Inauguration of Dharma Hall
Drikung Kunzang Naktsel Forest Hermitage | Green Mountain, NC
Consecration of Dharma Hall & Community Festivities
Sunday, July 19
10:00 AM–3:00 PM
[If you are looking to register for the three-day practice of the “Thousand Offerings”, go here]
Drikung Kagyu Foundation USA and Urban Dharma North Carolina invite you to the consecration of the Drikung Forest Hermitage's first Dharma Hall in Green Mountain, North Carolina. His Eminence Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen Rinpoché will preside over a traditional consecration ceremony beginning at 10:00 AM on Sunday, July 19.
Please join us on this joyous occasion. The traditional ceremonies will take less than two hours to complete and will be followed by community festivities, as well as expressions of gratitude to sponsors and supporters.
There is no suggested donation for this celebration, but for planning purposes, please register. Donations are gladly accepted. You may contribute any amount.
[We have started a registry where you can help to furnish the Dharma Hall. Note that items will be added to this registry as the need arises. Thank you for helping. You can find the registry here: udharmanc.com/registry]
We will be hosting a community potluck. Please bring a lunch dish or snacks to share. If you have live music offerings for this occasion, please contact us. It is traditional for the festivities to include song and dance. You can contact us at info@udharmanc.com
How it all Began…
The Drikung Forest Hermitage (Drikung Kunzang Naktsel, The Ever Excellent Forest of Drikung) began in December 2022, when the purchase of this nearly 90-acre property in Green Mountain, North Carolina, was completed through the generosity of a student (and his family) of Dorlöp Rinpoché, Dr. Lye.
Barely a year earlier, when the student hosted His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoché at their family home, the initial idea of establishing a retreat center for the purpose of training future teachers of the Drikung Kagyu lineage for the Americas was born. His Holiness emphasized that, in order for the lineage to grow deep roots in the Americas and become a source of benefit for this part of the world, it is essential to nurture Dharma teachers of the lineage who were born and raised here.
From this initial inspiration, the project has evolved into the establishment of a home supporting those who wish to live and practice as monastics within the Drikung Kagyu lineage.
Throughout history, wherever Buddhism has taken root, the establishment of monastic orders has been an indispensable condition. This necessarily smaller community will, in turn, serve as an anchor for the lay community of Buddhists and others interested in Buddhist practice. The consecration of this Dharma Hall marks the beginning of the fulfillment of this vision. As the saying goes, "If you build it, they will come..."
Note: The registration form below may not be accessible in some regions. If the form doesn’t appear, try registering here. If that does not work for you, please contact us using the contact form here.