When Rinpoche witnessed the earthquake-damaged old teaching hall in 2015, a vision for a new monastery with a truly spacious teaching hall instantly took shape in his mind.

“The first time when I saw the old monastery, I was shocked. Everything was cracked, and some walls had fallen down,” recalled Rinpoche. “It was a big shock moment.”

But the shock didn’t last. He considered the opportunity the obstacle presented.

“I thought maybe we can open this for everybody, to have a big teaching hall for teaching international students, to have big monastic education, to have an institute for international students,” he said. “A big vision came.”

Last year, when Tergar Asia organized teachings on the bardos, the new teaching hall door first opened. This past June marked the first series of teachings organized by Tergar International.

Situated atop a hill with sweeping views of Kathmandu, the Osel Ling Monastery is a majestic structure to behold. Its 20,000 square footage comfortably accommodated an international audience of 500–600 attendees for each of the five consecutive Tergar International events.

“The Osel Ling shrine hall is a uniquely inspiring environment,” said Diana Chou, a long-time Mingyur Rinpoche student who traveled to Kathmandu with her sister and cousin from California. “I felt a sense of connection, refuge, awe, and gratitude while there to receive teachings from Rinpoche, in the company of fellow practitioners and surrounded by beautiful imagery from this profound lineage, moved by its relevance today.”

The ambitious reconstruction of the monastery began after Mingyur Rinpoche returned from his wandering yogi retreat on November 3, 2015. Earlier that year, a devastating earthquake severely damaged the shrine hall, necessitating its demolition and subsequent rebuilding.

Lama Lekshe, the respected general manager and treasurer of Tergar Osel Ling Monastery, working with a team of people, oversaw the reconstruction. His responsibilities were many and required his knowledge, skillful handling, and steady guidance: from initial concept development to fundraising — led by Tergar Asia — obtaining government permits, purchasing additional land, and widening the access road to the monastery and many, many other responsibilities. His passing last year was a tremendous loss.

Once the rubble of the old monastery structure was cleared, work began on the main temple’s foundation, with Luc Cholley, project manager, overseeing the construction work. Meanwhile, two other building projects were underway, led by architect Seseg Jigtenova, who designed the monk’s quarters and the “sangha house” — the guesthouse for visitors.

The COVID-19 pandemic temporarily halted construction, but work quickly resumed, and the results are spectacular. The main temple, which is built to withstand an earthquake up to 8 on the Richter scale, features large windows allowing natural light to flood in, wooden floors adding warmth, and high ceilings creating a spacious sense, giving the “gompa” an open, welcoming atmosphere.

One distinctive feature of the new temple is the absence of pillars, a request made by Rinpoche. “We had to consult various structural engineers and iron specialists to manage it,” said Luc.

The monastery is still a work in progress. “There is a lot of secondary work to be done,” said Luc, including the construction of classrooms, storage buildings, a retaining wall for the steep slope beneath the monks’ quarters, and extensive artwork to adorn the monastery. Additional fundraising will be required to complete these projects.

For Joseph Faria, Osel Ling translator, the monastery’s reconstruction is an expression of Rinpoche’s expansive vision. “This expansion-in-action-come-to-fruition confirms my belief in the potential impact we can have on people around the world.”

“Just now, seeing all of these teachings going on that are given by Rinpoche and seeing the very vast, diverse amount of people coming from all over just to receive these incredibly profound teachings is just deeply inspiring.”

July 2024