Deer Park Buddhist Center
Just about ready
Just about ready
Preparing for the visit of His Holiness, The Dalai Lama, July 19-24
By Heidi M. Pascual
After more than three years of construction and fund-raising through donations (in money or
in kind), the Deer Park Buddhist Center in Oregon, Wis., is almost ready for its grand opening to
coincide with this year’s visit of His Holiness, The Dalai Lama. The project was way behind
schedule (the Center’s contruction started on Earth Day, April 22, 2005, and was expected to
have been completed in the fall of 2006) due to various constraints. But the delay allowed for a
thorough concentration on details, such as the incorporation of authentic traditional Tibetan
designs and symbols inside and outside the building. There are three Tibetan artist-painters
direct from India and Nepal who have been working at the Center for about a year now
exclusively to re-create Tibetan art work on the edifice.
“The Deer Park Buddhist Center is a mirror of a Tibetan Buddhist Temple specifically
designed to embody Buddha’s teachings,” Venerable Geshe Lhundub Sopa, founder, director and
abbot of the center and monastery (and a retired professor of Buddhist Studies at UW-Madison)
said. in an interview with Asian Wisconzine. “And it is named after ‘Deer Park’ in India,
because that was where Buddha originally taught; it was in the jungle.” While the center isn’t “in
the jungle,” it is located in a relatively isolated area where houses are few and far between, and it
blends perfectly well with nature.
He said the principal aim of the center is to educate people about Buddha’s teachings, which
were completely taught and practiced in Tibet He then explained what Tibetan Buddhism is all
about — a philosophy, a moral guide, and religion. He said it is based on Madhyamika and
Yogacara of the Mahayana School.
“Tibetan monasteries are specially built; and they are much, much richer than temples that
mainly record Buddhist teachings, scriptures and commentaries,” Geshe Sopa continued. “Now,
we have here so many records and tapes on teachings, and we have special scholars and teachers
who come from Tibet.” He talked of volumes and volumes of scriptures that Tibetan scholars
had to learn before they could “teach” some of these scriptures.
Geshe Sopa himself underwent an extensive study of Tibetan Buddhism starting at age nine,
when he was ordained a novice monk. In his youth, he studied under four of the greatest scholars
of the dGe lugs pa school, and later continued his advanced studies until he sought political
asylum in India in 1959 when Tibet fell under Chinese rule. He was “sent” to the United States
by the Dalai Lama in the sixties to tutor three young monks selected to study in the U.S. He was
later recruited to teach at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, one of the few Tibetan scholars
to hold a faculty position in the U.S. “I taught at the UW-Madison for many many years,”
Geshe Sopa said, “and I decided to establish the Deer Park Buddhist Center. because more and
more people want to learn Buddhism (outside of the academic setting).”
Ani Jampa (Alicia Vogel) was a longtime student of Geshe Sopa at UW-Madison and now a
nun at Deer Park Buddhist Center. She is working as Geshe Sopa’s administrative assistant, and
in many ways, coordinator of the construction project, according to Geshe Sopa. She has
travelled with him abroad, including to Tibet, and therefore, she has seen first-hand the
traditional designs for temples and monasteries. She’s also deep into Tibetan Buddhism and its
way of life. Geshe Sopa has only praises for Ani Jampa.
“It’s been hard work, but there’s great joy in serving the community and my teacher,” Ani
Jampa said. “On a deeper level, I truly am ‘satisfied,’ if you can call it that.”
Everyone interested to learn about Buddhism is welcome in the Center. “Teachings are
conducted (in English) every Thursday evening and Sunday morning,” Ani Jampa said. “Now ,
we have added Tuesday evening.” This points to the growing number of learners, for sure.
The new temple — its door, the inside, and the roof — has been designed to symbolize
Tibetan Buddhism and art. “Geshe Sopa didn’t just want an American building,” Ani Jampa
said. And she taught this writer a bit during the brief tour of the temple, and introduced me to
the three Tibetan artists working on intricate designs on panels and cabinetry on the lower level
of the building..
The Deer Park Buddhist Center is now ready, not only for the visit of His Holiness, the Dalai
Lama, but also for the visit of many regular people who would like to learn about his teachings
as well.
“The Dalai Lama doesn’t teach in order to convert people,” Ani Jampa said. “He wants
people to keep their cultural or religious traditions and take his lectures as ‘teachings,’ which can
be used in everyday life.”
For more information on Deer Park Buddhist Center and the forthcoming visit of His
Holiness, The Dalai Lama, visit www.deerparkcenter.org.
