The DRA TAGPA RITRU® Association 1901 operates the Tibetan Buddhist Centre 'THEG-CHOG NORBU LING'® - 'The Sanctuary of the Unsurpassable Jewel Path'. It was legally established in year 2000 with the view to spread Buddhism and the traditional teachings and practices of Tibetan Buddhism and the Karma Kamtsang Lineage in particular. Its ain focus is to facilitate and promote the formal practice of Dharma.

Staying at TNG Centre implies to be a registered member of DRA TAGPA RITRU®.

Religious services such as ceremonies and teaching sessions held at TNG Centre are offered and managed by the Association Cultuelle 1905 "THEG-CHOG NORBU LING".

The following information is provided to help you better prepare and enjoy your coming visit.
Would you need any further clarification, feel free to contact TNG administration. To do so by email, click here.

Memberships

Participating to the activities of TNG Centre® implies the payment of your annual membership. Annual memberships are available online.

Location

Hidden in the forest, offering calm, tranquillity and solitude for your retreat, the centre is located in a cool valley at the source of the river “L’Orbieu” in the “Hautes Corbières”. The site has a residential park and parking area for the visitors accessing by road. There are full boarding facilities limited to 25 people. Moreover there is the possibility to sojourn in camping car or under pesonal tent in the park on the river side.

Transportation fees : Calculated per person, 20% additional share by each person.

Boarding during seminars or group retreats

Various boarding facilities are available to cater to your needs.

Fees cover full boarding with three meals and beverage as well as modern facilities made available for your convenience and comfort: residential park, multimedia library, mediation hall, laundry room, telephone and internet:  

Guests in dormitories are requested to bring their own linen.

If needed, sets of linen are available on site for a rental fee of 5 € per person/week. Linen charge is mandatory each week or upon leaving.

Special rates apply to long term retreatants. These are available on the Retreat page in the TNG Centre section.

Meals

Meals served at TNG Centre are based on healthy vegetarian diet. Mostly organic. TNG Centre products are issued from biodynamic culture.

Breakfast     08h00

Lunch           12h30

Dinner          18h30

Individual meals are available to non-boarding members and can be paid for with vouchers: 

Breakfast           5 €

Lunch                12 €

Dinner                9 €

Laundry

Laundry is available free of charge to members boarding in individual rooms as well as for the Residents. For other members, count 2 € per load.

Phone

Phone/ Internet: international phone calls are available upon registration and payement at the office. National calls are free of charge. However, keeping to the retreat ethics, you are expected to limit calls to a strict minimum.

Internet

Internet facility is offered to individual room boarding members daily from 10h00 to 18h00.

For other boarding members, connexion is available on Sunday to 8h00 to 18h00, in case of urgence need during the wee, contact the office.

Dharma Shop

Dharma items are available for purchase on Dharma Shop website accessible from the webgate or by clicking HERE. Shop is open twice a week on a regular basis. Access exclusively through the Shop Manager.

Printed material such as sadhanas and teaching texts are available at fix rates published on this website. 

Please pay directly to person in charge who will follow up your order and deliver the requested texts.

Karma Yoga

The practice of two hours of “Karma Yoga” is mandatory. Retreatants as well as visiting members are expected to participate in the maintenance of the centre. See the chart on site to determine your activities with the coordinator.

Teachings

Group teaching is conducted every Saturday when Lama Sangyay Tendzin is in residence. Attendance is charged 5 € to guests and ordinary members. It is free for members owning higher membership status.

Seminars

Four seminars are conducted annually at TNG Centre®. The program of these seminars is periodically posted on the notice board in the Meditation Hall or notified through special notice to registered members. It is also announced on the website.

You are expected to participate to daily expense for temple use and maintenance. This fee is fixed at 15 € per person per day.

For 'Patrons' members, the fee is reduced to 7 €.

Retreat Ethics

While you are on retreat, it is important to practice virtuous actions of body, speech and mind. Observing the following points will greatly enhance the benefit of your time spent in retreat:

• Practice gentle and meaningful speech when not silent;

• Listen carefully and take notes during teachings and use the time between sessions to study them diligently and to rest;

• Practice generosity by making various offerings no matter how small;

• Practice punctuality by being at all pujas & teaching sessions at least 5 minutes prior starting time.

Library & books

The library has a collection of over 500 books and more than 400 hours of multimedia recorded material.

Theses resources are accessible to members through request to the Resident Lama. 

The use of the library is free for all memberships. Lenting period is two weeks. Contact the Resident Lama for access. After two weeks non-returned books  are being charged 2 € per week.  

Audience with Lama

If you wish to have a private audience with a Lama (both, resident and visiting), kindly put in your request through filling for an appointment with Lama's Private Secretary.

Indicate the object of your request (counselling, individual teaching, personal request etc.)

Remember to bring an offering to present Lama at the end of the audience.

Offering Ethics

Kathags are traditionally offered to present your offerings to the Lama after teaching sessions or after elaborate pujas. They are available at the Dharma shop.

Price varies according to size and quality: count between 3, 5 and10 €/piece according to size and quality. Contact the Shop manager.

Temple offerings

During pujas and practice sessions, making offerings to the shrine is beneficial to you and meritorious.

Candles, butter lamps and incense are available in the temple and can be bought directly there from the monk in charge who will assist you in presenting your offering:

• Butter lamp                              1.00 €/piece

• Incense stick offering             0.50 €/piece