As the Tibetan New Year approaches, Yeshe Khorlo Estonia expresses heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has helped make the three-year retreat in Estonia a reality.
Also, the fundraising through Chöd teachings in January was a great success—we managed to raise over 6,000 euros for Khenpo Karma Wangyel’s house.
A few dedicated Sangha members continue to support this project so that we can provide food for those in retreat. However, additional support would be greatly appreciated, as we had to rely on the retreatants’ personal funds to cover the final construction costs.
If you feel inspired by this meaningful endeavor and wish to accumulate merit, you are warmly invited to contribute via our bank account or PayPal.
Every donation makes a difference—just 20 euros provides ten days of food for one retreatant!
The first snow this week on the retreat land! But not too cold yet – around minus 2 during a day. With this post we just remind you that you can have an opportunity to accumulate good merit by donating for the retreat people to whom we should pay back the money we took from them for the last bills. We have received 185 euros of donations in November and we are so thankful! Also, one Sangha friend sent to everybody a precious gift parcel with hand made things and more inside! We do not need so much now but it is good if we keep in mind our Sangha’s practitionners in retreat:) Also, our Sangha’s translator Andrzej is now translating one text (sku gsum sgrub pa – an explanation manual of Lama Norbu Gyamtso practice) that is necessary for the retreat people after a few months. If possible support also this translation project! And every week, we do some works in the retreat master khenpo Karma Wangyel’s house (we need around 7000 euros to complete it. Half is done! Our account details: Paypal: yeshekhorloest@gmail.com;
Bank Transfer Details:
Receiver: YESHE KHORLO EESTI MTÜ
Account: EE212200221065708346
SWEDBANK, SWIFT code/BIC: HABAEE2X
Bank address: Liivalaia 8, Talllinn, Estonia, 15040. SWEDBANK, SWIFT code/BIC: HABAEE2X
On the 20th of September 2024, five practitioners from Yeshe Khorlo Sangha started the three-year retreat in Estonia, in Umbusi village in the three-year retreat center called Samten Lhündrup Gatsel (The Pleasant Grove of Spontaneous Concentration). The retreat master is khenpo Karma Wangyel. Gangteng Rinpoche gave personal advice to those entering the retreat during several days when he was in Estonia. There will be three tsamyogs- helpers who deal with practical questions and translation, if necessary.
It is very rare in the western countries that there is an oportunity to do the Dzogchen retreat, and it is the first time in history this retreat is done according to Pema Lingpa’s tradition outside of Bhutan. We, the members of Yeshe Khorlo Estonia, are very happy that we have managed to make this retreat happen.
We still miss around 10 000 euros to pay the last bills (we have had a great help from several donors, but we also had some thousands of euros of more costs (finishing the gate, fence and other works related to kitchen-storage-temple room).
Our very recent helpers: Dariusz – 4000 euros, Katrin: 1000 euros, Ulrike: 500 euros, Marje: 750 euros, Hanna: 500 euros, Raivo: 200 euros. We are so thankful! We also thank Tanel, Bori, Marc, Andrus, Merle, Mari, Jonas, Dominique, Jannus and Monica for (continous) support!
For the next three years, the gate will be closed but whoever can, a little support for practitioners in retreat is always great and very helpful – most of them gave most of their money in the beginning of retreat and very big part of it has gone for the construction works.
Temple room got ready just before closing the gatesAll the houses on the photolast diner before starting the retreat. Almost everybody on the photoTwo houses on the left side from the roadInside the room :kitchenMain roomThe last but not least: installation of the name plate on the gate
Time has passed very quickly after the departure of Gangteng RInpoche and khenpo Karma Wangyel (who will be back after a few days though). Meanwhile, the kitchen house is almost finished, the ceiling insulation done, bathroom works almost completed (now, just shower curtains have to be put on place). Today, the retreatants also moved from Umbusi Buddhist center to the retreat center. We are soso thankful to so many people who have supported us recently (some of you again and again!): Rimo, Andrus, Monica, Rein, Veiko, Viivi, Anneli, Jannus, Reine, Mikk, Raivo, Kenno, Liis, Katrin, Leeve, Kaia-Kaire and Hedi from Estonia (2295 euros altogether), Dariusz (2000 euros), Marion (so many more euros), Aurelie and Edith from France (together 1000 euros), Birgit, Yeshe Khorlo Deutchland, Ines and Marina (main support for Thujila: around 8000 euros), Lupita, Alexis (1000 euros, again), Dechen and Pema (1500 dollars), Rovshan (500 dollars), and some more through Paypal (monthly payments and others), as well as some who do not want their names to be mentioned (another 5000 dollars).
