Dzamling Gar News and Updates!

by Gisela Martinez

2022 and 2023 have been very interesting periods in the life of Dzamling Gar, in particular because after Rinpoche´s passing many of us who were living and working in the Gar, fell like in a sleeping spell (except for Alix, the gardeners and the gardens which even during and after COVID kept on working and growing).

All of the sudden, at the beginning of 2022, some groups of people came from different parts of the world to settle in Tenerife and, like pure magic, we started gathering, sharing impressions, brainstorming ideas and figuring out how to make them concrete. In a couple of months there were more than six groups that developed several projects, some which until nowadays are actively running and some which have been achieved. Communication, Collaboration and Gratitude have been the main basis with which all these projects have been carried out. Of course, discussions and disagreements have arisen many times, but we all recall, once and again, that it is part of the process to go through it, overcome it and keep on for personal and collective evolution. These collaborations have brought so much inspiration in us all, that even more people felt the motivation to participate.

This is a brief  summary of some of the things taking place in Dzamling Gar in the last year and the coming months:

Sangha Solution Meetings:

We held three Sangha Solution Meetings (SSM).

These meetings started in May 2022 and they are open meetings to discuss matters of interest and importance to the Dzamling Gar Community. Their goal is to enhance communication, collaboration, and participation; to make people better informed, to increase transparency, and to learn from each other, and as well to identify problems and find solutions together. The aim is to do this in a joyful way, with respect to each other. So far we have no date for the 4th one but people are always welcome to propose topics.

Sangha Solutions Overview: https://bit.ly/3GOXN4Z

SIx Month Program

After a long time, we managed to implement a six month in advance program for everyone to be able to organize themselves, save the dates and join our events, courses and retreats.

You can always access it through the UPCOMING PROGRAM section in our website  dzamlinggar.org

Monthly Open Gakyil Meetings:

For transparency and for everyone to learn about problems, projects, plans, and resolutions taking place in Dzamling Gar, and participating in finding solutions and collaborating in more concrete ways, the Gakyil decided to hold Open Gakyil Meetings the last Wednesday of every month.

Pre-AGM meetings:

Coordinated by Anton Rutkowski, Gakyil, workers and collaborators volunteered to prepare a series of meetings before the Annual General Meeting (AGM) that took place on April the 15th, 2023. Four meetings took place in which several topics were explained in detail:

1. Presentation of the AGM 2023 project and Projects taking place in 2022 in Dzamling Gar.
2. Legal Status.
3. Being Dzamling Gar Gakyil
4. Financial Report

The meetings were a total success, members had a good chance to have a deep understanding of the current situation of the Global Gar and as a result, the AGM was smooth and transparent.

ESPACIO Yoga Studio:

Our studio is the more “open space” from which we share courses and events also in collaboration with other organizations with whom we share similar values.

More info:

https://dzamlinggar.net/yogastudio

Cafeteria New Floor and Renewal:

New Jogur

It is located near where the White Tent was.

New Accommodation Booking Website:

It will be launched in a couple of weeks, and it’s been created on Karma Yoga basis by a group of IT professionals from our Community.

New Website:

Before the end of the summer we would like to launch our new website which is meant to make the user experience easier, both for members and the public.

Swimming Pool Project:

A team has been working on emptying the pool and reusing its water for gardening. After collecting information on technical details and inviting everyone who stayed at Dzamling Gar to fill the Swimming Pool Survey   https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf5mZbTgXMb2MmyqpWr9KMMteLGA4mOLmZRDA4Vc_OXCp4w8g/viewform?pli=1 and analyzing the results, we hope to have a more clear understanding of the meaning of having the swimming pool actively running for those who visit Dzamling Gar. If you would like to be part of this project you can always learn more, and join the team!

Final Gardens

With the incredible work of Alix, Nicola, and so many people who have contributed to the creation of Dzamling Gardens, we are soon to finish with the last of the gardens near the back gate. Dzamling Gardens are a piece of art in itself offering a full scents, colors, shapes and textures experience.

Info Point and Shop

We started to move Info Point from where it was, near the area where the White Tent used to be. Why?

• So anyone can be welcomed properly by our kind Hirton.
• To have our Shop near the main entrance.
• For security reasons (to see who is coming).
• And because we made it bigger so also our public books from the bookshop could be available.

There are more surprises coming connected to Info point and we are soon to do the grand opening.

Wooden boards for public and renewal

Thanks to our efficient Maintenance Team, we managed to modify, renovate and move our beloved wooden board to the main entrance for people passing by to have all the information about our weekly activities and upcoming events.

Yoga Kids Summer Camp

Being one of the latest projects coordinated by our dearest Nataly Nitsche, during July we will host a summer camp for kids from 4 to 11 years-old. “Discovering myself through yoga (Kumar Kumari or Yantra Yoga for children)” will offer activities like Kumar Kumari, mindfulness, collaborative games, crafts, nature exploration, storytelling and lots of fun!

For more information: http://bitly.ws/Fq3F

10 Years Anniversary

On November 18th 2023 Dzamling Gar will turn 10 years since Rinpoche and the whole Community celebrated its inauguration in 2013. Dzamling Gar, the Global Gar, is your Gar so we would love it if you could join us for the celebrations taking place on the 2nd and 3rd of December 2023. The celebrations will consist of a two day program for the IDC and the General Public to participate.

Stay updated cause soon we are releasing the invitation!

Six Month Program

If you would like to collaborate in any of these projects, you are always welcome, either with Karma Yoga, as a Project Manager of some event, sharing thoughts and ideas or doing any offer according to your possibilities, we will be the most grateful. You can send us an email to [email protected].

And, of course, one of our goals is to make Dzamling Gar self-sustainable. For this we need some of these projects to move ahead, if you would like to support us financially, and according to your possibilities, you can access https://bit.ly/43IAxzh.

We are always very grateful for any kind of collaboration!

Finally, one of our visitors recently shared his impression on how amazed he was at seeing how so many people present at Dzamling Gar are so actively collaborating (both long and short term), with such hard work to do but enjoying together. He also said it is clear that people really keep Rinpoche in their hearts. Of course it is Rinpoche´s precious gift of the Teachings, the daily discovery of what Sangha means, the tireless work of the Namkhai Family, and this precious place that makes everything move ahead.

We are so grateful that people come, that we meet again, that they take part in courses, events, stay at the houses, help on some task, meet and enjoy Friday dinners in the cafeteria, etc.

Thanks to everyone, Dzamling Gar, its gardens, and its Gönpa, are living places where children can play, grownups can rest, we all can practice, newcomers can keep on joining, and tourists and the public can create a connection with the Teachings. With all of us concretely integrating the real sense of Collaboration, the greater purpose for which this place was built will be able take place.