The Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center & Kumbum Chamtse Ling Monastery which is located in Snoddy Road in Bloomington, works on fostering and preserving Tibetan and Mongolian cultures in U.S. It also provides education in Tibetan and Mongolian cultures in the Bloomington community.
“We are committed to improving the diversity of religion cultures in Bloomington now like interfaith program,” said Arjia Thubten Lobsang Rinpoche, the director and president of the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center in Bloomington.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M7LCLgZE28
They are determined to promote interfaith dialogue program in Indiana and also throughout the world. Many different kinds of religions, like Catholic, Episcopalian, Methodist, Bahai, Jewish, Hindu, Shinto and Sikh come to discuss their faith at the center each month.Their interfaith program would like to promote the exchange of different religions and promote interfaith harmony.
“Many religions are all coming together, with the same message: ‘Love is compassion,” Tenpa Phuntsok, a monk in the center, said.
Rinpoche respects every religion and wants to study them together. Even though religious doctrine may differ, they want to carry forward the positive parts of each religion and extend them to people of all faiths.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4Y_gqLYREE
The brother of the Dalai Lama, Thubten Norbu, founded the Tibetan Cultural Center in Bloomington to preserve Tibetan culture and religion, when he served as a professor of Tibetan Studies at Indiana University. In 2002, Norbu began the construction of the Kumbum Chamtse Ling Temple, which was completed in 2003. The Dalai Lama appointed Arjia Thubten Lobsang Rinpoche to take over the directorship of the center in 2005. Arjia Rinpoche is in the process of creating “Kumbum West,” which is a learning institution to be located at the temple that will be dedicated to the teaching of language, philosophy, medicine, astrological sciences, and meditation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6OXyPK-4Z0
There are many people who come the recitation and lectures; people from all over the world. They have various professions: students, professors and scientists, and they have different complexions: white, black and yellow. They speak different languages, Chinese, Tibetan, India and English.
“So for me, Buddhism is also having a great benefit. It leads me to the release to the suffering,” said Hollie Hirst, a center volunteer.
There also promotes different programs in the temple– like fall tour in the center and retreat. Those events are listed on their website. Their summer retreat held annually says it helps people purify their mind. Rinpoche recently conducted lectures in prisons to teach prisoners how to cultivate goodness in themselves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeQxnatZ3MA
If you want to find more about this place of peace, go to: