Description
The Temple of the Great Contemplation: The Gönpa of Merigar
The Temple of the Great Contemplation is located at Merigar, the first center of the Dzogchen Community, on the slopes of Mount Amiata in Tuscany, a few kilometers outside the town of Arcidosso. It was conceived and designed by Chögyal Namkhai Norbu, the spiritual director of the community, and inaugurated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in May 1990.
The octagon-shaped Gönpa (temple) is a work of art, a structure unlike any other in the world. Its internal and external decorations symbolically represent and express a profound vision of existence based on values that have their source beyond the limits of time. The Gönpa is integrated in a landscape characterized by a particular serenity and beauty, inspiring a spirit of contemplation and evolution for the entire human community.
Shang Shung Publications is pleased to present a richly illustrated architectural monograph that includes a translation of Chögyal Namkhai Norbu’s original manuscript describing the symbolic adornment of the temple. The book also features a biographies of all of the masters depicted on the interior panels, representing an unprecedented assemblage of influential spiritual teachers from a wide variety of schools and traditions.
