Inner Peace in Vinegar Hill.

Located at 98 Gold Street, Dorje Ling Buddhist Center is one of Brooklyn’s major Buddhist institutions. A bright, cheerful yellow building sits in a gated courtyard. Fenced by a yellow and red brick wall, a flurry of colorful Tibetan prayer flags flap in the wind. Go find inner peace in Vinegar Hill.

A flower must grow through the dirt.

The Dorje Ling Buddhist Center has a hilariously typical Brooklyn backstory. Before it provided inner peace to Vinegar Hill it was a used car lot enclosed by barbwire fencing! This proves that even the most unlikely of places can be transformed into spaces of virtue, beauty, and meaning.

The Dorje Ling Buddhist Center opened in 1991, following the Jonang school of Tibetan Buddhism. The Jonangpa were among the last Tibetan Buddhists to flee after China’s forced annexation of Tibet in 1950.

Who are the Jonangpa and how did they bring inner peace to Vinegar Hill?

The Dorje Ling Buddhist Center is a spiritual meeting place for the Jonangpa community. Jonang is an ancient lineage of Tibetan Buddhism dating back to the 12th Century. Jonang is believed to trace its origins to a Buddhist master of his time, Yumo Mikyo Dorje.

Jonangpa have faced discrimination from rival Tibetan Buddhist branches since the 1500s. At a religious conference in 2015 there were no representatives of the Jonangpa, despite the fact that the 14th Dalai Lama had announced at a previous 2011 conference that Jonangpa shoud be considered its own branch of Tibetan Buddhism. Additionally, the Jonangpa faced harsh treatment by the communist Chinese government, causing many to flee.

The Jonangpa are one of four main Tibetan Buddhist sects to follow the Kalachakra Tantra, a text on tantric meditation. The Jonangpa focus on Kalachakra almost exclusively. Kala translates to time in Sanskrit while chakra translates to wheel in Sanskrit. Much of Kalachakra concerns itself with time and cycles, such as the revolution of planets and the rhythm of breathing. The purpose of this focus is to control the subtle energies within one’s body to orient it toward enlightenment.

What is Kalachakra Tantra?

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” -the 14th Dalai Lama, a follower of Tibetan Buddhism and Kalachakra Tantra

Tantra is a spiritual practice that evolved amongst Hindus and Buddhists approximately 5,000 years ago in the Indian subcontinent. Tantra means to weave or compose. It refers to a type of instructional text often written as a dialogue between a god and a goddess. These texts offer outlines for how to perform rituals that invoke specific, Tantric deities.

Kalachakra Tantra is considered one of the highest teachings of Tibetan Buddhism. It takes initiates many years to truly master. There are three Kalachakras or Wheels of Time: the Inner Wheel of Time, the Outer Wheel of Time, and the Other Wheel of Time. The Inner Wheel is the human body. The Outer Wheel is the world or environment, and the Other Wheel of Time is initiations and paths of Shri Kalachakras.

Find inner peace in Vinegar Hill.

Dorje Ling Buddhist Centers offers a glimpse into the unique religious and spiritual cultures of Tibet with weekly practice, workshops, and special ceremonies. Ceremonies for traditional Tibetan Buddhist holidays are open to the public. Dorje is also welcoming to teachers of other Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Many students of numerous ethnic backgrounds have come to Dorje Ling to open their minds and hearts for over 30 years.

Brooklyn is a land bountiful with cultures and ideas. The old and the new synthesize, creating opportunities for learning and personal growth. Dorje Ling Buddhist Center nobly serves the Jonangpa community and all Brooklynites through its existence. Head over to Vinegar Hill to find inner peace.

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. -the 14th Dalai Lama, a follower of Tibetan Buddhism and Kalachakra Tantra

As always I, and the Brooklynites team, thank you for reading. Namaste, and click back soon! <3

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Read more on Dorje Ling Buddhist Center and Kalachakra Tantra at:

http://www.gosit.org/CenterDetails.asp?vST=NY&CenterID=20

https://kalachakranet.org/kalachakra_tantra_introduction.html

https://www.britishmuseum.org/blog/what-tantra

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tantra