The only problem in the end, like always, is that there are some unexpected bills, higher costs than we thought of some works, so we still lack around 10 000 euros to pay the bills (and some works, mainly in the kitchen, are still going on). We try to do everything as cheap as possible (the furniture is so-called B-quality, with some defects but perfect for us, we have found all the fridges from the second hand market, we have got most of the home items from our friends or second hand shops, and as said before, bathroom tiles were for free (though looking very expensive, the floor material is marmoleum but we got leftover pieces mainly (7 euros per m2).
PayPal: yeshekhorloest@gmail.com
Aadress: Umbusi village, Põltsamaa parish, Jõgevamaa county, 48026.
Bank Transfer Details:
Receiver: YESHE KHORLO EESTI MTÜ
Account: EE212200221065708346
SWEDBANK, SWIFT code/BIC: HABAEE2X
Evening lightsTsok before moving in, Thujila’s roomRetreatants leave from Umbusi Buddhist center to the retreat center (by foot: 500 m, by car: 2 km)That was the last big job in the rooms10.09.2024 – evening in the retreat land, light first time in the windows!Fridges are now in the rooms – all of them second hand, but looking good, with the price from 40 to 110 eurosToilets installedWindow works completedThuji and Marion busy with painting reldris for mandalaKitchen house with the white layer of lime plaster, still dryingelectricity works done, each house has a separate counterGate got a roof ridge sheet
One week has gone again and we can modify a little bit to do list, some works are done!
Construction of the inside walls in two houses – 70% is done.
Plastering, painting and wallpaper works in two houses: lime plaster done in main rooms, kitchens have to be finished. One main room painted, one to be done, wallpaper works to be done.
Outside boarding: mainly done! (ten boards are missing, because material finished, we will get it).
Gate work: needs to be completed: just work, not much new material needed. Roof of the gate done! Doors have to be done.
Fence: most of the material bought, needs to be done. Help needed! Update: 08.08.2024: 300 meters of poles done, 100m of fence done (altogether it will be 500 meters. It is not 2 meters high and non trasnparent, but it works as a limit of the retreat center. Spruces that we planted last year, will grow soon and cover the view.
Installation of 13 doors (3 exterior doors and 10 interior doors: 2000 euros). We can almost manage. Doors are on the way.
Finishing the kitchen-storage room’s roof and ceiling, intallation of windows and a door. Windows and roof material almost there (some roof material needs to be bought. Lot of help needed. In front of the kitchen storage house a terrace has to be done to cover the part of the foundation we could not manage to build. These works have started.
Kitchen windows for each house (5), installation of them. Little money and help necessary.
Outside gardening works, excavator’s works where it could have not been done earlier. Some more flowerbeds done, other works not yet. (can be around 500 euros)
Floor works (half og the material is there). Help needed.
Assembly of IKEA kitchen furniture (arrived). Needs help from voluteers.
Installation of the pump in the deep-drilled well (includes also the cost of the pump): 2500. Done by a company. Water is there! Finishing of the bathrooms (two not yet done at all) toilets and showers have to be bought (no money for that right now).
Construction of wind boxes for houses, installation of gutters (no money for that work).
Ceiling: heating material and installation (at least 1200 euros)
Construction of stairways and a small terrace in front of each house (we start preparation works from tomorrow.
Finishing of electricity works everywhere.
Limeplaster done, room painted. Gate works: roof is doneEvening viewFlowerbedBathroom tiles mainly for free.Boards have slightly different colors. We like it. Inside walls partially done, room plastered and paintedWater pump system installedTerrace next to the kitchen-storage houseWe have long view sunsets here (when we finish work late)
Lot of time has passed since the last post, but also lot of work done (the main work is still done by Yeshe Khorlo board members, some friends have come help us but we have had to hire also some more workforce to do some works that we do not know exactly how to do).
There are five houses now, a gate as well. In three houses, painting works are in progress (lime plastering works are done), one wall got the Tibetan style wallpaper (the abundance of Vajrayana) bathroom works will start from Monday 23th of July (preparations are done by ourselves).
