TBLC Grounds
TBLC’s Grounds
Situated on a quiet mountain road in rural northern New Jersey, TBLC’s setting is well-suited for its contemplative focus on inner transformation. The grounds include three main buildings which look down upon a central stupa, or “memorial to enlightenment”: Geshe Wangyal’s original residence, known as the “Retreat House;” a School House, which includes a large library and classroom as well as accommodations; and the Main Temple, a place for worship and study.
The Stupa
A stupa is a traditional Buddhist structure that serves as a place of veneration and pilgrimage, adding to both the beauty and sacred nature of the landscape. As a commemorative monument, it symbolizes the Buddha’s mind of universal compassion and profound wisdom while also serving as a tribute to Geshe Ngawang Wangyal, whose loving energy made TBLC what it is today. Located at the heart of the TBLC grounds and endowed with many objects of veneration, TBLC’s stupa serves as a focal point for meditation, prayer, and circumambulation.
Built after Geshe Wangyal’s death in 1983 and consecrated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1984, TBLC’s stupa is dedicated to the female Buddha Tara, who Geshe-la relied upon and credited with extending his life. Prior to construction, TBLC resident monastic scholars petitioned Tara’s blessings to consecrate special vases to be placed within. In accordance with Buddhist tradition, the 21-foot tall structure is fortified with many sacred objects, including Geshe-la’s ashes, encased in clay Buddha statues (tsa tsa), and numerous scrolls containing prayers and mantras. The stupa is also home to many relics that Geshe Wangyal had gathered over the years, including special relics of the Buddha, relics of the great teachers of all the different traditions in India and Tibet, and a clay statue of the deity Ganesh that the revered Tibetan scholar-yogi, Je Tsongkhapa, fashioned with his own hands.