Bamboo Cabin for Bhakha Tulku Rinpoche at the Retreat Land in Pemakod

We are planning construction of a traditional bamboo cabin for Bhakha Tulku Rinpoche at the retreat land in Pemakod.

Since Rinpoche was a child, it has been his most cherished, heartfelt wish to return to Pemakod. Rinpoche frequently speaks about his earlier wishes to "wander about" in Pemakod, but due to some unfortunate circumstances, he was unable to do so. Now that Rinpoche has the freedom and ability to return to Pemakod, it is our highest priority to fulfill Rinpoche's every wish, which includes staying in a bamboo cabin such as the one we will be constructing for him at the retreat land in Yoldong.

Why Bamboo?

Historically, when people from Tibet would come to Pemakod, they would construct a simple bamboo hut or cabin to live in. This was because such housing was both easy to make and easy to keep up. Long ago, many students of Tulku Orgyen Phuntsok's previous incarnation, Togden Sithar, lived in bamboo huts. Even today, people in Pemakod regularly use bamboo in the construction of their porches, their bridges and for many other day-to-day purposes. Bamboo is prolific in Pemakod and is indigenous to the land. As such, building with bamboo creates eco-coherent structure that does not disrupt in any way, but rather exists harmoniously with both the eco-system and the aesthetic of the land.

Most importantly, the reason we have chosen to build a cabin for Bhakha Rinpoche out of bamboo is this: Rinpoche is in love with bamboo. We know that Rinpoche will be very happy residing in a bamboo house, making all kinds of precious things out of bamboo -- most especially, bamboo flutes. Our greatest heart's desire is to fulfill Rinpoche's wishes and while Rinpoche needs nothing in the manifest world in order to accomplish this, we also know that he will delight in being enveloped by the material that brings to life, through the music of his flutes, the precious sound of the Mani mantra -- bamboo.

In some ways, Bhakha Rinpoche's style is like that of an innocent child or a baby. Of the three manifestations of Vairotsana the Translator, Bhakha Rinpoche has been said many times over to be the child manifestation, or emanation, of the master. Bhakha Rinpoche embodies and typifies child-like delight and wonder. He exhibits spontaneous, natural, child-like openness and delight in his surroundings. Providing Rinpoche with a natural bamboo cabin, nestled against a grove of naturally-growing bamboo, on a mountainside in Pemakod with a panoramic view of the valley cascading down toward Dewakota and surrounded by the mountainous embrace of Pema Shri, Citta Puri and Riwo Tala (the three Holy Mountains representing Amitabha/Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya/Chenrezig, and Nirmanakaya/Padmasambhava), will be the perfect embrace and most natural and nurturing environment for Bhakha Rinpoche.

What We Will Need to Construct the Bamboo Cabin:

The cabin will be designed with one large main room in which Rinpoche's altar and a sitting area will be, a separate bedroom, a kitchen, and an inside modest bath. The entire cabin will have a wrap-around porch on which Rinpoche can sit and carve flutes or paint or carve mani stones. We will need all construction materials for the cabin, as well as all items to outfit the cabin (bed, tables/chairs to be constructed from indigenous materials, implements for Rinpoche's kitchen and bath, carving tools for mani stones and flutes, and pens/painting items for painted mani stones).

Please join us in bringing this dream to fruition.

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