Tibetan Scotland

Well, I'm growing to love serendipity and surprises on this pilgrimage. I've spent the last couple of hours riding a back road through the most gorgeous borders countryside, along winding lanes that follow the lines of the valleys and burns, while the sun shone brightly overhead. And then, out of nowhere, appeared the most unexpected place. I'm having a cuppa at a huge Tibetan Buddhist monastery. 

When I say huge, I do mean it. Kagyu Samye Ling has, I've been told by one of the monastics, 30 to 40 residential members in the community at any given time, and the capacity to welcome around 150 more retreatants. Visitors walk the peace gardens surrounding the monastery and temple, and there is a tea room and shop. As I write there are dozens of other visitors here.

The community supports its life in the ways, as far as I can determine: donations, the tea room/shop, and money people pay to come on retreat. But - and this is fascinating - they only charge for general retreats like mindfulness and meditation. For specifically Buddhist retreats there is never any charge. When I asked about this, one of the monks I met laughed. "We don't sell the dharma!" he said, grinning.

It's not my faith, but it's very attractive and welcoming. I spent some time in the temple, monks chanting in the background, and I prayed the Jesus Prayer. It was very peaceful. And I suspect that the monks wouldn't mind my Christian prayers either. 

///penny.connector.kind