Our centre began in May 2003
Geshe YongDong (GesheLa) began teaching small groups of students from his home in Courtenay B.C. in 2002. The classes quickly grew from 5 – 8 students, to an average of 10-12 on a weekly basis. One-day workshops held in the tiny living room regularly attracted 15 – 18 students and there were many requests to have a drop-in meditation practice and more workshops. It was soon evident that we were ready and needed a bigger space.
Several dedicated students and sangha members, committed themselves to pay a monthly annuity towards the rental of a room for a centre. The necessary paperwork was completed to create “Sherab Chamma Ling”, and after a long search, a rental room was agreed upon. Donations paid the rent and any maintenance items needed for the upkeep of the centre. Without caring members, our centre would not have been a reality.
We began to create the Tibetan Bὄn Buddhist Society in November 2005 and the first AGM was held in February 2007. Our first executive was elected and we were on our way. To many of us, this was our first experience with a society so it was and continues to be a learning process for all of us. The Tibetan Bön Buddhist Society is a registered nonprofit, tax-exempt charity administered by volunteers.
It took a few more years and much paperwork, but we finally received our “tax revenue” number form the B.C. government. We have regular business meetings once every four months and the Annual General Meeting of the society is held yearly in February.
In 2008, a new larger and more central location was found for our centre - 407A 5th Street at England, downstairs in the Zen Zero building right in the heart of Courtenay. Again, it was students and sangha members who formed work parties and spent many hours first cleaning the space, hammering, painting and all the other necessary jobs to get the centre ready. Finally on 28th September 2008, we had our “official” opening to the general public.
Our centre hosts meditation practice, teachings, Ngondro practices and special sangha events on a regular basis. In addition it is used to hold business and our AGM meetings; GesheLa uses it to do spiritual and astrology consultations, several fund raising committees now use the space to meet and carry out fund raising projects such as making prayer flags.
The centre has hosted several visiting monks from other centre’s and from the Tibetan Bön monastery Menri, in Dolanji India. The centre provides a place to teach Tibetan language, spiritual counseling, private ritual and/or Phowa ceremonies, wedding blessings and traditional Tibetan Astrology consultations.
In addition to teaching at Sherab Chamma Ling, GesheLa travels on a regular basis to teach other groups of students’ at different locations. These include groups on Quadra Island, Cortez Island, Gabriola Island, Nanaimo and Pt. Alberni.
GesheLa also presents talks and teaches day workshops at the Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo and their campus location in Duncan B.C. Once a year he travels to teach in the U.S. at the Yeru Bon Center in L.A. and at the Ligmincha center in Houston, Texas.
Recently GesheLa has been recording short videos of his teachings which are posted to the You Tube internet site.
There are two weekend retreats every year in the spring and fall. For the past few years we have been using the Tamagawa facility in the community of Cedar B.C. for our retreats which are always very well attended.
All activities of the centre and Geshe YongDong can be found on our web site calendar. The calendar is updated on a regular basis and as well as the date and location, a topic outline and other info is included.
Several email lists are kept so all sangha, students and friends are kept up to date with teachings and events of interest.
As a fund raising project, Sherab Chamma Ling students are now producing Tibetan Bon Prayer Flags. The flags are available in three sizes: small, 10 flags - $8.00; large, 5 flags - $6.00; and extra large, 5 flags - $8.00.
Our prayer flags can now be found hanging in several different parts of the world!
At the centre are several dharma items: Tibetan Bön Thangkas, Prayer Flags, Practice booklets and wall hangings for sale to students.
GesheLa has recorded a few CD’s of his teachings and chanting which are also available for students for $10.00 each or three for $25.00 (Cdn.), plus shipping.
GesheLa’s CD’s include:
- Tibetan Bön Three Heart Mantra – teaching & chanting;
- Ngondro (Preliminary) Practice – teaching & chanting;
- Introduction to Tibetan Meditation – teaching;
- Spirit Chant – YungDrung Bön chants;
- Sherab Chamma Tsok – teaching and chanting.
- Ah Om Hung – meditation chanting
- Phowa Chanting – chanting with GesheLa
- Introduction to Tibetan Meditation - teaching & guided meditations
Our centre continues to survive on the support and donations of students and friends. Without the generous assistance and encouragement from these kind people we would not be able to offer the sacred Tibetan Bὄn teachings. We thank you all very much.
If you would like to help us to continue and reach the goal of building a permanent international meditation/retreat centre here in Canada, please see our “donations” information page of this web site.
The main goal of GesheLa, the Society and sangha members is:
- To purchase land and/or buildings to create a Tibetan YungDrung Bön international teaching and retreat centre known as: Sherab Chamma Ling, Tibetan Bön Buddhist Centre.
In addition to this, the Society has the following goals:
- To create and maintain the teaching and meditation retreat centre, “Sherab Chamma Ling”; to preserve Bön, the native religion of Tibet and its culture; to spread Bön teachings by cultivating practitioners and scholars in the west; and, to support and sustain a Spiritual Director and visiting teachers.
- To support and sustain the Spiritual Director/Resident Lama, and visiting teachers.
- To serve the community by providing an environment in which members may benefit themselves and others through the teaching and practice of Buddhist philosophies.
- To provide opportunities and venues for public worship and observance of religious holidays for practicing Buddhists.
Special Thanks & Recognition
A sincere thank you to H.H. Menri Tritzen, H.E. Nangzhig Kabygon Rinpoche, GesehLa's root teacher - Venerable Gyaltshab Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche and all the Bön monks of Menri, Nangzhig and Norbutse Monasteries, who have said many chants and prayers and offered good wishes and help in the establishment of this centre.
Dedication
Go-sum dag-pe ge-wa gang-gyi pa
Kham-sum sem-chen nam-gyi don-du ngo
Du-sum sag-pe le-drib kun-jang ne
Ku-sum dzog-pe sang-gye nyur-thob shok