Samye Ling Tibetan Centre

Samye Ling main shrine room. The main shrine room at the Samye Ling Tibetan Centre in Dumfriesshire Eskdale from the Boreland road Eskdale from the Borland road. In the pine trees, near the centre of the picture, the golden roof of the Samye Ling Temple can just be seen When a small group of Tibetan monks came to the UK in the 1960s they looked for a place where they could continue their traditions without being considered a nuisance by their neighbours. They chose Eskdalemuir which at the time was one of the more isolated valleys of Scotland, although actually within easy reach of transportation, and already well known for the geological and meteorological stations that had been established in the valley earlier in the century. The Samye Ling Go to another site. website has further details of the centre. Stupas at the entrance Small stupas at the north entrance, with the butter lamp house in the background Somewhat poetically what the Buddhist teachers found was a shooting lodge belonging to the old Dumfriesshire family the Johnstones. On this site they built the temple which can be seen here. It was named in 1967 by its co-founders, the Rinpoches Chogyam Trungpa and Akong Tulku, in memory of one of the oldest Buddhist centres in Tibet. Entrance Gate The gate at the south entrance Nagajuna and Stupa The Nagarjuna Monument with the Stupa beyond Stupas at the entrance Butter lamps in the 'Butter Lamp House' are lit daily to promote world peace Nagarjuna and Lilies This statue of Nagarjuna honours an Indian teacher and philosopher who lived between the years 150 to 250. He is credited with being the founder of the Madhyamaka school of Mahayana Buddhism Rimpochet and stupa Rinpoche Pool and Stupa Since the beginning the site has been in a continuous state of development. The temple was inaugurated in the 1988. In 2000 the large Victory Stupa near the north entrance was completed, in 2007 the Prayer Wheel House was added beside the Stupa. The dinning room and guest rooms beside the temple were joined by the reception area, library, meeting rooms and more guest rooms this whole coutyard complex being opened in 2014. Nagajuna and Lilies The Victory Stupa with the Prayer Wheel House behind Nagajuna and Lilies A dragon acts as fount for the Rinpoche Pool The temple. An older view of the temple, taken before it was incorporated into the courtyard The Temple roof The Temple roof Statue of Chenrezi Statue of Chenrezi inside the Stupa Statue of Buddha Statue of the Buddha Sakyamuni in the Stupa Statue of Buddha in main shrine room. Statue of the Buddha Sakyamuni in the main shrine room Courtyard Door Courtyard Door Spirit Screen Window.

Spirit Screen
Go to another page. Window
Morning at a bend of the Esk The new Courtyard entrance,
the Spirit Screen faces the visitor at the end of the corridor
The great merit of Samye Ling, to interested visitors, is the juxtaposition of the high art of Tibet, so foreign to our norms, with the peace of the Scottish valley in which it is housed. Morning at a bend of the Esk The Samye Ling site is bordered to the east by the White Esk. Across the water sheep graze at dawn Morning at a bend of the Esk Samye Ling is now almost submerged by forest, but the temple roof, catching the dawn light, can just be seen peeping out of the trees The Temple andd Stupa. The Temple and Stupa sit in the valley below Lamb Knowe with its ancient earthworks Samye Ling and Ettrick Pen. The Samy Ling Tibetan Centre in Eskdalemuir with Ettrick Pen as background The next page takes you from the countryside of Southern Scotland to the Royal Botanic Gardens in central Edinburgh. Waves forming foam on rocks. line
Saturday 23rd July 2016 Murphy

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