The Drukpa Buddhist Centre in Plouray: a complete change of scenery in the Land of the Morvan King!
The Plouray Buddhist Centre is without doubt the most unexpected corner of Brittany imaginable. All aboard for a Zen interlude in the Land of the King of Morvan!
The Buddhist Centre
The creation of the Buddhist Centre
The Drukpa Plouray Buddhist Centre was founded in 1985, but it was in 1986 that His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa, supreme head of the lineage, came to France to bless it. He established it as the European headquarters of the Drukpa lineage and named it "Druk Toupten Tcheukor Ling", "the garden of the Dragon where the wheel of the Buddha's teaching turns".
His Holiness sometimes comes to teach and lead retreats at the Plouray centre.
Surprising monuments to discover
Walking around the Pays du Roi Morvan often means visiting granite churches and chapels topped by pointed bell towers with rather sombre interiors. Here, at the Centre Bouddhique de Plouray, the architecture is totally different, and there's an explosion of colour at every turn!
The Stūpa and its incredible decorations
The Stūpa of the "Gates of Bon Augure", inaugurated in 1997, was built by Bhutanese artists. Many volunteers and local craftsmen also took part in its construction. It houses three statues and relics of Shakyamuni Buddha. To walk around it and collect merits, follow the clockwise direction. Walk slowly and take your time to appreciate the particularly colourful illuminations.
The temple and its countless statues
The temple was built in 2002 to enable students toattend the teachings of the many great Masters who are regularly invited. It is also a place of practice. Before entering, you take off your shoes and face the many, many statues. Open your eyes wide and you'll be left speechless by the unimaginable wealth of colours!
The prayer wheel and its message of peace
The mill, a cylinder measuring around 2 metres, is housed in a 6-metre-high building. It contains mantras printed on sheets of paper. Its handles allow it to be turned, again in a clockwise direction. By activating it, you set theenergy of the mantras in motion so that it spreads and benefits everyone. The Plouray prayer wheel is dedicated to peace and harmony in Brittany and around the world. So don't hesitate to give it a whirl!
The Sang Boum, the subject of many questions...
Visitors to the site have many questions about the function of this small building. Is it a chimney for burning rubbish and green waste, or perhaps an oven for baking bread and cooking outdoors? Not at all! The Sang Boum is intended for the practice of "offering smoke in the mountains" in order to eliminate obstacles, accumulate merit and purify the veils that obscure the spirit. It's a far cry from a pizza party!
A peaceful place to stroll
If you don't practise Buddhism, it doesn't matter. The Buddhist Centre, nestling deep in the woods, welcomes walkers who wish to wander through the paths of its landscaped grounds. Some come to refocus on themselves, others simply out of curiosity.
Once you've got over the surprise of this unusual architecture in Central Brittany, you'll appreciate the peace and quiet of this highly original place. You don't need to meditate to appreciate the beauty of the surroundings and realise that this is theideal place to switch off.
As you wander around, you may come across monks or lay people who live here all year round. Every time you meet them, you're sure to have a wonderful chat. Serenity and kindness pervade the place. If, by chance, you come across Pierrick Wattez, you're sure to learn a lot about the Buddhist Centre, but above all you'll get to know a rather atypicalpersonality...
