Temple of Heaven on Earth
“In Albagnano, I want to create a sacred place like a mandala. A sacred place helps us to practise the spiritual path and to receive a special blessing that awakens the purity of our inner mandala. Coming into contact with a mandala and a holy place, creates a condition that positively directs our mind and helps us to transform it.” T.Y.S. Lama Gangchen Rinpoche
Tibetan Buddhist temple
The Temple of Heaven on Earth is a place of Buddhist study and practise as well as an exceptional cultural destination, displaying valuable sacred artefacts from different countries around the world. The Temple is an impressive circular structure, similar to a mandala, and is inspired by Borobudur, the stupa mandala built in the eight century on the island of Java in Indonesia.
The Temple of Heaven on Earth is a sacred space of 500 square metres decorated according to the traditional Tibetan Buddhist style. In the centre of the Temple is a column filled with more than 100,000 Brazilian rock crystals, representing the central channel. The walls are completely frescoed with the ‘Tattoo Wall’ technique. The original paintings, found in the most important Indian and Tibetan monasteries of our tradition, are stunningly reproduced and cover every inch of the wall.
Ocean of Mandalas
Looking up at the ceiling it is possible to admire the breath-taking Ocean of Mandalas: 108 circular mandalas with a central square mandala of the Five Supreme Healers; the Five Dhyani Buddhas. The Temple is home to a number of large statues – such as the Five Supreme Healers and the Five Great Element Mothers – carved in lava stone by a Javanese artist in the Indonesian style of the Borobudur stupa mandala. Inside the Temple there are many other precious religious objects from the most important Asian Buddhist countries such as Tibet, China, India, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Korea. In addition to being unique for its beauty, spiritual and artistic wealth, the Temple is also brimming with archetypal symbols that can be used to help us protect and transform our mind. All those entering the Temple are immersed in a special energy of peace.
Future plans
Currently the Temple is in expansion. In the near future it will include, in addition to the main meditation hall, a Peace Culture Museum: a symbol of the vital exchange between Western and Eastern spiritual cultures, aiming to uphold and spread common values such as respect, tolerance and inner peace as foundations for world peace. There will be a conference room to host inter-religious meetings, congresses and conferences. The building will also be home to a Wisdom Planetarium consisting of symbols representing the spiritual world and the positive contributions from the various fields of science and knowledge. Just as an astronomical planetarium shows planets and constellations, the dome of the Wisdom Planetarium will reproduce religious and spiritual symbols: each representing an organisation or an individual who has carried out a project for the benefit of humanity and the environment.
More information
How to help?
Do you want to be part of this project and make a contribution? We are grateful for any donation – big or small.
Participate in the fundraising programme or make a single donation.
