Stupa Day at Kuchary. Do you believe in Miracles?

As we wake up and gather for an incredible gourmet breakfast at the Warsaw Center, we get excited to get on the bus and hit the road. Today we are driving to Kuchary. Many people on the tour have never seen a stupa and we feel so blessed that we are not seeing one but two!

We arrive and two small ponds receive us. To the left, the Stupa of Miracles shines and you can really feel the Buddha’s power field floating in this retreat space where many people worked to build over 25 years beginning back in the eighties. Upon arrival, we receive news from Colombia: today, some friends are on their way to sign the papers to buy Villa de Leyva land which will be a retreat center. The bus stops and we swiftly make our way to the Stupa of Miracles to make strong wishes for Villa de Leyva and all other Diamond Way projects worldwide.

We walk around the stupa for about 30 minutes, counting malas, taking refuge, making wishes altogether. After a short photo session, we all walk inside the main house where few friends are working happily in the kitchen preparing what seems to be lunch.

We get inside the gompa where Mishek starts telling the stories about the retreat center: Kuchary hosts two stupas, both blessed by Lopön Tsechu Rinpoche. The big stupa is the Stupa of Miracles, built and blessed by Rinpoche in 2002. It was the last one he inaugurated in this life.

The small stupa is the Enlightenment Stupa, built around 1990. There are a lot of facts about this place that makes it extremely special. Mishek tells us that Lama Ole encouraged them to buy the land and they didn’t want to because even though the land was cheap (US$400), repairs would be high, to which Lama Ole responded “well, if you don’t buy it, I will”.

The retreat center was completely rebuilt during the late 80s and early 90s. The work was extensive and included a lot of danish people in the process. They built the main house and they also built a small house, cottage-like for Rinpoche, who stated once that he would like to make a six month retreat.

We learn about their organization and working methods. From Gdańsk, Bartołty and now Kuchary we learn that polish really like to build their centers stone by stone, however, during this experience, they also have learned to delegate the physical work to companies and have perfected their fundraising activities, making up to 1 million euros annually.

For years, Kuchary was the place where East and West would connect, making different courses and retreats, the activity expanded and now, there are more places such as Karma Güen and the Europe Center. Kuchary’s retreat center has received every high Rinpoche from our lineage, except Situ Rinponche; Karmapa stayed at this place too. From all the stories told, one can really tell the strong connection Kuchary had with Lopön Tsechu Rinpoche, who blessed both stupas.

It’s lunch time and as always, we are surprised with such delicious food. Food, laughs, hugs and kisses seems to be the Polish welcome way. Every bite is bliss and the perfect time to strengthen the connection with this amazing friends.

After lunch, we walk to the small Nagaraja Cafe where a small photo slideshow takes place, showing all the construction work and activity since 1986. We get really inspired about all this joyful effort. One thing is for sure: Polish really make dharma happen.

It’s getting past 16:00 hours and we should head back to Warsaw, our Colombian friends come back from the last wishes round and they tell us that they’ve just seen black birds flying over them. Great news ahead: Villa de Leyva is ours!

We arrive to Warsaw, ready for more meditation and presentations.