By Ven. Jean-François Bergevin

In order to preserve the spiritual aspirations of his disciples, 2,500 years ago the Buddha established a community known as the Sangha. The monks of this community became the symbol of the devoted Buddhist practitioner. Today, the power of this symbol and its historical heritage inspires more and more Western Buddhists to take ordination.

Such a vocation requires the support of a monastic environment in the West. In 1981, Lama Thubten Yeshe founded Nalanda Monastery in France. He didn’t wish to create a Tibetan monastery in Europe, but rather a community adapted to Western needs. He asked his students to find a suitable building, and the director of the Institut Vajra Yogini, Elizabeth Drukier, found and offered a large farmhouse that was over 150 years old.

The first generation of monks who came to stay undertook to renovate and adapt the building to their needs. After some years, Lama Zopa Rinpoche suggested that it would be good to increase the size of Nalanda to house more monks. A project to convert the adjacent sheep barn into accommodation and larger facilities was eventually abandoned as being too impractical to implement.

In 1993 Lama Zopa Rinpoche again indicated the need for more space at Nalanda, but at that time we were not able to put a plan into action. In 1997, the project began to take shape with the demolition of the adjacent building and it is on this land that we plan to build a new shrine room.

The shrine room is at the heart of a new building designed to fit the needs of an active monastery of 40 monks. The shrine room will have a floor area of 112 square meters [367 square feet] and its main feature, the altar, will be in itself a great source of inspiration. The altar will be 8 meters wide and more than 5 meters [16.5 feet] high and will include a 3.2-meter [10.5-foot] statue of Buddha Shakyamuni, surrounded by symbolic representations of the six paramitas and one thousand smaller Buddha statues.

The new building will also include 14 bedrooms, two rooms adapted for hospice work, kitchen, dining room, library, offices, laundry and sanitary installations. With this project we will be able to house an increasing number of monks and also offer greater comfort and service to those that come to Nalanda to do retreat. The existing monastery building will be relieved of its overload and its present functions transferred to the new building, leaving only quiet rooms, conducive to study and meditation.

Natural building materials will be used: high-insulation terracotta bricks on the outside and unfired clay bricks and wood on the inside. For economical and ecological reasons, particular attention has been paid to the good use of solar energy, conservation of electricity, reclaiming rainwater, etc. The actual construction will be divided into a number of phases. For reasons of safety, the main building work, the installation of the electrical and plumbing circuits, etc. will be undertaken by professional builders. However, wherever possible, secondary work will be undertaken by monks and voluntary workers.

The building permit was filed in November, and if the necessary funds for the main building work are available in time, the construction will begin on March 15 this year and will take about six months. The second phase will take about one and a half years.

The great master Ashvagosha taught that whoever sets up a monastery, or asks someone to build one or helps someone build one, increases considerably his merits, even during sleep. It is said that even the insects that die under the feet of the workers who build the monastery or those who bring food or drink to, or otherwise help the workers, will never again take rebirth in the lower realms. In such ways one can easily understand the importance and immediate benefits of building or enlarging a monastery. Everyone who helps in one way or another will accumulate positive karma enabling him or her to attain enlightenment. In addition, more monks increase the possibilities for the Dharma to spread and offers help to the increasing number of people seeking a method of great spiritual value.

The total cost of the project is estimated to be 5 million French francs, just under $1 million. However, thanks to the voluntary work of helpers, monks and others, we think it will be possible to accomplish our goal with 20 percent less or about 4 million French francs. And this is why we need you; your help is vital. Any donation, however small, is useful and gratefully appreciated. Anyone giving a minimum of 1,200 French francs will be offered a 26-cm [10-inch] stupa by the monks of Nalanda as a sign of our thanks.

You can make your donations by postal order or Eurocheque to: Monastère Nalanda, Rouzegas, 81500 Labastide St. Georges, Frances. Or by bank transfer to: Crédit Agricole Sud Alliance, 219 Ave. François Verdier, 81022 Albi, Cedex 9, France. Telex 531935 F CREAGRI. SWIFT address: AGRIFRPP 889. A/c: Monastère Nalanda. A/c #: 2359 8573 110.

For further information you may follow the development of the project by visiting our website: ourworld.compuserve/homepages/Nalanda/ or by email: Nalanda@compusuerve.com. Or write, or call us: (33) (05) 63 58 02 25.