Karma Berchen Ling

On weekend we went up to meet friends. Chilly weather was playing with us. Sun, snow, wind and cold was on daily program. Kids with red cheeks was trying to make snowman and we were putting new praying flags behind Stupa. We went home full with experiences  and looking forward to go back as soon as possible.

As in 2010,  friends from Thessaloniki and Athens repeated the short New Year’s Ngondro retreat in KBL.
We practiced side by side, met, ate, watched the New  Year’s Course on streaming and meditated together with Bulgarian friends.
See you in KBL next year around Christmas and New Year to strengthen this upcoming tradition.

Oh, beautiful place of strong meditation! Whoever comes here is in such situation: You have a practice focused and deep, even when your baby doesn’t want to sleep.

Geri & Volen, Milena & Delyan

On Saturday we finished the 5th retreat on 8th Karmapa in KBL with Karol Sleczek.
We had sunshine, fog, rain, thunder, hail, clear open sky and, as always, amazing sunrises and sunsets so we could enjoy the richness and beauty of the place in a variety of ways. The meditation sessions followed by Q&As passed so quickly that at the end we had the feeling that we were there only for a day.
Many thanks to the kitchen team  of friends from Garmisch who, like a wish-fulfilling jewel, always manifested delicious and warm food, followed by dessert, coffee and tea.

On Sunday 2 October, the Greece-Bhutan Friendship Association of Greece visited the Kalachakra Stupa. The group of 22 joyful people of all ages enjoyed the place. The night before, Romolo Gandolfo gave a lecture about the Stupas in a Hotel at Trikala. On Sunday, Mariliz gave information about the Kalachakra Stupa on the spot and later Jan guided a meditation for those who wished to get a taste of the Diamond Way meditation. All left KBL with happy impressions in their mind.

Every morning Lama Chogdrup Dorje was going with friends up to mountain. Before sunrise we start to climbing up to make Sang puja and short Guru Yoga meditation. Good way to start a day.

On August 23 we have 1st anniversary of Kalachakra Stupa with Lama Chogdrup Dorje. Great experience with not many friends, but full with big blessing. Thank you all be there and help to organized this event.

Last Sunday we finish Medicine Buddha retreat with Anna Elisabeth Bach. 15 friends from 5 different countries came for retreat. 5 days of heavy program was challenge for all of us. But we went through and in the end all friends was happy and full with joy. Thank you all for great time.

On weekend we made new cesspit behind kitchen. We want to stop pollution in forest from kitchen’s left-over.

Eckart from Argentina & Choe from Hong Kong visit us and spend a day on place. Precious time with friends sharing news and experiences.

Hi Friends,

The last technical task connected with construction of the Stupa was completed. The joints of the granite was improved, the whole surface was cleaned, also the rusty points, and double impregnated. The Stupa dos not have any damage – is in perfect state ! It is clean and shining. All the best and greetings back from Katowice Read more...

Hello there,

Me and my friend Przemek stayed Berchen Ling in March this year. We had a wonderful time, lots of meditation and all sorts of weather. I attach some pictures I took there, thought you might like to use them in kbl blog. Stay strong and many thanks for amazing Berchen Ling! Read more...

On 16^th April we had 7^th Prostration retreat, guided by Heike & Gerhard Bucher from Austria. Friends from 6 countries came to participate. Weather was rainy and one day was even snowing. Last day we celebrated finishing successfully retreat and birthday of one member. All friends were happy and all enjoyed the time on KBL.

Last week Core Team and KBL friends met, discussed and meditated together. The focus was on priorities of place/ houses, program for this year and near future.

One day also Karol Sleczek visit us from Athens, where he was giving teachings.

The next group went up – but this time well equipped!  We had snowshoes so it was much easier to walk. This time it only took about 6 hours. Then we had total undisturbed and wonderful days in KBL.  Always sunshine, radiating light, 4 sessions of meditation a day – even in the cave, some light food and one evening streaming from Lama Ole in Karlsruhe. Now KBL is also well equipped for winter – with 4 pairs of snowshoes.  Please enjoy!

The Austrian Sangha take care of KBL during the February. Read more...

In 19th of December the Acropolis Center organized a meditation day in KBL for all friends. The meditation guided by the travel teacher Sasha Koibagarov from Russia who visit first time all the Centers in Greece to give teachings. It was very inspiring!

Greetings and our best wishes for the New Year! Read more...

