No Fees for Dharma Courses in 2015
In honour of the Founder of Samye Ling, Choje Akong Tulku Rinpoche, and following the guidance of our Abbot, Choje Lama Yeshe Rinpoche, from 1st January 2015 all Dharma courses in Samye Ling are free of charge.
Therefore, there will be no course fee or suggested donation on any Dharma course (though accommodation charges will still apply).
Traditionally the Buddhist teachings are given freely because they are considered priceless. In the Buddhist tradition one practices generosity, or Dana, by making monetary offerings for the teachings. This generosity is not payment for goods or services rendered; it is an offering given freely from the heart in appreciation of the Dharma.
There are considerable expenses involved in running a centre, providing all the conditions for study and practice, bringing teachers and maintaining a spiritual community. Your generosity is an offering that supports the centre, the teachers and also helps to sustain the development of the teachings of Lord Buddha for many centuries to come.
We will try this for one year and we hope you will support this step within your means, however great or small, so that it may continue, and so that we can make the offering of Dharma the tradition in the West as it has been in the East.