The U.S. Jokhang Temple
A Treasure Being Created
in the Boston MA Area
Monthly Donation
Support
The Vision
One-time Donation
The Vision
The U.S. Jokhang Temple will rise in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a shining jewel of blessings like its mother-temple in Lhasa, Tibet. And like its mother temple, the U.S. Jokhang Temple will be home to a consecrated statue of Jowo Rinpoche. The only replica of that sacred statue outside Tibet (it currently resides at our Center.)
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A unique spiritual and cultural treasure, the U.S. Jokhang Temple will serve as a meditation and learning center for students of all backgrounds; as a living museum preserving Tibet’s rich cultural and spiritual heritage; and as a true pilgrimage site welcoming all who wish to experience its beauty and peace.
Details
The Visionary
Venerable Lama Konchok Sonam is the Spiritual Director of the Drikung Meditation Center in Arlington, MA. A highly trained monk of the Drikung Kagyu Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, Ven. Konchok Sonam is expert in both the theoretical and practical aspects of training the mind through meditation and Vajrayana methods for awakening.
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Ven. Lama Konchok Sonam endured oppressive political and religious persecution, imprisonment, and a harrowing escape across the Himalayas, leaving his beloved Tibet and everything he knew and loved behind in order to achieve religious freedom. He realized his dream in 2001, when he arrived in the U.S.A.
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In 2003 he was appointed Spiritual Director of the Drikung Meditation Center in MA.
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In the fall of 2005, Ven. Konchok Sonam received the vision to create a replica of the sacred Jowo Rinpoche Statue to benefit his new country and the Tibetan community in exile.
He envisioned not only creation of a replica of the sacred Jowo statue, but also creation of a pilgrimage site – a U.S. Jokhang Temple – thus bringing the blessings of the Buddha Shakyamuni and countless other enlightened masters from the India, Nepal, and Tibet, to the United States.
​​In May of 2008, the Jowo Rinpoche replica arrived – the centerpiece of his vision of a U.S. Jokhang Temple pilgrimage site. It is magnificent, a blessing whose face brings great benefit to all who look upon him.
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After acquiring the replica Jowo Rinpoche statue, Venerable Konchok Sonam procured a full set of the Tibetan canon of sacred texts, called the Kangyur (scriptures) and the Tengyur (commentaries) - the texts span over three hundred large volumes. A full set is required to establish any Tibetan Buddhist temple or monastery. He then commissioned traditional Tibetan craftsmen from the local community to craft beautiful, traditionally constructed cabinets to house and display them in Drikung Meditation Center. These sacred texts, and their beautiful cabinets, will become part of the U.S. Jokhang Temple.
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Ven. Lama Konchok Sonam's self-sacrifice and dedication to this vision are truly remarkable. As his first fundraising campaign for the Jowo Rinpoche statue, Venerable Konchok Sonam recited a very precious Buddhist text over 100 times … the amazing thing is, each recitation takes 11 hours to complete. That is a total of well over 1,100 hours of recitation. Every penny raised was put toward creating the Jowo Rinpoche statue bringing it to the U.S. He was supported by the Tibetan Community and his dedicated western students.
Why Build a
U.S. Jokhang Temple?
Our Progress
Phase 2 Underway!
We have approached this tremendous
project in three phases.
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PHASE 1: Down Payment Fundraising
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We are happy to say Phase 1 is essentially complete!
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As of February 2021, $450,000 HAS BEEN RAISED!
PHASE 2: Mortgage Qualification Challenge
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We Are Here!
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This is a most crucial phase!
While we have been searching for a property, we've also approached several mortgage lenders to discuss our options. Here, we encounter a challenge: Lenders want to see a steady, reliable cash flow projection, proving that we'll be able to meet monthly payments of mortgage, insurance, etc.. How to do this? Read on!
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The Sustaining Fund
Our goal for the Sustaining Fund is to gather a circle of donors able to commit to consistent monthly donations.
If we can have a combined commitment of approximately $5,000 per month for the next 2-years, we'll be able to provide the solid financial projection lenders require, and give them the confidence offer us a mortgage.
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To read the full description of the US Jokhang Sustaining Fund Circle, Click Here
PHASE 3: Transformation
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Funds raised in Phase 3 will be dedicated toward any renovations to the property to fully realize Ven. Konchok Sonam’s vision of a thriving US Jokhang Temple.
Our Urgent Need
A Reality Check
Our situation is urgent,
and here’s why:
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The lease on our current location will expire on August 31st, 2021. We are shopping for properties!
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Given the real estate market in Massachusetts, we know that whatever property we choose will cost at the very least twice the $450,000 we have raised as a down payment.
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We must accomplish Phase 2 as soon as possible in order to secure a mortgage!
You Can Help!
Join the
Sustaining Fund Circle
​Learn about the Sustaining Fund
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Make a monthly donation
If we have as few as 50 monthly donors at option 1 we could meet our monthly goal!
Select the Sustainer Option of your choice, then click Subscribe!
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Make a one-time generous gift!
No matter the size, your kind donation could make all the difference!
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Donate by Mail
Make checks payable to the Drikung Meditation Center, and note Jokhang Fund in the memo.
Mail to:
Drikung Meditation Center
c/o Lama Konchok Sonam
29 Mohawk Street, Danvers, MA 01923
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Visit our Dharma Shop!
All proceeds from our Dharma Shop go toward creating the U.S. Jokhang Temple as well! You'll find beautiful and unique dharma items, many of them consecrated by Ven. Lama Konchok Sonam.
