Karma Berchen Ling

As you all know, Karma Berchen Ling is one of our international Buddhist Centers. And as it is situated in Greece, also the Greek sangha (Athens and Thessaloniki) supports the place, especially in the long term run. For instance, they produced special magazines about the retreat place and the stupa. Different people come for weekends and join all actual tasks, like producing tsatsas and mantra rolls, cooking, and building.

More and more, also our neighbours from the surrounding villages come and visit us at the site and offer their business and help.

Three years ago, we planed to build a house made by strawballs in KBL. But we never managed to do more than the foundation. Now, a group of strong and well organized Bulgarians builded the strawballhouse in less than two weeks! It is not only great work, but also a really nice house…

In the middle of June a group of 15 Hungarians arrived in KBL. Within of ten days, they improved the water tank situation and builded the drainage around the Kalachakra Stupa. The wall of white stones, they builded in front of the stupa, had to be changed a few times, because KBL is just a Milarepa place…

Yesterday our new container arrived. It replaced the old one, often called “chicken house”. The new container is located between the Club House and the hut of “Jaquline”, the generator. It will give us the possibility to store bigger tools and materials for the course, like tents etc.

Like allways in KBL the weather is changing all the time. A few days ago we had summer with 35 degrees celsius and more. Now a strong wind blows everything around, that is not fixed and it’s getting pretty cold.

To get our new container on the place, we had to knock down the famous KBL gate partially. It took us almost a whole day to pull down the arch. The gate was build togehter with the Sangha House and became somehow one of the symbols of Berchen Ling. Now the gate will get new heads on top of the pillars.

During the time, the stupa is drying we use the chance to continue with the preparation on site. Some people still producing tsa tsas, others finishing the shower house – now proudly is called the “Club House”. Our generator Jaqueline is working day and sometimes also in the night and the two new water tanks get some additional technique. Thanks to the diligent girls in the kitchen, everybody can enjoy delicious food.

Dear Friends,

yesterday we finished the first phase of the stupa building. The concrete foundation is ready and has to dry now. We will continue in a few weeks…

Thank you all very much for your help!

At Sunday, May 23, we had a beautiful, sunny and clear day (since a long time)! At noon, Lama Choghdrub did a small puja to bless the new praying flags and people helped to tide them up. Now, one can see them from all over the mountains.

Simultaneous, the 72-hours prostration retreat continued with power and enthusiasm. And the Russian travel Teacher Lena Leontieva gave a lecture in the other gompa. It is amazing – now, we have two gompas functioning: one for prostrations and one for the lectures…

Update: We just finished the 72-hours protration retreat. People from ten countries made togehter 105,961 prostrations!

Dear friends,

as you all know, we will have the huge Kalachakra Stupa Course including a Mahamudra (Great Seal) Course this summer. Therefor, all people, being responsible for one or more departments like kitchen, cleaning, registration and so on met on site, to draw the final solutions. It was a great and inspiring meeting. “Together we can make it happen!”

After finishing the second foundation of the stupa, our great Polish team set the next layer on top, in the last two days. Then, we had to transport the prepared shuttering to the foundation. All people put together their strengh and: “Togehter we can make it happen!”

Step by step, the Kalachakra Stupa assumes a form…

Today, Lama Chogdrub Dorje did a blessing ceremony at the finished Stupa foundation, which was filled with precious Buddha aspects (Tsatsas). Strong winds – as usual at KBL – were present at the ceremony.

Today, in a second step, we build a square shuttering with nine boxes. These little squares will be filledaccording to the traditional Buddhist texts with Tsatsas and so on.

At the same time, we already prepared a shuttering (on the first two pics) for the socket, which will be build later on.

On May 10, we managed to finish the hole for the lowest concrete foundation with an excavator. As you can see, a lot of complex shutterings are needed to build the special forms of the Kalachakra Stupa foundation. This preparation took us two more days and today we filled in the first concrete.

Today, we also painted the Tsatsas for the filling of the foundation.

Lama Ole Nydahl talked to the DWBN-News about the Kalachakra Stupa in Karma Berchen Ling:

Kalachakra–stupas have been used for the last thousand years in Buddhist Asia to defend such timeless values against any retrograde forces of suppression which history may bring up and they work everywhere.

You can read the full interview here…

Dear friends,

after a long period of preparations the construction of the Kalachakra Stupa in KBL has begun. Lama Chogdrub Dorje is on site and guides the particular steps. He is supported by the architect Wojtek Kosowski who planed and build all the stupas togehter with Lopon Tsechu Rinpoche. And of course, there are a lot of people helping and joining the progress.

After the measurings and planings, on Sunday, May 9, Lama Chogdrub Dorje was doing an Earth Puja. Afterwards all people started to digg the hole for the stupa foundation.

Our Bulgarian group came to Karma Berchen Ling in the first week of April (3rd-10th). With a joyful mind and Lama Ole in our hearts, we made A LOT of tsa tsas. Meanwhile few guys tiled the floor in the new building of the big gompa, while others made strategies how to catch the mouse which was actually a rat that tried to eat our food in the storage.

