(the Cork News)
Cork County Council has granted planning permission for Ireland's first traditional style Buddhist temple, which will be built near Allihies in west Cork.
The Dzongchen Beara Trust are proposing to build a 14.5 metre high temple with three adjacent single storey buildings on the site of its Retreat Centre at Garranes.
Work will commence on the building once the required €1 million has been raised and the news was confirmed to visitors while spiritual leader Sogyal Rimpoche was at the Centre attending a retreat.
To date €100,500 has been collected through fund-raising efforts and donations with nearly €18,000 spent on initial plans including engineer and architect fees. A contribution to the Trust can be made at www.Rigpa.ie.
It has been announced that the Dzogchan Beara retreat centre will build a copper-domed traditional Tibetan Buddhist temple on the centre’s land.
The 14.5 meter tall temple will perch, by the retreat center, on top of the cliffs at Garranes, near Allihies, west Cork. The retreat center, which was founded in 1992, sits on 150 acres.
Matt Padwick, the director of the retreat said “A number of fishermen returning to (Castletownbere) port tell us they love to see the centre because they then feel they are home. Maybe they will soon see a new building which will be like a spiritual lighthouse.”
The temple’s construction will follow Tibetan designs and will cost about €1 million. It is hoped that construction will get underway later this year and the temple will be completed within 18 months.
Padwick said “We need to fundraise the money before we can start. At the moment we have collected just over €100,000. In some ways it is the most difficult time to raise money because of the economy and we are taking on a challenge. But so far we have had a very positive response."
Each year 300 people come a visit the center for weekend retreats, to learn art and meditation.
“We have a wonderful view here. Many of the people who come here to learn meditation do so on the recommendation of family and friends and that’s very nice,” said Padwick “I think with the development of the temple we are looking forward to a very bright future.”
The name Dzogchen Beara means “great perfection” in Buddhist tradition. Tibetan masters have commented in the past on the beautiful surrounding of the center and the profound peace there.
“We welcome everyone, from all walks of life and of any faith or none, and offer many different ways to visit Dzogchen Beara,” said Padwick.
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