Wheel of joy during a retreat with His Holiness - August 2019
His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa, head of the lineage, is its spiritual authority; it is the European headquarter whereas the main monastery of the lineage is located in Darjeeling, India.
His Holiness went regularly to the Centre Plouray to teach and lead retreats. The rest of the year, its representative in Europe, the Venerable Drubpon Ngawang Tenzin Pagsam Yongdu, resides there.
Many great Masters also came in recent years : His Holiness the Dalai Lama, His Eminence Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche, H.E. Bairo Rinpoche, H.E. Kyabje Thuksey Rinpoch, H.E. Kyabje Gyalwa Dokhampa Rinpoche, H.E Kyabje Drukpa Choegon Rinpoche, H.E. Gyeltshen Trulku Rinpoche, H.E. Kyabje Khenpo Tringa Rinpoche, Trogawa Rinpoche, Lopeun Dralop Rinpoche, Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo.
The stupa
This Stupa named “the good auspicious doors” was built by Bhutanese artists assisted by many volunteers and a few artisans. Designed by His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa, it was consecrated in 1997.
There are three statues inside the stupa : the main statue of Guru Padmasambhava is surrounded by Chenrezig and Green Tara’s statues. Both statues of Chenrezig and Green Tara were sculpted by Buthanese artists during the year 2000; they were painted by Ladakhi artists in May 2003.
“A Stupa is not only built for glory and fame, but for its beneficial influence on the sentient beings, the area and the world, so that there will be no obstacles to the spiritual Masters’ compassion activity, in order to maintain the existing intact and pure spiritual tradition, and to connect the Drukpa European Centre of Plouray to the first monastery of the lineage in Tibet, Shedrup Tcheukor Ling in Raloung”
The Twelfth Gyalwang Drukpa.
The temple
As the number of students attending His Holiness’ and other great Masters’ teachings is regularly increasing, the building of a Spiritual Hall has been foreseen on the Bel Avenir ground. His Holiness has drawn a rough sketch in the TGV train when travelling from Geneva to Paris in September 2001.
Messrs Morvan and Le Solliec, Lord Mayors of Plouray and Gourin as well as Mr. Pierre Bleuzen, architect who realized the final plan as per His Holiness the Twelfth Gyalwang Drukpa’s instructions, participated to the inauguration of its building on the 27th April 2002.
His Holiness gave his first teachings in this Hall in September 2002. The Bumpa Ceremony took place on this occasion.
The prayer wheel
A prayer was inaugurated in August 2008 by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
The 6 meters high building which will shelter the prayer wheel is made by Lama Seunam, a specialist in sacred Buddhist art. The prayer wheel is a cylinder about 2 meters high with handles to spin it. The cylinder itself is just a container, the essential being inside : mantras imprinted on paper rolls wound around the wheel axle.
To spin around a prayer wheel means setting in motion the energy of the mantras it contains, spreading and diffusing this energy all around, thinking that it will not only be beneficial to the person who is spinning it but also to the infinity of sentient beings. In this respect, the prayer wheel at Plouray Centre is dedicated to peace and harmony in Brittany and throughout the world.
The Lama Lhakhang
In Tibet, near every Drukpa monastery, a small temple is built, called « Lama Lhakhang » in which are displayed statues and thangkas of the lineage.
As of today, there are 365 statues within the Lama Lhakhang. They were sculpted in Bhutan and brought all the way here to Drukpa Plouray. It has been a long and meticulous task which has taken over ten years, and which, thanks to the blessing of His Holiness, has now matured to completion.
The meditation garden
Conceived by His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa, this centre counts eight houses for the retreats.
Individual retreat : opened to the practionners as well as to any person who wishes to temporarily withdraw from his daily life and/or to discover the Buddhist centre. An interview is required prior to a first request.
Collective retreats: during the teachings led by Drubpön Ngawang, the houses are shared on a basis of 4 to 6 persons.
The Sang Boum
The shop
The shop is open every afternoon from 14:30 to 17:30, and in the summer from 14:00 to 19:00 Local Time. Here you will find a large collection of books on Buddhism and spirituality, the Drukpa Lineage practice texts as well as meditation items, recorded audio and video teachings, representations of Buddhist deities, incense, and Asian clothing and crafts.
