Retreat Centre Appeal

Sponsored by Sang-ngak-chö-dzong UK registered charity 1019886:

supporting the preservation of non-monastic Buddhism

The Aro Buddhist tradition wishes to establish a permanent centre in Britain to make this rare strand of Buddhism more accessible to people in the home country of our lineage holders Ngak’chang Rinpoche and Khandro Déchen. We intend to raise £500,000 to establish a centre capable of hosting residential and non-residential events. Open to interested people every day of every week – and run on a financially and environmentally sustainable basis – it will provide unique facilities, (full details are available in our appeal brochure, free to any who donate at least £20 to our appeal).

This will be the fulfilment of the vision of HH Düd’jom Rinpoche, the most remarkable Tibetan Lama of the 20^th Century and Head of the Nyingma Buddhist Tradition, who gave instruction for the establishment of our organisation in 1977. In following that instruction over the last 30 years, the Aro tradition has:

• established the world’s largest online library of images and information regarding the endangered Tantric ngak’phang ordination – established in Tibet in the 7^th Century.
• ordained the first female ngakmas and naljormas outside the Himalayan region in the 2,500 year history of Buddhism
• contributed to housing, healthcare, and education for Tibetan Lamas and Tibetan children living in exile in India and Nepal.

It is now time for the tradition to have a permanent home in Britain, the country where our work began.

People endeavour to improve the world in different ways: through improvements in diet, physical and mental health, housing, and education. Our approach encourages joyful interpersonal relationships. Happy marital relationships ensure that children grow up in an atmosphere free of mutual psychological damage. Although we are a Buddhist charity, our teachings are open to anyone. At heart, the logic of our tradition is simple: world peace begins in the family. If children have positive rôle models in terms of their parents’ relationship, they are more likely to grow up as kind balanced individuals. This provides a self-perpetuating positive influence upon the world.

A sparkling meadow

The centre will bear the Tibetan name ‘Drala Jong’, which means ‘Sparkling Meadow of Primal Iridescence’. Of this name, Spiritual Directors Ngak’chang Rinpoche and Khandro Déchen write:

‘Drala Jong innately exists in human beings. ‘Drala’ is the appreciative faculty which exponentially enlivens people the more they engage with the world. Appreciation is the key to enjoyment and to the delighting in the enjoyment of others. When we learn to appreciate phenomena our sense fields ‘Jong’ begin to sparkle and a sense of generosity is born which connects us with others. Although Vajrayana Buddhism is by no means unknown in the West – the sense in which enjoyment and compassion are mutually interdependent remains unexpressed. We would like Drala Jong to be a place where human beings could discover the pleasure of existence – the pleasure that animates the sense fields and revitalises the Arts – and the art of living.’

As a venue Drala Jong will be used for:

• Talks, courses, and retreats – from single evenings to week long residential events
• Public teachings for Buddhists and non-Buddhists on healthy, happy personal relationships; embracing emotions as a basis for meditation; physical yogas, Buddhist art, thangka painting, woodcraft, metal work, ceramics, dance, and music.
• Private teachings for qualified Lamas and their personal students.

In the longer term we also intend to:

• House a library of books, audio-visual teaching recordings, texts, art, and photography pertaining to non-monastic Buddhist practice – and, to provide a venue for study by practitioners and academics, adults and children.
• Found a teacher training centre for the next generation ngak’phang teachers, as well as shorter courses on counselling and therapy influenced by Buddhist psychology.
• Establish a residential care centre for ageing practitioners to grow old in dignity and company – whilst providing opportunities to learn from their experience and insight.

Donors who donate £20 or more will receive a copy of the full appeal brochure. Those who donate £1,000 or more will also receive a free place on one of our weekend retreats, an invitation to the opening of the centre, and free membership of Friends of Sang-ngak-chö-dzong for a year. Donors of £10,000 or more will also have lifetime membership of ‘Friends of Sang-ngak-chö-dzong’. These major donors will also receive copies of all of our tradition’s publications printed by in-house agency Aro Books.

If you would like to help, you can purchase the Drala Jong brochure online – all profits from the sale go to the retreat center fund. Alternatively, donations can be made:

• Via cheque, made payable to Sang-ngak-chö-dzong, or ‘SNCD’, address below
• Paypal payments sent to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
• For credit and debit card payments click www.CAFonline.org/charityprofile/sncd
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Offers of knowledge, skills and labour are also most welcome.

See our Drala Jong blog for news and more information.

Postal donations or enquiries can be sent to Ngakpa Namgyal, 20 Longcroft Road, Caldicot, Monmouthshire, NP26 4EX.

Email enquiries can be sent to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it