Tularosa home to new Buddhist center

By S. Derrickson Moore, Alamogordo Daily News, April 6, 2007

TULAROSA, New Mexico (USA) -- It's the kind of rustic, hand-lettered sign you often see in the rural West, giving notice of a cattle crossing or the name of an isolated ranch. This sign offers directions "To the Buddhafield of Infinite Appearance."

<< The Yeshi Choden Tibetan Cultural Center is one of... (S. Derrickson Moore/For the Daily News)

It's just one indication of a growing presence of Tibetan interests in the rural New Mexican town of Tularosa, which is on track to become one of the world's leading centers of Tibetan culture and healing traditions.

Buddhists already come from El Paso, Las Cruces, Ruidoso, Alamogordo and the surrounding region to attend weekly practice, which includes meditation, lectures and social gatherings, at Orgyen Choling Tibetan Buddhist Center, 218 Schoeller Place in Tularosa. The center was established in 2004.

Plans are underway for a monastery and a "Tibetan village" showcasing the architecture and culture of an ancient civilization.

"This will be the North American seat of his Eminence Bhakha Tulku Rinpoche," said Jean McDonnell, a former Las Crucen who is administering three major Tularosa-based programs and developments under the guidance of Rinpoche, a lama, monk, teacher and spiritual leader who fled the Nyingma center of learning in Tibet in 1959 during the Chinese occupation.

Rinpochenow leads centers in St. Leo, Fla.; Garden Grove, Calif.; and Sneedville, Tenn. Tularosa will be his headquarters," McDonnell said.

And this month, the first group of regional school kids plan to tour the brand new Yeshi Choden Tibetan Cultural Center, which will house artifacts from Tibet and an ambitious program to preserve and practice ancient healing traditions and grow traditional medicinal herbs native to Tibet.

The new center, the Tibetan nonprofit's third major project in and around Tularosa, is named for Rinpoche's daughter, Yeshi Choden Lama, who died in a helicopter crash last year with 24 other prominent leaders of the World Wildlife Fund.

"Yeshi was a scholar and program officer with WWF Nepal. She held master's degrees in sociology and anthropology and coauthored publications in both English and Tibetan on medicinal plants, conservation of plant resources, ethnobotany and snow leopards," said McDonnell, leading a tour of the new cultural center.

Bright flags and Tibetan arches in primary colors make the center easy to spot. Out back is a field where a healing garden is being planted. Inside, workmen were putting final touches on rooms that include displays of books and colorful textiles.

"Lamas bring rare medicinal Tibetan herbs to Tularosa some already growing, others saved from China and India and are working with a naturopathic doctor here to save and preserve ancient healing traditions," McDonnell said.

Greg Nagkpa Pema Norbu Powers, a naturopathic doctor and acupuncturist who also holds degrees in agriculture and Buddhist philosophy, will oversee agricultural operations.

Goals include fostering cultural awareness and preservation of Tibetan traditions and "holistic, performing and creative arts," according to the group's mission statement.

McDonnell said the organization has found a positive response and a lot of interest from New Mexicans.

"We've had some lectures with standing room only," she said.

The group also has a retreat center in Grants, known as the Zuni Mountain Stupa.

There are reasons why an internationally known spiritual leader chose New Mexico, and Tularosa in particular, for projects aimed at preserving an ancient culture.

"He told me this area is a lot like where he comes from in Tibet. He loves the big sky and the mountains," said McDonnell, a native of Grand Rapids, Mich.

She has been a practicing Buddhist since 1982, and was a longtime resident of Las Cruces, where she exhibited her art and founded arts and crafts cooperatives before moving to Tularosa two years ago.

"I think I came to New Mexico because I wanted to live in the most unusual place I could find in the U.S.," she said, leading a visitor though a tranquil cluster of golden Buddha statues at the Orgyen Choling Buddhist Center, a few miles outside Tularosa. The serene meditation room also held a tray of colorful food and flower offerings.

"This is a little bit like an ofrenda, an altar," she said.

The public is invited to weekly practice at 10 a.m. Sunday at the Orgyen Choling Buddhist Center, and visitors and school groups are also welcome to tour the new Yeshi Choden Tibetan Cultural Center, both located in the Tularosa area. For information or to arrange for tours, call (505) 491-5194 or visit online www.orgyencholing.org.

