As civilization progresses ever further from the time of Buddha Shakyamuni, the delivery of Dharma must adapt to remain relevant to the collective mindset of the 21st-century population. The Gaden Tashi Choling Retreat, an initiative of Gaden for the West, is one such manifestation of a comtemporary Buddhist temple that brings the teachings of Lord Buddha to modern society.
Gaden Tashi Choling was established as a sanctuary for students to learn and practice Buddhism with the highest Dharma motivation of attaining enlightenment to benefit all sentient beings. With conducive facilities to enable residents and visitors to engage in individual or group retreats, the study of Buddhist philosophy, and the fundamental Buddhist techniques of meditation and prayer, some highlights of Gaden Tashi Choling include the beautiful prayer hall which houses a Lama Tsongkapa altar, a contemplative zen garden, and magnificent views surrounding the property.
Since its inception, Gaden Tashi Choling has hosted regular meditation, lamrim and puja practice sessions, and a number of initiations and retreats led by its spiritual director, Venerable Acharya Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, including a Cittamani Tara Retreat in June 2014, which included 100,000 mantra recitations, and a Working Yamantaka Retreat in July 2014, which combined practice sessions with volunteer work.
Gaden Tashi Choling is scheduled for completion during the summer of 2015, when the Gaden for the West community will come together in a Heart Sutra Work Retreat to complete the final phase of the project. All that remains is the construction of a railing and a roof over the walkway ramp, and installation of timber flooring and heating inside the temple.
Recently in February 2015, Zasep Rinpoche wrote a personal letter appealing for support and donations towards the completion of Gaden Tashi Choling. We at DorjeShugden.com encourage all our readers to make a contribution towards this worthy cause, for the flourishing of Lama Tsongkapa’s lineage and so that many more may benefit from this great master. Read the appeal letter here.
The beautiful and peaceful environment at Gaden Tashi Choling
The Founder – Venerable Acharya Zasep Tulku Rinpoche
Venerable Acharya Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, founder of the Gaden Tashi Choling Retreat Center
The Venerable Acharya Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, a highly realized and internationally respected teacher of Gelugpa Buddhism, was born in Tibet in the province of Kham in 1948. Zasep Tulku Rinpoche was recognized as the 13th incarnation of Lama Konchog Tenzin of Zuru Monastery.
In 1959, he escaped from Tibet and continued his education for sixteen years in India under the tutelage of many of the greatest teachers of Mahayana Buddhism. In 1975, Zasep Rinpoche left India to study in Thailand where he joined the monks of a forest monastery. For eighteen months he studied and practiced with them. He then traveled to Australia and translated for Tibetan-speaking Lamas for a number of years.
Since 1976, he has taught western Dharma students in Australia, Canada, and the United States and has developed Dharma centres in each of these countries. Zasep Rinpoche regularly visits these centres and offers extensive teachings, initiations and retreats which his many students enthusiastically attend. In 1999, Zasep Rinpoche and his students created the Gaden for the West umbrella organization to more effectively support and nourish the study of Gelugpa Tibetan Buddhism in the West.
In addition to spreading the teachings of Lord Buddha in the Western hemisphere, Zasep Rinpoche supports a number of projects in Tibet, Mongolia and India through the Gaden Relief Projects initiative.
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An aerial view of Gaden Tashi Choling
The Temple, situated in the beautiful dense forest and is just a short walk away from the guest house in Gaden Tashi Choling
Beautiful prayer hall to receive the teachings of the holy Dharma
An up close picture of the temple’s beautiful altar
The guest rooms in Gaden Tashi Choling were recently renovated
The kitchen was also recently renovated, and old electrical appliances replaced
The simple, homey dining area where guests and staff have their meals
The communal area in the guest house
A small but cozy Dharma library is also available
Beautiful view from Gaden Tashi Choling
Gaden For The West
Gaden For The West is an international organization of Venerable Acharya Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, his students, and meditation centers, created for the express purpose of bringing, interpreting and integrating Gelugpa Tibetan Buddhism to the western world.
Zasep Rinpoche created this vehicle to make Gelugpa Tibetan Buddhism accessible to as many people as possible. As people in the west are different from Tibetans in their culture, customs and psychology, thus Western minds need the teachings of Buddha presented from a different point of view.
The Buddha has said that we should revise and adapt to the times, the land and the people we are dealing with; then the teachings will grow and benefit those who receive them, and will not degenerate and die. This is exactly what is being done in Gaden For The West – the teachings remain the same while the interpretation is different, adapted for lay students and for the Western mind, while remaining true to the lineage.
Some of the works pioneered by Gaden for the West include the publication of Dharma books and translations of teachings in a manner relatable to Western ways of thinking. Gaden for the West also encourages lay people to practice Dharma by promoting the notion of “Dharma in action” and “socially-engaged Buddhism”.
The success of Gaden for the West in developing these programs is reflected in the flourishing of the Dharma in this part of the world, especially in the establishment of Gaden Tashi Choling, an international gompa in Nelson, British Columbia for spiritual aspirants to engage in retreat, study and work in a like-minded community.
Affiliated Centers Worldwide
Zuru Ling
Zuru Ling is a meditation centre in Vancouver, BC Canada offering a variety of activities for teachings and practice in the Gelug tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. It was established in 1982 by its two founding board directors, Mary Jane Nehring and Deborah Simpson, who first met at a meditation course in California.
Inspired by their experience, Mary Jane and Deborah invited Zasep Rinpoche to Canada to teach the Dharma. Zasep Rinpoche arrived in Vancouver in February 1982, and after several requests from Mary Jane and Deborah, Rinpoche gave his blessings for the establishment of a Dharma centre, and accepted the position of Spiritual Director. Since then, Zuru Ling has welcomed many other great masters including Kyabje Zong Chocktrul Rinpoche, Kyabje Lati Rinpoche and His Holiness the Ninth Khalkha Jetsun Dampa Rinpoche.
Today, Zuru Ling hosts regularly scheduled meditation evenings, teachings and other activities almost every day of the week, and Zasep Rinpoche visits at least quarterly giving teachings, initiations, and leading retreats. The resident nun, Anila Ann McNeil, also gives weekly teachings at the centre, leads a retreat every Easter, and also does teachings at a “satellite sangha” in White Rock, BC.
Dorje Ling
The second oldest retreat centre in Australia, Dorje Ling hosted its first meditation retreat in 1977, led by Phra Khantipalo. In 1978, Geshe Acharya Thubten Loden taught the first Lam Rim (Graduated Path to Enlightenment) course, with Zasep Tulku Rinpoche translating. Zasep Tulku Rinpoche was subsequently invited and agreed to become its spiritual director.
Since its formation, Dorje Ling has hosted retreats and teachers from all traditions of Buddhism including Traleg Rinpoche, Ayya Khema, Hogen San, Gala Tulku Rinpoche, Jampa Gendun, Tarchin Hearn and Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey.
How To Get There
Gaden Tashi Choling Society
Box 4, Nelson
BC V1L 5P7
Phone: (250) 354 0206
Website: www.tashicholing.ca, www.gadenforthewest.org