After more than three years of construction and fund-raising through donations (in money or
in kind), the Deer Park Buddhist Center in Oregon, Wis., is almost ready for its grand opening to
coincide with this year’s visit of His Holiness, The Dalai Lama. The project was way behind
schedule (the Center’s contruction started on Earth Day, April 22, 2005, and was expected to
have been completed in the fall of 2006) due to various constraints. But the delay allowed for a
thorough concentration on details, such as the incorporation of authentic traditional Tibetan
designs and symbols inside and outside the building. There are three Tibetan artist-painters
direct from India and Nepal who have been working at the Center for about a year now
exclusively to re-create Tibetan art work on the edifice.
“The Deer Park Buddhist Center is a mirror of a Tibetan Buddhist Temple specifically
designed to embody Buddha’s teachings,” Venerable Geshe Lhundub Sopa, founder, director and
abbot of the center and monastery (and a retired professor of Buddhist Studies at UW-Madison)
said. in an interview with Asian Wisconzine. “And it is named after ‘Deer Park’ in India,
because that was where Buddha originally taught; it was in the jungle.” While the center isn’t “in
the jungle,” it is located in a relatively isolated area where houses are few and far between, and it
blends perfectly well with nature.
He said the principal aim of the center is to educate people about Buddha’s teachings, which
were completely taught and practiced in Tibet He then explained what Tibetan Buddhism is all
about — a philosophy, a moral guide, and religion. He said it is based on Madhyamika and
Yogacara of the Mahayana School.
“Tibetan monasteries are specially built; and they are much, much richer than temples that
mainly record Buddhist teachings, scriptures and commentaries,” Geshe Sopa continued. “Now,
we have here so many records and tapes on teachings, and we have special scholars and teachers
who come from Tibet.” He talked of volumes and volumes of scriptures that Tibetan scholars
had to learn before they could “teach” some of these scriptures.
Geshe Sopa himself underwent an extensive study of Tibetan Buddhism starting at age nine,
when he was ordained a novice monk. In his youth, he studied under four of the greatest scholars
of the dGe lugs pa school, and later continued his advanced studies until he sought political
asylum in India in 1959 when Tibet fell under Chinese rule. He was “sent” to the United States
by the Dalai Lama in the sixties to tutor three young monks selected to study in the U.S. He was
later recruited to teach at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, one of the few Tibetan scholars
to hold a faculty position in the U.S. “I taught at the UW-Madison for many many years,”
Geshe Sopa said, “and I decided to establish the Deer Park Buddhist Center. because more and
more people want to learn Buddhism (outside of the academic setting).”
Ani Jampa (Alicia Vogel) was a longtime student of Geshe Sopa at UW-Madison and now a
nun at Deer Park Buddhist Center. She is working as Geshe Sopa’s administrative assistant, and
in many ways, coordinator of the construction project, according to Geshe Sopa. She has
travelled with him abroad, including to Tibet, and therefore, she has seen first-hand the
traditional designs for temples and monasteries. She’s also deep into Tibetan Buddhism and its
way of life. Geshe Sopa has only praises for Ani Jampa.
“It’s been hard work, but there’s great joy in serving the community and my teacher,” Ani
Jampa said. “On a deeper level, I truly am ‘satisfied,’ if you can call it that.”
Everyone interested to learn about Buddhism is welcome in the Center. “Teachings are
conducted (in English) every Thursday evening and Sunday morning,” Ani Jampa said. “Now ,
we have added Tuesday evening.” This points to the growing number of learners, for sure.
The new temple — its door, the inside, and the roof — has been designed to symbolize
Tibetan Buddhism and art. “Geshe Sopa didn’t just want an American building,” Ani Jampa
said. And she taught this writer a bit during the brief tour of the temple, and introduced me to
the three Tibetan artists working on intricate designs on panels and cabinetry on the lower level
of the building..
The Deer Park Buddhist Center is now ready, not only for the visit of His Holiness, the Dalai
Lama, but also for the visit of many regular people who would like to learn about his teachings
as well.
“The Dalai Lama doesn’t teach in order to convert people,” Ani Jampa said. “He wants
people to keep their cultural or religious traditions and take his lectures as ‘teachings,’ which can
be used in everyday life.”
For more information on Deer Park Buddhist Center and the forthcoming visit of His
Holiness, The Dalai Lama, visit www.deerparkcenter.org.
Venerable Geshe Sopa
Ven. Geshe Sopa and Ani Jampa (l)
The Dalai Lama's throne
The door to the Assembly Hall is an art
work of Tibetans from India
work of Tibetans from India
One of the murals right before the
Assemble Hall
Assemble Hall
Banner of joy and
celebration hangs big and
mighty
celebration hangs big and
mighty
The Assembly Hall' with Buddha's altar on the center
The gold-plated statue of Buddha was
specially created in Nepal.
specially created in Nepal.
| Deer Park's Tibetan "Resident Artists" from India and Nepal |
Tenzin Choephel
Tashi Dorjee
Lodie Choedar