In early October, we finished the season with the 8th Karmapa Retreat. Practitioners from 7 different countries came together and meditated four sessions a day for one week in the power field of the stupa. The retreat was guided by the travel-teacher Maxi from Graz. It was just wonderful.

Some autumnal impressions…

After this incredible initiation we had a wonderful mahamudra course with Lama Ole. Four days highest teachings and a lot of posture in order for questions and answers. Lama Ole also married several couples in front of the stupa. He left on 27th of August for the Balkantour.
Lama Chogdrup Dorje enjoyed a few more days in Berchen Ling togehter with his brother – holiday in the beautiful mountains of the Peloponnese.
After the course a lot of people stayed to enjoy the place and to help building down and preparing the site for winter. Everything happened so fast and smooth, in the evening we also had a lot of time to really meet each other.

The dream became a reality. In the mornig at 9 am after Lama Ole finishied the non-stop meditation on the Buddha aspect of Kalachakra our wonderful stupa was inaugurated. The ceremony was headed by Lama Chogdrup Dorje and Lama Ole Nydahl. The weather changed completely during the inauguration, everything was very auspicious. Everyone, without whom this special event would not have been possible was thanked. Read more...

Since this afternoon a beautiful Buddha statue is gazing from the stupa. The stupa is also being blessed by a non-stop Kalachakra meditation guided by Lama Ole and Lama Chogdrub Dorje.
We started yesterday in the morning and continued through the rest of the day and also the night. The meditation will finish together with the stupa empowerment that will take place tomorrow at 9 am.

Today, Lama Ole and Lama Chogdrub Dorje put the tree of life into the stupa. Filling the stupa with the tree of life is one of the most important moments in building a stupa. Also, on the same day the whole building of the stupa has been finished. Lama Ole unveiled the beautiful umbrella and now the stupa is shining through the whole valley. To participate in this event, many friends from all over the world has come and now we are already more than 1800 people.

Yesterday, the biggest element of the granite construction has been placed on the stupa. The top of the bumpa weights 8 tones! It has arrived on a big lorry together with other elements.
In the meantime our KBL fridge became an ideal place for tormas storage. The tormas were used for blessing pujas that were held during last days.
Today, the big statue of the Buddha is being filled. We also expect that more than 800 friends will arrive today to participate in the ceremony of putting the life tree into the stupa.

On the night of August 14th we had a very unusual event – we had a video conference with Lama Ole in Europe Centre. So the friends in Allgäu could see us gathered around the stupa. For such a remote place where there is not even a phone line, it was very special.
We showed a presentation with the latest images from the stupa. At the beginning, pictures from Tsechu Rinpoche and Lama Ole were to be seen, because we could feel their presence all the time.
In this way, we also showed how the infrastructure looks like – we already enjoy the new kitchen and cafeteria.

Yesterday, the stupa became one level higher. There was also a blessing-ceremony to eliminate the obstacles. The stupa starts looking more and more like a stupa and… it is so beautiful.
Beside that activities, the gompa tent was set up. At the moment we are 160 people on site and everything is now waiting for all the people from all over the world.

The course preparations are running at full speed, right now. Today the kitchen will be set up (3 days in advance!). The water tanks are already waiting for the yogi bathrooms that are being installed. Also the dining tent is almost ready as well as the gompa tent.
Meanwhile, the stupa waits for the next filling that will happen on Friday 13th of August.
This gives us the whole next week to try out how well everything works.

Yesterday, we had the next important moment in the stupa building process. This time, the Mandala of Kalachakra was put in the lotus flower lever. To make it possible, the lotus had to be lifted and installed. It was amazing to observe the huge pieces flying in the sky – as well as the two eagles that appeared during the ceremony of placing the mandala. Read more...

The last day, we continued with the filling of the Kalachakra Stupa. We started the work yesterday at 7:30 am and continued almost without a break for 23 hours. The work was very smooth and joyful, and everybody had a chance to participate. When the chamber was closed, we could turn our heads to admire a beautiful sun-rise. Read more...

In the recent days more and more helpers came to the site. At many places there is hard work going on.
Right now, the granite slabs are attached to the stupa. The material came from Poland some days ago with a heavy duty truck. Some parts of it are so heavy, that it takes 12 men to carry them.
Two days ago, the team has arrived, which aims to put up the tents at the site and at the location next to Karma Berchen Ling.
The finishing of our long term project, the strawbales-house behind the kitchen insprired us to use the material for another little house down at our neighbours place, as well.