The Centro de Retiros budista Arya Tara (Buddhist Retreat Center Arya Tara) in Spain, has announced that it will dedicate this year’s Buddhist conference the “III Jornadas de Budismo” in Madrid to Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, who died in January last year.*
“This will be the first homage at national level to the Zen master, and the Order of Interbeing will prepare an altar with Thay’s picture on it as a homage to him on 2 December,” the center’s president, María Drolma, shared with BDG.
“We have invited two lecturers, both members of the Order of Interbeing, to present talks. Concha Barranco, was president of the Interbeing Buddhist Community from 2017–21, while Dharma teacher Luis del Val has followed Thich Nhat Hanh’s tradition since 2018 and has been a member of the Order of Interbeing since 2002. Both have been to Vietnam and Plum Village, the Buddhist monastery in souther France where Thich Nhat Hanh set up his first and largest international community.”
During the III Jornadas de Budismo in Madrid, there will be an exhibition of calligraphies by Thich Nhat Hanh, musical performances, and a biographical documentary about him on the Centro de Retiros budista Arya Tara website.
“The Centro de Retiros budista Arya Tara is a non-profit association (registration number: 40052) and receives no funding private nor public,” María Drolma explained. “Since we have cover the cost of the conference venue and some other expenses, such as inviting a lecturer from outside Madrid, we request a donation of €15 for the Homage to Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, which will be held in Madrid from 10:30–13:30 on Saturday, 2 December 2023.
“We all very much look forward to paying homage to Thich Nhat Hanh this year, and we do hope it will be beneficial to him and to all the people participating.”
Centro de Retiros budista Arya Tara is a non-profit association in Madrid. The first Buddhist retreat center in Madrid, it is named “Arya Tara” after arya, a Sanskrit word meaning venerable and Tara, the manifestation of the feminine Buddhist aspect. As a non-sectarian Buddhist retreat center, Centro de Retiros budista Arya Tara is open to all traditions and branches of Buddhism. The center can be reached by email at [email protected].
Born Madrid in 1972, María Drolma holds a BA and MA in Japanology and non-European Art History, and a PhD in East Asian Art History. María first encountered the Buddhadharma in December 2007 in a meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. She subsequently took refuge with Geshe Thubten Choden in 2009. Maria has served as secretary (and English-Spanish translator) with the Instituto de Budismo Tibetano Hayagriva in Madrid, and was ordained as a Buddhist nun from 2012–13. She was also instrumental in introducing the Bhutan Nuns Foundation to the Lumbini Foundation in Caceres, Spain.
* Plum Village Announces the Passing of the Internationally Beloved Buddhist Teacher Thich Nhat Hanh (BDG)
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Centro de Retiros budista Arya Tara
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