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Former Brilley Pub Run As Buddhist Retreat
BBC NEWS, HEREFORD & WORCESTER
September 30, 2011: A former Herefordshire pub has been transformed into a Buddhist retreat. The New Inn at Brilley is being used to host a week long ceremony, which is known as the 'consecration of the enlightenment stupa'.
Four Lamas have been visiting the village from a monastery in Nepal for the event, which culminated on Friday.
Daphne Tucker owns the retreat: "This is a one off special event - to build the stupa is a very rare occasion and it cannot be done just causally. "It's a special structure that is done according to very specific measurements and also the objects put inside it have to be very specific - the sequence is very important."
Scrolls and relics
Mantras written on scrolls and blessed objects have been added to the stupa, which is a circular structure containing Buddhist relics and was introduced 2,500 years ago.
One of the Lamas, Choje Lama Phuntsok, explained the stages of the construction process of the stupa and give visitors the chance to ask questions about his knowledge.
Ms Tucker, who has lived in Herefordshire for 12 years and practices Tibetan Buddhism, said: "When I came to this peaceful place I thought perhaps I can offer some space for those that practice the same thing." "People come from London, Birmingham - from busy spaces - looking for some kind of space that we have forgotten."