One of the most exiting things that happened to us, was the unexpected appearance of two Bulgarian friends (a father and a son), who came by foot to Karma Berchen Ling. Arriving from Derveni the previous night, they got lost because of a misleading GPS map. They managed the last 8km following only the geographic coordinates and knowing from pictures what the retreat place looks like. They were our heroes of the day, until the next day, when we broke the “world wide record for making tsa tsas in KBL per day”.

At the end of the week we left the place and our lovely host Eva exceedingly happy … for the good of all beings.

“a 9 days week we never forget”

Our story started on Thursday at Bratislava centre during Piotr’s lecture about meaning of Kalachakra stupa. At that time none of our group knew he, or she, was going to buy tickets the very next day and depart to Athens on Monday. Simply said, the planning was poor but we learnt there’s no limit for an inspired and flexible mind. You can ask Zuzka, Johnko, Kuko and Tomas about it

We arrived to Athens on Monday night, jumped into a rented Focus and focused the wheels to our goal – Karma Berchen Ling. At early morning in Xylocastro question was raised whether we should enjoy a sleep at the beach or continue up to the hills. The magnetism of KBL decided without much of doubts and dear Eva had to wake up once again at 3am to meet happy newcomers.

After awakening we were quickly introduced to all tasks required to start Tsa Tsas production including special quests like cooking and shopping. Few days later friends from Czech sangha joined our group which was very international already thanks to Alfons (NE), Guoda (LV), Marcin (PL), Eva and Katrin (AT), Tini and Josef (DE).

Everybody found his, or her, place in the team and we started to enjoy what we found a complete retreat at the end – constant work with our minds for benefit of others. And enjoying it together with KBL’s ever changing outer and inner conditions was a real joyful effort. Evenings with the best company, little “beer” babies and Piotr’s stories were very helpful in this challenge.

But still there was something missing. No I’m not talking about a bungee jump, everybody did it (still thank you Andy). I mean something special … yes, an auspicious sign Well, we got a BIG one – Island volcano erupting just to stop all air traffic above the Europe so we could stay 3 more days and continue in Tsa Tsa production till next group from Hungary came.

Thanks to everyone who make such experiences possible.

On 31 March, the KBL-Stupa team met again with Lama Chogdrub Dorje and Wojtek Kossowski, the architect. It was an inspiring conversation:

Two cars with 9 friends started after a delicious supper and many farewell-good-wishes from the Vienna BUddhist center on march 26th towards Greece. The whole night we drove through Hungary & Serbia. South of Belgrade the sun came up and we had a nice breakfast break. After very interesting conversations about the situation and life in Serbia with the coffee owner who had worked in Switzerland for years, we continued our way through beautiful landscape in Macedonia and Greece.

The many toll stations, the boarders and the necessary stops to follow the biological needs of our body could only slow down our outer approach to KBL. But in our hearts and feelings we were already there.
This way to approach KBL driving together for about 27 hours is the beginning of the retreat with a lot of fun and when you are on the mountain you are really there in a state of freedom and joy.

Up there we had everything: joy, work, laughter, meditation, work, tears, joy, good food and good drinks. And sun, wind, fog, wind, sun, a little bit of rain, a full moon and even a rainbow around the sun. This week was a completly protected retreat with lots of mantras while producing the Tsa Tsas. Common meditations, good humor, many, many beautiful Tsa Tsas and close friendship helped us to transform our quite intense inner processes into maturing experiences.

To check our mind and open up even more we rounded this week off with a common bungee jumping into the canal.

We arrived at Karma Berchen Ling in two steps: first Jutta, Lutz, Maria and Oli from Berlin went there – two days later the funky bunch was completed by Sidsel from Denmark, Mumchi from Bulgaria, Manu and Torsten also from Berlin. The place gave us a “warm welcome”: snowfall, strong winds and a 2cm layer of ice, which covered everything composite like e.g. the retreat-hut which one weren´t able to leave without help from outside.

For two days and nights we were living in a cloud which was really a new and sometimes strange experience for nearly everyone. We couldn´t see further than a few meters. Going from the clubhouse to the sanghahouse Sidsel got lost several times but luckily reappeared. The cotton-wool, we were living in, made it easier to fully concentrate on the Tsatsa-production. There were only few other influences, but lots of mantrasounds and twice a day the 16th-Karmapa-meditation. The group grew together, it really felt like Kagyu-family.

Then – the third afternoon it suddenly happened: the clouds tore up, sun and the breath-taking panorama appeared. Wow ! The whole week we had so much fun with Pjotr and Andi, the residents. Eating together, having some beers in the evening when work was done and listening to Pjotrs stories of the early meetings with Lopon Tsechu Rinpoche. After a visit of Jurgos restaurant and the ascent to the top of the Dorje-Phamo-rock an unforgettable week ended – with snowfall. Nevertheless: none of us left the place easily knowing that we now had to return to the so called civilisation. And to come back hopefully soon.

