Odiyana Temple under construction:
Odiyana Temple for Ati Jangchub Choeling Monastery has been under construction since November 15th, 2023, and work is in progress on a daily basis. We are scheduled to bring the construction to its full completion by the end of 2026.
The whole of the Odiyana temple, including the front porch and rear staircase, measures 68’x60′. The main sanctuary of the temple will be 50’x50′. Tulku Orgyen Rinpoche envisions that the capacity of the first floor of the temple will hold around three hundred ordained and lay practitioners. Therefore, for the most part, all participants will be able to gather together inside the temple during group practices and for teachings and empowerments from masters.
The second floor of the temple will include five good-sized rooms. Three of the rooms will each have their own unique altar, set up respectively for the practices of Vajrakilaya, Tara, and Dharma Protectors. These will be spaces dedicated for small groups or even for personal practice. The other two slightly larger rooms will be used as a library and as a place for special gatherings or silent meditation.
The third floor of the temple will offer one main space that is dedicated to all the masters of the past and present.
The Odiyana Temple will bring great benefit not only to the monks and students in residence, but also to the local community and beyond, as a source of blessings, Buddhist education, practice, and the care and preservation of the many unique tribal cultures in the region.
There is an urgent need for the Odiyana Temple in the community. To learn more about the temple’s significance and about Tulku Orgyen Rinpoche’s long term vision for the temple, please continue to read:
A good number of the people in this region are Buddhists or traditionally Buddhists. The indigenous and very friendly Adi people in the area follow their religion Donyi-polo but also highly admire Buddhist culture and practice. Many of the people living here are also Sherpa and Tamang Buddhists from Nepal and Buddhist migrants from Myanmar. Many Tibetan people who are mainly from Pemakod, now live here as well. Moreover, this area is a junction that can be easily reached by people living in far away towns and cities in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
Ati Jangchub Choeling Temple will be the first and only temple in this region. Therefore, once it is completed, the temple will be a great center for the local community to come and engage in Buddhist practice on a daily basis and for visitors from far away to visit for special events.
Events at the temple will also include monthly Medicine Buddha Day, and Full Moon Day practices. Yearly, the four Buddhist festivals will be celebrated and Dharma talks will be given for the general public. NyungNe, the wee klong fasting retreat with vows, will be observed annually, and from time to time, the temple will host visiting high Lamas who will give teachings and empowerments.
Festivals and gatherings based on the seasons and indigenous traditions are an important aspect of Assamese and Arunachali people’s lives and culture, Odiyana Temple will serve as a sacred place where the whole community can assemble, meet and celebrate.
Additionally, children and school staff can meet in the temple at the start and end of each school day. There, they have an opportunity to calm and focus their minds, set a compassionate motivation for engaging in the day’s work, and dedicate their collective efforts in learning and teaching for the benefit of all. Special school events, such as parent nights, presentations and performances, can also be held there.
Traditionally Buddhist people request Lamas to come to their homes to perform specific ceremonies for benefiting both the living and the dead. The Lamas at the temple will conveniently fulfill these needs and wishes, providing spiritual support for the surrounding community.
Tulku Orgyen Rinpoche envisions that this temple will be a great center where people can learn and engage in Buddha Dharma teachings on wisdom and compassion for the betterment of their own lives and for a more peaceful society at large. In addition, Tulku Rinpoche considers the creation of a temple that provides far-reaching Dharma activities, where there are none, as a great service for Buddha Dharma and sentient beings.
In early December, Tulku Orgyen Rinpoche was at the temple along with H.E. Tulku Namgyal Dawa Rinpoche and Tulku Choje Lingpa Rinpoche, together they blessed the temple construction.
During this time, H.E. Tulku Namgyal Dawa Rinpoche gave teachings and empowerments to the general public.
For the time being:
The Ati Jangchub Choeling Temple, a small but well-facilitated temple, was built towards the end of last February 2022 by the retreatants from Deden Tashi Choeling Temple, Pemakod.
Ever since its completion, bimonthly Tsok practices and all other Dharma practices have been held here. This smaller temple will continue to function until the larger temple we have envisioned, with a greater capacity for participants, is completed.
Tulku Orgyen’s father, Lama Rigdzin Phuntsok, who is well respected in the region, now spends most of his time on the land. Therefore, visitors from near and far continue to visit to pay their respect and to offer support for the further development of our efforts.
Tulku Orgyen shared, “I am happy to see all of the Dharma events that are happening in a place where there were no Dharma activities at all. I feel that, in our own capacity, we are making a contribution to society and humanity at large. At the same time, I look forward to the day when all of our visions for the land fully manifest and greatly benefit many beings with their various needs.”
If you wish to contribute to the ongoing Temple construction, please let us know at odiyanasb@gmail.com or to make Tax-deductible donations please click here.
OCS 