Thrangu Monastery — Attraction in Richmond

BEAUTIFUL TIBETAN STYLED BUDDHIST TEMPLE 😍. The temple's Kutakshars lining the top and the its exterior is like a gem glittering in the day, and during the night, it has a very sacred feeling to it. The entire outer wall of the temple are lined with prayer wheels, and colourful prayer flags attached to the temple flutter in the wind, spreading their blessings. The interior is no less sacred and beautiful as the outside, and you can enter it through a front door (locked during winter) or a back door facing the parking lot (they are not wheelchair friendly though). Upon entering the back door, one is greeted by two halls, one is only for the Sangha but the hall on the right will lead you to the Sangha's dinning room, the shop & donation center, and the main office. Then on the right again, is the stairs that lead into the main temple room, which is line with small figures of Amitabha Buddha on the walls and faces a large statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, where the monks have daily chanting and service. In the main room, you can also offer lamp offerings and pray, or just marvel at the beauty of the inside. The monks here were super helpful and welcoming, and younger ones can speak in Cantonese, Mandarin, and English, while the older ones can help you in English and Tibetan. On my first visit, I was not very familiar with Tibetan temples, as I usually went to Chinese styled ones, but the monks welcomed me in and kindly showed me features of Tibetan Buddhism that I was not familiar with. Also, this temple is quite rare in how it has a public washroom for visitors in the gift shop &...

Following his fire ceremony to placate spirits Rinpoche tells me that Judaism and Christianity are worship of spirits; that’s like a person who has not studied the subject saying that Buddhism is idolatry.

Rinpoche incorrectly thinks the first Bodhisattva Bhumi is uninterrupted Mahamudra.

At our first meeting, Rinpoche clumsily pressured me to finance building a house on his retreat property before I’d even seen the place.

It was unbelievable that Rinpoche would attempt to criticize English words he doesn’t understand though his English comprehension is less than rudimentary.

The high title of Rinpoche rarely implies enlightenment and in this case evidently implies merely responsibility for a monastery and fund-raising. Sadly, the Golden Age of Tibetan Buddhism in the West, 1965-1989, has come and is...

Dear Readers The members of the Steveston Buddhist Temple visited the Thrangu Temple on Sunday, Feb. 26. We had the opportunity of listening to the chanting conducted by the four monks, headed by the Rinpoche. Those familiar with the chant listened intently while some chanted along. It was an experience. We missed the prostration prior to the chanting. Those wishing to observe the rituals of another school of Buddhism are highly recommended to attend.

The shrine, including the statue of the large Buddha, is very colorful. In fact were told that the shrine and statue were painted by their followers.

A monk was very forthcoming in explaining the main features of Tibetan Buddhist, branch of Maha Yana...