If you go

* What: Yeshi Choden Tibetan Cultural Center

Where: 1310 Old Mescalero Road in Tularosa

Features: Tours, Tibetan artifacts, garden with traditional medicinal herbs native to Tibet, traditional healing information and practitioners, programs and lectures.

* What: Orgyen Choling Tibetan Buddhist Center

Where: 218 Schoeller Place in Tularosa

When: Weekly practice, meditation services, 10 a.m. Sundays, followed by tea and social time.

Also: Periodic lectures, retreats and special programs

* In the works: Monastery and Tibetan village in rural Tularosa

Info: www.orgyencholing.org, (505) 491-5194, (505) 585-3045

We Need Your Help to Train the
Buddhist AI Chat Bot
NORBU!
(Neural Operator for Responsible Buddhist Understanding)



For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your name in the payment slip. Thank you.


Dear Friends in the Dharma,

We seek your generous support to help us train NORBU, the word's first Buddhist AI Chat Bot.

Here are some ways you can contribute to this noble cause:

One-time Donation or Loan: A single contribution, regardless of its size, will go a long way in helping us reach our goal and make the Buddhist LLM a beacon of wisdom for all.

How will your donation / loan be used? Download the NORBU White Paper for details.



For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your purpose of payment (loan or donation) in the payment slip. Thank you.

Once payment is banked in, please send the payment slip via email to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv. Your donation/loan will be published and publicly acknowledged on the Buddhist Channel.

Spread the Word: Share this initiative with your friends, family and fellow Dharma enthusiasts. Join "Friends of Norbu" at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norbuchatbot. Together, we can build a stronger community and create a positive impact on a global scale.

Volunteer: If you possess expertise in AI, natural language processing, Dharma knowledge in terms of Buddhist sutras in various languages or related fields, and wish to lend your skills, please contact us. Your knowledge and passion could be invaluable to our project's success.

Your support is part of a collective effort to preserve and disseminate the profound teachings of Buddhism. By contributing to the NORBU, you become a "virtual Bodhisattva" to make Buddhist wisdom more accessible to seekers worldwide.

Thank you for helping to make NORBU a wise and compassionate Buddhist Chatbot!

May you be blessed with inner peace and wisdom,

With deepest gratitude,

Kooi F. Lim
On behalf of The Buddhist Channel Team


Note: To date, we have received the following contributions for NORBU:
US$ 75 from Gary Gach (Loan)
US$ 50 from Chong Sim Keong
MYR 300 from Wilson Tee
MYR 500 from Lim Yan Pok
MYR 50 from Oon Yeoh
MYR 200 from Ooi Poh Tin
MYR 300 from Lai Swee Pin
MYR 100 from Ong Hooi Sian
MYR 1,000 from Fam Sin Nin
MYR 500 from Oh teik Bin
MYR 300 from Yeoh Ai Guat
MYR 300 from Yong Lily
MYR 50 from Bandar Utama Buddhist Society
MYR 1,000 from Chiam Swee Ann
MYR 1,000 from Lye Veei Chiew
MYR 1,000 from Por Yong Tong
MYR 80 from Lee Wai Yee
MYR 500 from Pek Chee Hen
MYR 300 from Hor Tuck Loon
MYR 1,000 from Wise Payments Malaysia Sdn Bhd
MYR 200 from Teo Yen Hua
MYR 500 from Ng Wee Keat
MYR 10,000 from Chang Quai Hung, Jackie (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from K. C. Lim & Agnes (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from Juin & Jooky Tan (Loan)
MYR 100 from Poh Boon Fong (on behalf of SXI Buddhist Students Society)
MYR 10,000 from Fam Shan-Shan (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from John Fam (Loan)
MYR 500 from Phang Cheng Kar
MYR 100 from Lee Suat Yee
MYR 500 from Teo Chwee Hoon (on behalf of Lai Siow Kee)
MYR 200 from Mak Yuen Chau

We express our deep gratitude for the support and generosity.

If you have any enquiries, please write to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv


TOP