Europe

[Visited: August 2022]

When I heard about the Buddhist monastery of Sakya Tashi Ling, I immediately felt I should visit it. In a strongly Catholic country like Spain, where impressive cathedrals are filled with the religious symbols and art that inevitably come with them, it seemed to be an oddity to find a Tibetan monastery. So I was looking forward to actually seeing the place and feeling its energy. The road up from the coast of Garraf Natural Park meanders through a landscape of green hills and small villages, leading always higher up. When I see signs with the monastery, I know I am getting close. When I see the tower of the monastery ahead of me, I park the car under a tree and walk the last bit. While my eyes are fixed on the tower I see on my right, I see a different building on my left. It looks familiar: it is a chorten, and it stands in the middle of a circle of prayer wheels. There are prayer flags as well, and for a moment, it feels like I am in Tibet.
Then, I walk to the main entrance. Now, it feels like I am entering an old convent. I walk through an arched gate and enter an enclosed courtyard. Ahead of me, a tower rises atop a century-old building that might have been designed by Gaudí - but wait: there are prayer flags here, too! On the right, I see a small church. This is the Spain I know. Still, this is apparently part of the Tibetan monastery of Sakya Tashi Ling. I walk around, see that the small garden in front of the building is closed off, and walk through another gate into an adjacent garden. I see a restaurant, with a curious tower which has a pointy top, but inside more prayer flags. I exit through the gate, and walk around the perimeter of the Buddhist complex. At the backside, I see Plana Novella - Colonia Agricola above a door, a clear reference to the past of this building. I then walk around the garden, see what looks like an abandoned pond without water, and see two wild swines near the entrance on my way back to the palace. At the counter of the small shop, I notice that a guided tour is about to leave, and I decide to go.
The guide, a Buddhist monk himself, turns out to be a witty man. In a relaxed and warm way, he tells us about the history of the monastery, makes us think about some of the questions of life, and in the meantime shows us around a very peculiar building. When Pere Domenech i Grau came back from years in Cuba, he was a wealthy man. He established Palau Novella, or New Palace, to house himself, his wife, and their family. Ten years later, he was bankrupt, and passed away. His wife died of heart ache and because she could not imagine a life without the luxury they once had. The Spanish authorities then made an agricultural colony of it. It went into decay, and it was converted into a Tibetan Buddhist monastery only in 1996. The monks have left all the original details intact. We see rooms with lavish paintings with inevitable Christian motifs, we see typical Spanish decorations, and side by side, we see Buddhist artefacts. The interior of the chapel still looks like you would expect a chapel to look. It is odd to see a friendly Buddhist monk in the appropriate dark red attire explain us the intriguing story of the history of the Sakya Tashi Ling monastery. When I finally leave, I am happy I joined the tour as it has taught me so much.

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Sakya Tashi Ling monastery (Spain)

Sakya Tashi Ling monastery > Spain > Europe

[Visited: August 2022]

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