History

Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey (1921-1995) was asked in 1971 by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama to start a teaching program for westerners at the newly constructed Library of Tibetan Works and Archives in Dharamsala, northern India. In 1985 His Holiness advised him to go to New Zealand, to establish a Buddhist centre there. In Dunedin he founded the Dhargyey Buddhist Centre where he taught till the day of his death in 1995. After he passed away in Dunedin two of his students, Paul Currie and Kaari Schlebach, moved to Whangarei.

The beginning

Jam Tse Dhargyey Ling began in April 1997 when Thupten Tulku Rinpoche (Resident teacher from the Dhargyey Buddhist Centre in Dunedin) came to Whangarei and gave a Buddhist teaching including a Chenrezig Initiation. At the conclusion of this time, Rinpoche handed Paul and Kaari (much to their surprise) a piece of paper with the name of this centre written in Tibetan. Jam Tse Dhargyey Ling – Centre from which Love and Compassion flourishes. The centre was born. Regular meetings were held and prayer and meditation sessions were conducted using taped teaching in the converted lounge of Paul and Kaari’s house. The Centre became part of the national Buddhist network, hosting other visiting teachers during the following few years and establishing itself in the Northland community. 

A new centre

A family house with three young children is not the ideal place for a Buddhist Meditation Centre! However, it served very well and many memorable events took place there - the first fundraising dinner, and a second and longer visit by Thupten Rinpoche. During this time, plans for a more suitable place were discussed. Thupten Rinpoche was taken to a couple of possibilities, but they weren’t right. Later, a house on a 14 acre piece of land, mainly steep and bush clad, was found just across the river and golf course from Paul and Kaari’s home. Rinpoche was consulted by phone and he said “yes”, it was the right place! Jointly, we purchased this property in 1998.

A teacher comes

The next move was to ask for a teacher. Thupten Rinpoche was again consulted and together with Venerable Geshe Sonam Rinchen (disciple of Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey and teaching for more than 20 years at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives in Dharamsala, India), it was decided that the Venerable Geshe Sangey Thinley would be the one and he was invited to come. He traveled from Sera Je Monastery in South India, late in September 1999, arriving in New Zealand on the first of October. “Geshe-La” came directly to Whangarei where he took up residence in the newly inaugurated centre on the hill.

 Other Gelugpa Centres in New Zealand

        North Island: Auckland:

Trashi Ganden Choepel Ling: http://www.trashiganden.com

Dorje Chang Institute: http://www.dci.org.nz/

Trashi Gomang: http://www.trashigomang.org.nz/

Coromandel: Mahamudra: http://www.mahamudra.org.nz/

      South Island:

Dunedin: Dhargyey Buddhist Centre: http://www.dhargyey.org.nz/

Nelson: Chandrakirti Centre http://www.chandrakirti.co.nz/