Lerab Ling

FRANCE, Roqueredonde

Lerab Ling is the main European retreat center of the Rigpa organization. It is built on the 850 m high Escandorgue Plateau, north of Lodeve in the Herault. The land was purchased in 1991 and the temple was completed in 2006. It is a fine example of traditional Tibetan architecture in Europe. The three-story high temple has multiple single-eave hip-and-gable roofs. A group of three miniature stupas is located on each of the roof ridges. At the top of the second story there is a red ocher band decorated with golden circles. On all four sides of the temple there is a portico, but only three sides are decorated. There is a veranda along these three sides with colorful columns and architraves. In the center of the first story there is a 7 m high Sakyamuni Buddha, flanked on the right and left by Padmasambhava and Avalokitesvara, and surrounded by 1,000 bronze Buddhas. On the second story there are a library and two halls. The story above has three small shrines. To one side of the temple there are gardens and a lake with a statue of Padmasambhava at its center. On the other side is a 4 m high Tibetan-style white stupa surrounded by eight smaller stupas.