All information about this Buddhist center in Pomaia, Tuscany, the Lama Tzong Khapa Institute. A few kilometers from Pisa there is a really interesting center for those who are passionate or love oriental culture, here is all the information to access it.
Il Dalai Lama love being here. The Tibetan monks have chosen it as a permanent home. We are talking about the Buddhist center of Pomaia, the Lama Tsong Khapa Institute.
An ancient dwelling immersed in the Tuscan countryside, among the Pisan hills. It is not a monastery, it is a place of prayer, meeting and hospitality. It is open to all: there are nuns and monks, lay people and simple visitors.
The center is easily accessible. Leave the car in a small parking lot and walk up the shady, slightly uphill road that leads to the main building. Despite being close enough to the road there is a lot of silence, the chatter is subdued.
The first place you meet is that of the burials and it is possible to see the monks intent on prayer of thanksgiving and in the cult of the dead. In fact, here are the white stupas, typical and suggestive Buddhist reliquaries. The sense of smell will be struck and conquered by a mixture of incense and the typical smell of the Mediterranean scrub.
You keep walking, a few hundred meters to get to the top of the path where the most important structure is located: in the past it was a classic summer residence that belonged to an ancient family from Florence, it is now the hub of many of the centre's activities. This central body resembles a small medieval castle, but all the details that recall it refer to the East.
A few examples. There prayer wheel with millions of mantras engraved on tiny films inside. The tea garden where you can relax and drink fine infusions. Lots of places to meditate and the small gompa; a colorful temple obtained from the old family chapel.
Il Buddhist center of Pomaia he also adopted a movie statue: the massive Buddha of Compassion used by Martin Scorsese during the filming of Kundun. Before being placed in the garden of theLama Tzong Khapa Institute has been subjected to a series of processes to make it resistant to bad weather. And now it embellishes the large park of the villa.
How to visit the center
The doors of the complex open wide every day even for those who want to browse the places of meditation, among golden Buddhas, white stupas and colored prayer flags. Every visitor is welcome as long as he follows simple rules of respect and conviviality.
So, before you cross the threshold, you have to turn off your mobile, you have to leave the cigarettes in the car and a calm tone of voice must be used. On Sunday afternoon, guided tours take place and besides a series of pleasant information, it is possible to get to know a culture different from ours that has found a home in a corner of our country. If you are passionate or just curious about the oriental world this place is definitely for you.
