Tuesday
An Austrian Offspring of the Great Stupa of Dharmakaya
By Peter Nowak
It is said that a stupa would have unseen impact on our world and inspire future generations of practitioners. This story, coming from as far as Austria, is a little example of the radiation of “The Great Stupa of Dharmakaya Which Liberates Upon Seeing” in Drala Mountain Centre.
Last May, the Board of Shambhala Global held a retreat at Drala Mountain Centre. During this retreat, we had a magical visit to the Stupa with Dale Asrael giving teachings and the Board together with the Stupa team breaking ground for the construction of the new Stupa Visitors Centre. At this occasion, I was reminded of this little story when my second daughter requested me to build a stupa in the Austrian/Italian mountains.
We, my three small kids and my first wife, had been at Rocky Mountain Dharma Centre for a month-long Vajrayana program in 1999. We all were very impressed by the Stupa still under construction. At that time, the “life pole” of the Stupa was finalized. So, two years later I went there again, together with my six-year-old son, to take part in the consecration ceremony for the Stupa.
When we came back to Austria touched by the magic of the Stupa, my eight-year-old daughter urged us to also build a Stupa near our beloved mountain hut at the Austrian-Italian border high in the mountains. Of course, we followed the command of my daughter and constructed this little Stupa with the stones from the surrounding mountain slope. We tried to follow the basic form, put an Ashe in the foundation, a “life pole” wrapped with the Vajrasattva-Mantra, and a white quartz stone as the top. With a little imagination, it looked like Mount Kailash. We consecrated it with a Lhasang and offered incense in a circumambulation at the beginning of September 2001. See a little documentation below.
It was expected that our little stupa would not remain for a thousand years or longer like The Great Stupa of Dharmakaya Which Liberates Upon Seeing. But last fall, 23 years later, I was there again. It was still standing! It needed a little bit of renovation, the quartz stones were gone, but it was still there. Of course, I had to document this as well.
May the Great Stupa in Colorado and the little stupa in the Alps bring liberation and happiness to future generations!
Peter Nowak first met Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche in 1985 and attended the last three-month seminar Trungpa taught in 1986. He has three adult children, worked for 35 years in health system reform and was teaching at several universities in Austria. By developing strategic initiatives in close collaboration with the Austrian Ministry of Health, he had a rich training ground for creating an enlightened society – with and without success. He had many roles in his home Shambhala Center in Vienna, has been a meditation teacher since 1986, was on the Board of Shambhala Global from 2020 to 2024 and during this time also part of the Shambhala Europe Advisory Board. Only in recent years has he started to teach more in Shambhala.
Entries filed under Community Articles
Never Give Up, even when… – HIGHLIGHT
[caption id=”attachment_19718″ align=”alignright” width=”300″ >Tracking Jewels. Photographs courtesy of Mauricio Londondo. When I feel abandoned, I like to imagine a world –- and a sangha — in which we never give up on anyone. I guess that in Buddhism there is not such a thing as ... continuePosted August 1, 2010 by Jennifer Holder
A Little Shambhala Gem Born in Israel – HIGHLIGHT
Tal Varon, former director of the New York Shambhala Meditation Center — and current director of the only centre in Israel, and his wife Moran are pleased to introduce the Shambhala sangha to one of its newest additions. We’re happy to introduce our baby girl, Orr ... continuePosted July 31, 2010 by
Canadian Media has its Eye on Royal Birth – HIGHLIGHT
Click here to read the Chronicle Herald’s coverage of our expecting royal family. continuePosted July 27, 2010 by
A Voice Like Honey on Toast – HIGHLIGHT
