Dhagpo Kundreul Ling Buddhist centre is a community where men and women reside in order to practice, preserve and spread the Buddha's teachings (The Dharma).
The centre is situated in the beautiful countryside of the Auvergne region of central France, approximately fifty kilometres north-west of Clermont-Ferrand.
The community consists of two monastic hermitages, one for monks and the other for nuns, ten adjoining centres for three-year and longer retreat and a thriving and growing lay community.
Community
An authentic master is an inexhaustible source of love and compassion who offers his heart, without discrimination, for the well-being and happiness of all; he recognises the needs of each individual and is able to guide them perfectly on the path to liberation. It is this activity that motivates the commitment within the community to continually develop an understanding and experience of the teachings, with the ultimate goal being enlightenment for the good of all beingsThe community of Dhagpo Kundreul Ling includes of several categories of participants. There are the monks and nuns of the two monastic hermitages, the practitioners in the retreat centres, the international group of volunteers who help with the projects, and a resident lay community living and working in the surrounding area.
The community's role is to provide the means to liberate oneself from all forms of suffering for all who want it.
Our congregation continues a living monastic tradition originating 2500 years ago with the Buddha Shakyamuni. This specific tradition integrates the practice of the Mahamudra teachings, the nature of mind, and the Six Yogas of Naropa which are the essence of the Karma Kagyu transmission. The monks' and nuns' community-based lifestyle allows them to dedicate themselves totally to developing these practices. It also ensures that the authentic Dharma is transmitted in its entirety for the benefit of present and future generations.
The teachings transmitted consist of the three Buddhist vehicles, which together form an inseparable whole. The teachings of the Great Vehicle (Mahayana) are given a central importance as they emphasise the bodhisattva's universal compassion and penetrating wisdom. These teachings, are founded upon the vehicle of individual liberation (Hinayana) expounding ethical conduct and the dissolution of ego clinging. Furthermore, the adamantine vehicle's (Vajrayana) meditations gives the practioner the means to develop the Buddha's pure view of reality.
