In 1977, Kyabjé Dud’jom Rinpoche directed Ngak’chang Chögyam Rinpoche to work to preserve the white sangha, the gö-kar-chang-lo’i-dé, in the West.

Later on, Kyabjé Künzang Dorje Rinpoche said to a group of practitioners on pilgrimage to Nepal that in the West, having a physical centre was vital for the survival of a lineage.

The Drala Jong Appeal was launched to raise the necessary funds to purchase a property that would be the home of the Aro gTér. After 12 years of hard work and generous donations by members of the sangha and the public, Drala Jong was purchased in Llandysul, Camarthenshire

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Meg Taylor’s bequeathment

21 November 2015

Recently the Drala Jong was the recipient of a generous bequest from a former Aro member Meg Taylor/Dawa Khandro, of …
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The Lattè Box

, fundraising for Drala Jong

21 October 2015

Shardröl Du-nyam Wangmo A couple of years ago I was thinking about how I, as a person with a small income, could come …
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Drala Jong: A Bayul in Progress, Visions of Drala Jong

14 October 2015

Yeshé Zértsal This post by Ngakma Yeshé Zértsal is the first of a series called ‘Visions of Drala Jong’, posts by the …
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A Pilgrimage to Southerndown

13 October 2015

In early October some apprentices accompanied Ngak’chang Rinpoche on a pilgrimage to Southerndown on the coast of South Wales not …
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Retreat Centre Appeal : Treasures – Bone Ornaments

26 September 2015

There are many Vajrayana treasures in the care of the Aro Tradition which are seldom on public display either to …
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A car boot sale, Fundraising for Drala Jong

23 September 2015

Continuing a theme of ‘every bit helps’ in the art of fundraising, £83.10 was recently raised and donated to the …
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Teaching a Tibetan Exercise system, Fundraising for Drala Jong

16 September 2015

There are a number of small, incremental, consistent activities that members of the Aro gTér Lineage sangha are involved in …
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A Pilgrims Progress, Fundaising For Drala Jong

9 September 2015

Chris Haydon’s wonderful account of his fundraising walk
Fairly recently I became an apprentice within the Aro gTèr tradition of Vajrayana …
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Retreat Centre Appeal : Yoga – sKu-mNyé

5 September 2015

Vajrayana Buddhist lineages commonly contain several systems of physical yoga, used both as a focus for meditation and for secondary …
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Retreat Centre Appeal : Yoga – Dance

3 September 2015

Gar’cham (sometimes called ‘Lama Dance’) is a system of sacred dance. The movements are part of a moving meditation practice, …
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Retreat Centre Appeal : Craft – Appliqué

29 August 2015

The creation of appliqué thangkas and costumes for cham (dance) are examples of a form of craft which requires a …
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Retreat Centre Appeal : Craft – Phurba

22 August 2015

The phurba is a three-edged symbolic weapon that focuses the mind on destroying obsession, aggression, and indifference. In 2004, the largest phurba in the world was constructed in the Austrian Mountains by students of Ngak'chang Rinpoche and Khandro Déchen. The Drala Jong project aims to create a home for the Aro gTér Lineage.
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Retreat Centre Appeal : Craft – gTér Bum

15 August 2015

The Treasure Vase (gTér Bum) ceramics project is an example of our craft work. It was led by one of …
Vajrayana Arts and Crafts
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Retreat Centre Appeal : Art

8 August 2015

Facilities will be established for craft work in general, and thangka painting in particular.
Our Spiritual Directors, Ngak’chang Rinpoche and Khandro …
Vajrayana Arts and Crafts
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Retreat Centre Appeal : A home for elderly practitioners

25 July 2015

Buddhist practitioners who evolve to the point where they become teachers, normally have care available until they pass away.
Other knowledgeable …
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Retreat Centre Appeal : Why a retreat centre?

18 July 2015

Ngak’chang Rinpoche and Khandro Déchen, along with their teaching students, have offered public teachings and training on a wide range …
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Retreat Centre Appeal : Introduction

11 July 2015

Rôle Models
People endeavour to improve the world in different ways: through improvements in diet, physical and mental health, housing, and …
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Inspiration: Aro Lineage Sangha

27 June 2015

Robes are worn on formal occasions, as an inspiration for practice and a symbol of the vows ordained practitioners take.
The …
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Form, emptiness, and non-duality

24 June 2015

In sitting meditation, we experience emptiness directly as the simultaneous absence of thought and presence of awareness. We experience form …
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Inspiration: Aro Lineage Lamas

20 June 2015

Our Spiritual Directors Ngak’chang Rinpoche and Khandro Déchen are married Buddhist teachers living in Wales.
They trained under some of the …
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Learn Buddhist meditation techniques

17 June 2015

The Aro gTér Lineage free internet meditation course is a series of weekly emails that are sent to you automatically …
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Senses and Sensibility

13 June 2015

Some folk who hear about Drala Jong assume all the art that will be created and performed there will be …
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The Aro gTér : An uncommon perspective

10 June 2015

There are three distinct yet compatible approaches within Buddhism: self-liberation, transformation, and renunciation. The Aro gTér Lineage emphasises self-liberation and …
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Drala Jong and Ling Gésar

6 June 2015

We were particularly delighted that ‘Drala’ is part of the centre’s name, as Drala is connected with practices associated with …
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Transforming our experience of everyday being

3 June 2015

The Aro gTér Tradition is principally concerned with transforming our experience of everyday being, rather than achieving an esoteric or …
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Drala Jong – Advice from Kyabjé Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche

30 May 2015

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Silent sitting meditation

27 May 2015

In meditation, we come face to face with our deepest feelings and conflicts. We may discover aspects of ourselves from …
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Dud’jom Rinpoche and the start of the Drala Jong Project

23 May 2015

At the outset of the project, the Drala Jong Blog published an article about Kyabjé Dud’jom Rinpoche and his instructions …
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Drala Jong Interview with Ngak’chang Rinpoche and Khandro Déchen

16 May 2015

Ngak’chang Rinpoche & Khandro Déchen An interview with Ngak'chang Rinpoche and Khandro Déchen on the subject of Drala Jong, a retreat center. The interview explores the importance of the physical environment and its impact on spiritual practice, as well as the ideal characteristics of a retreat center. The content provides insights into the transformative power of a dedicated space and the need for flexibility in accommodating different activities.
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Introduction to the Aro gTér Lineage

13 May 2015

Buddhism is a path beyond implausible alternatives: self-righteous religion and self-indulgent consumerism; saccharine sentimentality and alienated depression; cautious respectability and …