Dzogchen Beara, a Tibetan Buddhist retreat center located on the southwest coast of Ireland and guided by Sogyal Rinpoche, has initiated a project to build the very first Tibetan temple in the region.
A sketch of the temple's south facade, by Giles Oliver. From templeproject.dzogchenbeara.org
Sogyal Rinpoche, an eminent teacher in the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism and the founder of the Rigpa organization, first proposed the idea of the temple in 2008. Following the construction of Dechen Shying Spiritual Care Centre at Dzogchen Beara, Rinpoche was inspired to carry out other such projects. According to his aspiration, he said that the temple “should be small and cosy, with infinite capacity!”
Sogyal Rinpoche with the design team, July 2009. From Veronica Nicholson
Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche, who has supervised the construction of other traditional temples, including the one at Lerab Ling, Rigpa’s primary retreat center in France, visited the site in 2009 to determine the future temple’s exact site and orientation. He also advised on its design, having been presented with a number of possibilities by a volunteer design team. In September 2010 he returned to consecrate the site, after the construction received full planning permission from Cork County Council in July that year.
The Dzogchen Beara Temple, Beara peninsula, southwest Ireland. From dzogchenbeara.org
Plans for the temple include seating for 250 students, a meditation room on the ground floor, surrounding lawns, and the possibility of temporary extensions to accommodate larger ceremonies as needed. The temple will be 14.5 meters high and built in traditional Tibetan style with three stories and copper roofs, though integrating “the best and most appropriate of modern techniques.” The lead architect for the temple is Giles Oliver, a UK-based architect who helped in establishing the Interdisciplinary Design for the Built Environment master’s program at the University of Cambridge, also his own place of graduation, in 1994.
Funding remains an issue, and the Dzogchen Beara website reports that ideally construction will begin once sufficient funds are collected; however, there are no recent reports on any construction taking place yet. According to templeproject.dzogchenbeara.org, the total budget is€1.8 million, with €1 million allocated to the building and €800,000 for decoration, landscaping, and ancillary buildings. In June 2013, the center had raised €306,340. Once the building work commences, it is estimated that it will take just 18 months to complete. It is hoped that the temple will “promote inner peace and well-being” and hold “an inspiring natural environment in trust, for present and future generations.” The temple will be open to individuals, families, groups, and communities of all backgrounds and faiths.
A computer-generated model of the temple. From templeproject.dzogchenbeara.org
The Dzogchen Beara retreat center started as 150 acres of farmland on the Beara peninsula in West Cork, which was purchased by Peter and Harriet Cornish in 1973 with the intention of creating a place “that would offer a spiritual home to people of all traditions.” In 1992, the land was gifted to a charitable trust under Sogyal Rinpoche’s spiritual direction, and the Dzogchen Beara retreat center was born. Today, it offers a range of meditation classes, retreats, and accommodation for students.
The former president of Ireland, Mary McAleese, visited Dzogchen Beara in September 2007. During her visit, Sogyal Rinpoche declared his strong connection to Ireland. “Ireland will always have a special place in the heart of anyone who cares for Tibet or for freedom, because Ireland was one of the very few countries that stood up for Tibet in 1959. We Tibetans always remember that with tremendous gratitude,” he said.