benchen Phuntsok Ling was consecrated by Drubwang Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche. Many people have gathered on this beautiful occasion. On the following Sunday morning Rinpoche continued the weekend course by giving teachings and in the afternoon concluded it by bestowing the Thousand-Armed Chenresig empowerment. The weekend course has been wonderful and all the participants enjoyed it very much.

Stupa AllmuthenAfter a longer period of waiting the building permission for the Stupa in Allmuthen was finally given. The actual construction work started just prior to the summer course 2014. However, due to the construction company's annual holiday break there was a four week building break until mid August 2014. 
Simultaneously all the necessary rituals were performed by our resident lamas recently with the support of Khenpo Gawe Nyima and Drubpön Döndrub Tashi when the two mandalas etc. were placed in the Stupa.

During the summer course 2014 some Sangha members carved the so called "Sogshing", the approx. 5 m long center pole,  which will be core of the Stupa and will be placed in the center of it. The wood was obtained from the Thuja tree which grew next to the Stupa building site in our garden. It was beautifully ornamented and prepared according to the traditional procedures by our resident lamas.

stupa

To enshrine Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche's relics we will be building a stupa at Benchen Phuntsok Ling, Allmuthen. It will have the form and the structure of the "Enlightenment Stupa".
H.H. Karmapa sent a personally signed construction drawing to Benchen Monastery in Nepal indicating that this type of stupa should be constructed for Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche's relics. This particular drawing of the Enlightenment Stupa is based on instructions by the 15th Karmapa, Khakyab Dorje, contained in his collected works, the 'Khakyab Dorje Khabum'.
The location for the stupa in Benchen Phuntsok Ling has been decided and Drubwang Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche will perform all the necessary rituals preceding the actual building process during this year's summer course. (Dimensions of the stupa will follow).
The costs are estimated to be some 35.000 Euro. We aim to begin with the construction this year and ask all of you to support this project financially.

For any contribution please use the bank account here.
Please mention the purpose: Stupa
Thank you!

See also: The Buddhist Stupa

The origin of the stupa (tib. Chörten mChod rten) can be traced to ancient Vedic India. It was customary to put the ashes of cremated bodies into tumuli.
The Buddhist stupas, however, are not mere elaborations of the burial mounds. They function as a symbolic representation containing relics, not as a container of relics that has symbolism. The relics sanctify the structure endowing it with the consecrated quality that the living being (of whose these are the relics) possessed. Some Buddhist texts refer to stupas built containing the relics of past Buddhas. So one can assume that stupas existed already during Shakyamuni Buddha's life, although in much more simple forms than we know today.

  1. Consecration of the Place
  2. Tsa Tsa Workshops in Allmuthen