During a day trip to Dordogne on January 21, 1975, the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje visited the stretch of land on the Côte de Jor that was to become Dhagpo Kagyu Ling.
He was invited by Bernard Benson, a British industrialist who owned the Château de Chaban and surrounding land on the Côte de Jor.
Marked by his encounter with the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa at his monastery in Rumtek (Sikkim), he offered to donate land to the different schools of Tibetan Buddhism to make Buddhist teachings and philosophy accessible, and to preserve Tibetan culture.
The Gyalwa Karmapa had already seen aerial views of the lands and circled the desired area on a map, indicating to Mr. Benson that several of the buildings offered to him should remain within his own family.
As Jigme Rinpoche recalls,
From 1975 on, many high-ranking lamas visited the small temple set up at Dhagpo, where Lama Jigme Rinpoche resided from the month of May.
Prior to his stop in Dordogne, His Holiness the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa gave the Black Crown ceremony at the Kagyu Dzong Buddhist Centre for Study and Meditation (January 8 and 11), where he was introduced by Arnaud Desjardins and met with Pope Paul VI in Rome. He came to the Dordogne from the property of close disciples, Etienne and Georgina De Swarte, in Cotonas, near the city of Saint-Etienne, which is the Karma Dhatu center today.
The 16th Gyalwa Karmapa’s first visit to Europe was organized by Samye Ling, Kalou Rinpoche, and Lama Ole Nydahl.
These photos come from our archives or were collected as part of the research for Dhagpo Kagyu Ling’s 50th anniversary. We have not been able to identify all the authors. The use of these photos is solely for informational purposes within the context of Dhagpo Kagyu Ling’s 50th anniversary celebration. Their use is limited to this event and our website and is not for commercial purposes.
Event
On January 21st, Lama Jigme Rinpoche will give a talk on the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, who described him as “his heart.”
Streaming in several languages will be available.
These photos come from our archives or were collected as part of the research for Dhagpo Kagyu Ling’s 50th anniversary. We have not been able to identify all the authors. The use of these photos is solely for informational purposes within the context of Dhagpo Kagyu Ling’s 50th anniversary celebration. Their use is limited to this event and our website and is not for commercial purposes.