Triratna News

Foundation Stone Laid for the New Buddhist Gate in Berlin

On Thu, 8 September, 2011 - 05:48
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lokabandhu
Karunabandhu writes from Triratna’s Berlin Centre, the Buddhistisches Tor Berlin, where they’re in the middle of a major project to move the Centre to new and much larger premises. He says:

“On Sunday, 31st July in the basement of House 12 of the former Urban Hospital in the Kreuzberg district of Berlin, Amogharatna laid the foundation stone of the new premises for the Triratna centre in Berlin, known as The Buddhist Gate or Buddhistisches Tor Berlin. Over thirty people gathered around a shrine decorated with candles and tea lights in the middle of the vaulted cellar, below the planned large shrine room, to celebrate the ritual together.

It was the second of a series of five planned rituals during the refurbishment of the premises, which was purchased two years ago. Each ritual will be dedicated to one of the five archetypal Buddhas. This ritual was dedicated to Akshobhya.

Dharmapriya gave a short talk about the significance of Akshobhya, imaginatively evoking the presence of the blue Buddha sitting on his lotus throne supported by elephants, silent and immovable in the first rays of the rising sun. Akshobhya is associated with the water element, so the recent spell of extremely wet weather was especially appropriate!

During the recitation of the Akshobhya mantra, offerings were placed in a casket on the shrine. Among other items, the casket contained the front page of that day’s newspaper, the latest centre programme, several dozen cards of well-wishing from members of the sangha and others from around the world, and a vajra blessed by Sangharakshita.

During the puja, which was led by Amogharatna, the casket was bricked up in a recess in the wall to the accompaniment of three hearty “sadhus!”.

Progress of the project can be followed at www.buddha-berlin.de. Donations to help fund the project can be made via JustGiving, and the Centre’s main website is here.


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