In two houses, last layer of insulation has to be put on place, then the construction of the inside walls can start.
Also an excavator will come on the 24th of July to clear everything around the houses.
We still have some money left but the works are progressing fast and every day, we need to pay several bills, thousands of euros (material for outside boards: 700 euros, works related to external lining installation: 1700 euros, and several other smaller bills of hundreds of euros (paint, fence material, moisture barrier for bathroom, material for the gate, bush cutting works – sorry, we got too exhausted to do this ourselves:). We are very-very grateful for the donations but to whomever it is possible, please send us some more (excavator’s work next week, bathroom tile works (tiles we got for free).
We have meanwhile received almost 20 000 euros of donations- we are very thankful! We still only need around 15 000 euros to complete all the five houses! We also need to complete the kitchen-gathering hall (there is just a foundation right now), but probably in a smaller scale. We have installed all of the electrical cables in the three houses, the wall insulation, taping and installation of special membrane on the walls is almost completed.
We still need very much everybody’s support to complete these works!
Khenpo Karma Wangyel visited again Estonia and the three-year retreat center. Besides, he gave teachings in Estonia in two different places (Pärnu and Tallinn). In Tallinn he taught the profound meaning of vipashyana, highest seeing, and in Pärnu, he taught the paramita of wisdom, and the Heart Sutra.
This time, also lopön Thuji, who is now residing in France, came also to Estonia as she will be one of the participants of the first three-year retreat here, and she brought her things already here. Khenpola also marked the foundations of the other houses that will be eventually necessary for the first retreat (it depends on the number of participants but the plan is to have at least six houses ready). We have received around 3000 euros of donations in September ( we installed the doors for four houses (around 2000 euros, and got the final 9 windows (100 euros each – extremely cheap, but very good quality – triple layers and fully ready made) for the houses (a very little used windows from Sweden, high quality and at least triple layer of glass), but around 80,000 is still missing! Please donate (check our bank details under contacts).
News about the three-year retreat center for Gangteng Rinpoche’s students.
We are building the three year retreat Center in the northern Europe, Estonia, and although the construction work has not been completed yet, we are announcing, as this is the wish of Gangteng Tulku Rinpoche, that the first three year group retreat according to Pema Lingpa’s tradition in Europe in Estonia, Umbusi will start in 2024, in August (the exact date yet unknown).
Rinpoche says that it is better to announce an exact beginning time, an objective we should aim at.
There are at least five people who will start the retreat and most of them have given full amount of their retreat cost for construction works (more than 20 000 each).
We kindly ask for your support for this project – we have money for the sewage system, electricity and water connection (around 30,000) but each individual house needs also urgently finishing works inside the house, starting from the door (around 500 euros each).
Also, one more house has to be constructed from the beginning (we need at least five houses to begin with), one house has only a foundation ready right now.
Please also donate for Thujila that she could come to Estonia right now and see the future retreat place.
We promise that all the money we receive will be used with great care and most reasonably. Here are our bank details:
receiver: Yeshe Khorlo Eesti MTÜ
Account (IBAN): EE212200221065708346 SWEDBANK, SWIFT code/BIC: HABAEE2X (address is available on our website, if necessary: yeshekhorlo.ee)
Photo is taken in spring 2023, but this summer we could do only few works because of lack of money.
Chers amis du Dharma !
Des nouvelles sur le centre de retraite de trois ans pour les étudiants de Gangteng Rinpche.
Nous construisons le Centre de retraite de trois ans dans le nord de l’Estonie, en Europe et bien que les travaux de construction ne soient pas encore terminés, nous annonçons, comme c’est le souhait de Gangteng Tulku Rinpoché, que la première retraite de groupe de trois ans selon la tradition de Pema Lingpa en Europe en Estonie, village de Umbusi, débutera en 2024, en août (date exacte encore inconnue).
Rinpoché dit qu’il est préférable d’annoncer un temps exacte de début, un objectif que nous devrions viser.
Il y a au moins cinq personnes qui commenceront la retraite et la plupart d’entre elles ont donné le montant total de leur retraite pour les travaux de construction (plus de 20 000 chacune).
Nous sollicitons votre soutien pour ce projet – nous avons de l’argent pour le système d’égouts, l’électricité et le raccordement à l’eau (environ 30 000 euros), mais chaque maison individuelle a également besoin de toute urgence de travaux de finition à l’intérieur de la maison (chaque maison a besoind de 5000 euros a peu pres, en commençant par la porte (environ 500 euros chacune).
