History of the Monastic Hermitages
  In 1992 the monastic congregation, having just been officially recognised by the state, was able to acquire additional land including two farm buildings which adjoined the three-year retreat centres at Le Bost.

These two buildings, which are known as "the farm" were renovated and the interior refurbished in order to house all of the student practitioners working on the construction site. The building of the 'Karmapa's Temple' and the men's monastic hermitage also got under way on this newly acquired land.

The hermitage at Le Bost is composed of a house for the Gyalwa Karmapa, a complex of fifty rooms for the male lamas and druplas, a kitchen, refectory, storeroom, bathrooms and a communal meeting and living room. Its outer section includes: an office for general administration, a reception, a dormitory for the student practitioners and three more offices used respectively for the congregation's accounting, the AHET association (Higher Tibetan Studies Association), which manages everything concerning the retreat centres, and an office for the congregation's work projects.

In 1993 work on the construction of the women's monastic hermitage at Laussedat, situated three kilometres from Le Bost with a structure approximating that of Le Bost, was begun.

 

The communal area situated outside the hermitage includes a temple, kitchen, refectory, storeroom, secretary's office, reception, interview lounge, and small temple. On the first floor several rooms for the student practitioners.

When the men and women who had been in 3-year retreat came out in 1994, Gendun Rinpoche designated those of his lamas who would be responsable for the principal positions within the community. Subsequently other sectors of responsability, with activities that are in constant development, have evolved in a natural way around these principal positions.

The monastic hermitages were definitively sealed in March 1998 on the occasion of the beginning of the retreats.

 



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