The first week of March was the time when the Black Mountain tigers of Schwarzenberg (Germany) visited the Black Mountain dragons of Berchen Ling. 13 members of our Sangha went to Greece into a Tsatsa Retreat.
Perfectly organized by Carmen we arrived in time despite of Airline and several other strikes. The weather was gorgious and showed all kind of varieties. Of course our retreat finished on Friday the 5th of March with never ending rainbows all over the place for several hours. Before, we really worked hard (and joyful) on the Tsatsas, supported by a wonderful kitchen team. Producing tsatsas makes very hungry! But also another important event happened at the same time: Rudi and Angelika carved the stupa and the dorje into the life-tree. Now this very special “spine of the stupa” is ready.
But not only “spiritual work” was going on, also the work in our new “clubhouse”, former showerhouse, continued. Martin finished an amazing staircase. The “club” is really very cosy and we enjoyed meditating, working and sleeping there.
At the last weekend in February our friends from the Acropolis center in Athens celebrated the opening of the new center. It is beautiful, impressive and definetly worth visiting it. If you are next time in Athens you should go there for a meditation.
Our excursion was rounded up with a great meal at “Yorgos Taverna” in Evrostina and a good adrenalin push by jumping into the Isthmus (gulf of Corinths), where our friend Andi has a wonderful bungee place.
For sure we come back!!!! Kalimera, Kalinichta, Kalachakra!

We were 8 people from the winterly Berlin plus one brave Bavarien, making a Tsatsa-Retreat in Karma Berchen Ling.
Friday night we were warmly welcomed by the KBL team in a freshly painted Sangha-house. After that, we all crawled into our cold beds. The next morning the sunrise was glowing red from behind the snow-capped mountain peaks, the snowdrops and the almond trees were blooming and a gigantic scale of lemons and oranges that we bought on the street below, tasted blissfully juicy. While we were producing Tsatsas, we were full of enthusiasm and were pleased about the growing number of boxes filled with Tsatsas.
The cupboard in the Sangha-house is now very secure, thanks to Ronny, maybe even more secure than the Sangha-house itself …

Dear friends,

the Czech KBL Website is online, please visit http://cz.berchenling.org. You can also shift between the languages at the upper right corner of the website.

Thanks to the great work of the translator J. Bures and the fast organizational help of Petr Hubá?ek we finally made it. Polish, Hungarian and Greek translation will be there very soon too.

Enjoy and spread the news in the Czech Sangha!

Dear friends,

one of the best ways to come to Berchenling is the ferry from Italy to Patras. We checked out the latest prices:

Now, everyone can get up to 50% discount for the ferry boats to Patras until the end of February (respectively March) at:

• www.anek.gr
• www.minoan.gr (30%)
• www.superfast.com

Please be advised that we will not be able to provide a shuttle service during the summer course 2010. Please organize your own transportation to and from the site.

“Get your brick for the stupa” – This is the slogan of our fundrasing action to get many centers involved in the building of the Kalachakra Stupa. Every center can get a brick for a donation of 1080 Euros.
Until now we have allready 28 centers and regions involved. WOW!

Thank you so much, Europe-Center, Hamburg, Berlin, Vienna, Graz, Giessen, Munich, Villach, Ilserlohn, Schwarzenberg, Innsbruck, Ravensburg, Salzburg, Karlsruhe, Pforzheim, Tenovice, Tuebingen, Altmuehle, Bochum, Norway, Pilsen, Kladno, Karlovy Vary, Klatovy and Rakovnik, Oberwoelz-Judenburg, Australia.

Some members of the team were meeting at Schwarzenberg (Germany) last weekend, to work on the plans for the building of the Stupa and the course preperations. We had meetings with effective brainstorming and discussions that have actually led to a concrete timetable.
Saturday, even our stupa architect, Wojtek Koswoski from Darmstadt, joined our meeting and enriched everthing with his experience, concepts, sketches and stories of the twenty years of building stupas with Lopon Tsechou Rinpoche.
With Ouzo, Metaxa and beautiful images of our place, we enjoyed a Greek-eating out – deep in snow Karma Berchen Ling in Oy-Mittelberg, Germany. It was just fantastic.

Andrea and Hermann celebrated the New Year 2010 in Berchenling with warm temperatures and a partial eclipse of the moon…

To collect all the necessary donations for the Kalachakra Stupa in Berchenling, every Diamondway Buddhism center is invited to get it’s brick for the stupa. We created a model of the Kalachakra Stupa with 108 pieces. Every center can get one brick for 1080 Euros. For further information see the Finance & Donations site or contact donation@berchenling.org

“We have one mission only: To make the impossible possible. And to stay friends afterwards.”

With this slogan we started our last big team meeting in Hungary before we will all meet in Berchenling in May 2010. The incredible Budapest Sangha took care of everything: nice food, perfect accomodation and even the possibility ta visit an old Osmanic bath…

All teams reported on their acitvities and we managed to draw a broad picture of the big course in summer. Some new people joined the exiting process of working togehter in KBL and even more people will be needed in summer 2010. So please get involved!

The Polish group of Tsatsa producers was the last one before the winter. All groups together allready produced 7,000 Tsatsas. The work will be continued in spring 2010.