De plus, une maison supplémentaire doit être construite (nous avons besoin d’au moins cinq maisons pour commencer), et une autre maison n’a actuellement qu’une fondation prête.
S’il vous plaît, faites également un don pour Thujila afin qu’elle puisse se rendre en Estonie dès maintenant et voir le futur lieu de retraite.
Nous promettons que tout l’argent que nous recevons sera utilisé avec le plus grand soin et de la manière la plus raisonnable possible. Voici nos coordonnées bancaires :
destinataire : Yeshe Khorlo Eesti MTÜ
Compte (IBAN) : EE212200221065708346
SWEDBANK, code SWIFT/BIC : HABAEE2X (l’adresse est disponible sur notre site internet, si nécessaire : yeshekhorlo.ee)
et Paypal : yeshekhorloest@gmail.com
Kadri
Liebe Dharma-Freunde!
Neuigkeiten über das dreijährige Retreat-Zentrum für die Schüler von Gangteng Rinpche.
Wir errichten das Drei-Jahres-Retreat-Zentrum im nördlichen Estland, Europa, und obwohl die Bauarbeiten noch nicht abgeschlossen sind, kündigen wir, da dies der Wunsch von Gangteng Tulku Rinpoche ist, das erste Drei-Jahres-Gruppen-Retreat nach Pema Lingpa an Tradition in Europa in Estland, Umbusi wird im August 2024 beginnen (das genaue Datum ist noch nicht bekannt).
Rinpoche sagt, dass es besser ist, eine genaue Anfangszeit bekannt zu geben, ein Ziel, das wir anstreben sollten.
Es gibt mindestens fünf Personen, die mit dem Retreat beginnen werden, und die meisten von ihnen haben den gesamten Betrag ihrer Retreat-Kosten für Bauarbeiten bereitgestellt (jeweils mehr als 20.000).
Wir bitten Sie herzlich um Ihre Unterstützung für dieses Projekt – wir haben Geld für die Kanalisation, den Strom- und Wasseranschluss (ca. 30.000 Euro), aber jedes einzelne Haus benötigt auch dringend Innenausbauarbeiten, angefangen bei der Tür (jeweils ca. 500 Euro).
Außerdem muss von Anfang an ein weiteres Haus gebaut werden (wir benötigen zunächst mindestens fünf Häuser), für ein Haus ist derzeit nur das Fundament fertig.
Bitte spenden Sie auch für Thujila, damit sie jetzt nach Estland reisen und sich den zukünftigen Retreat-Ort ansehen kann.
Wir versprechen, dass alle Gelder, die wir erhalten, mit größter Sorgfalt und möglichst vernünftig verwendet werden. Hier finden Sie unsere Bankdaten:
Empfänger: Yeshe Khorlo Eesti MTÜ
Konto (IBAN): EE212200221065708346
SWEDBANK, SWIFT-Code/BIC: HABAEE2X (Adresse finden Sie bei Bedarf auf unserer Website: yeshekhorlo.ee)
Winter has finally loosened its grip and we can slowly continue with some works. We have some money left for installation of electrical cables in the houses (including material) and construction of inside walls. However, we do not have enough money to start the sewage system works together with the installation of pipes and electrical cables (at least 15 000 euros). If we can do that, it would be possible to stay in (at least one of) the houses this summer and use it for temporary retreats before the real three-year retreat could start. For example, Sungtrul Rinpoche has said that he would like to stay for one week in summer of 2023. Of course, also later is possible. However, we are really hoping that together with everybody, we can soon complete the necessary works.
ཐུགས་རྗེས་བདག་ལ་བྱིན་གྱིས་རློབས༔
tukjé dak la jingyi lob
With your compassion, inspire us with your blessing!
བརྩེ་བས་བདག་སོགས་ལམ་སྣ་དྲོངས༔
tsewé dak sok lam na drong
With your love, guide us and others along the path!
དགོངས་པས་བདག་ལ་དངོས་གྲུབ་སྩོལ༔
gongpé dak la ngödrub tsol
With your realization, grant us attainments!
ནུས་པས་བདག་སོགས་བར་ཆད་སོལ༔
nüpé dak sok barché sol
With your power, dispel the obstacles facing us all!