A music review, by Acharya David Schneider. B his name is Bene and he’s a Buddhist. He lives in Berlin and plays in a band. He plays beautiful keyboards in a number of bands, actually, and teaches and produces and cobbles together a living the way most ... continuePosted July 25, 2010 by
Today’s Command – HIGHLIGHT
Kusung Dapon Noel McLellan writes about What’s What and Who’s Who in the Dorje Kasung. Unless labeled, all photos courtesy of Christoph Schoenherr. How Dare You Be a tiger. Lick the Wilkinson sword. Join together with thunderbolt. I am so proud to be one of the Kasung. –Makkyi ... continuePosted July 23, 2010 by
Ever-Expanding Accessibility – HIGHLIGHT
[caption id=”attachment_19589″ align=”alignright” width=”176″ >Click here to read other articles on this topic in the Shambhala Times. Shambhala continues to improve accessibility of its programs and facilities and we keep working towards a genuinely barrier free society. We have had people in our sangha with disabilities ... continuePosted July 21, 2010 by Hamish_MacLaren
The Largest Chakrasamvara Fire Puja Yet – HIGHLIGHT
By Jim Torbert Rumour has it that the Fire Puja at Dorje Denma Ling this spring was the largest group of participants at a Chakrasamvara amending program in our community’s history. The Chakrasamvara Fire Puja took place at Dorje Denma Ling in Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia from April ... continuePosted July 11, 2010 by Jim
Summer 2010: The Drala Lineage of Mukpo
“The dralas are there, waiting to come along and meet you,” said the mahasiddha Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, the Druk Sakyong of Shambhala. “I feel that I could give you, impart to you, introduce to you, such wonderful ladies and gentlemen of the drala principle. They are ... continuePosted June 19, 2010 by Richard_Reoch
Summer 2010: The Sakyong and Sakyong Wangmo
The retreat The Sakyong has now been on retreat since the Fourth Shambhala Congress ended in November. He has just completed a phase of deep retreat, including a Gesar Trakpo drupchen at Rigon Tashi Choeling monastery in Pharping, Nepal. After returning to the West, during the month ... continuePosted June 19, 2010 by Richard_Reoch
Summer 2010: The Dorje Kasung
The Council of the Makkyi Rabjam The current Council of the Makkyi Rabjam (the leadership Council of the Dorje Kasung) consists of the following members: continuePosted June 19, 2010 by Richard_Reoch
Summer 2010: Community Development
Culture and Decorum The Shambhala Office of Culture and Decorum was established after the proclamation of the Edict of the Sakyong Wangmo, The Garland that Binds the Kingdom, at her empowerment. The Sakyong Wangmo, Khandro Tseyang, is the Patroness. continuePosted June 19, 2010 by Richard_Reoch
Sky Lake’s Snapping Turtles, Owls, Hawks & Deer Welcome a New Director – HIGHLIGHT
By Steve Derrickson The appointment of Ms. Katy Bray as director-in-residence marks the beginning of a new phase at Sky Lake Lodge, a rural Shambhala retreat and contemplative center. Just nine years after it was founded, Sky Lake’s recent evolution has embraced diversification and change. With ... continuePosted June 17, 2010 by
How is the oil spill affecting you? – HIGHLIGHT
By Bill Scheffel, writing from New Orleans. Three of my walks in New Orleans took me into the Ninth Ward and the Lower Ninth Ward, the primary neighborhoods that delivered pictures to the world of people left behind, stranded on their roofs in the floods ... continuePosted June 15, 2010 by
A Story: Little Girl Wishes – HIGHLIGHT
By Lois Lungta Part of the ongoing blog kept by Jennifer Holder, titled Tracking Jewels. The exact date of this composition is unknown. ~ ^ ~ I bought this leather-bound journal this winter to honor many things: the significance of this moment in my life as choice ... continuePosted June 12, 2010 by Jennifer Holder
Water of Life, Darkening Gulf, Part 3 Hwy 23 – HIGHLIGHT
Bill Scheffel recently traveled from Boulder to the Gulf Coast to bear witness to the oil spill and blog about what he encountered. Here is a recent excerpt from his blog, The Drala Principle. By Bill Scheffel On a journey to actually see the oil that had just ... continuePosted June 10, 2010 by
RSS feed for the Community Articles category
View all posts from authors in Community Articles: jillian_johnson