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Buddhist Temple Facade – Visiting Plum Village
Very often when contemplating the growth of Buddhism as a popular religion, the mind will turn to the various Buddhist temples that so often grace the countryside in Indonesia, Japan, or Thailand. Yet did you know that Europe has quite a few famous sites for Buddhist worship as well? One of the most well known faith based communities in Buddhist circles is the Plum Village which is located in Dordogne, France.
Plum Village may not be numbered amongst the list of Buddhist temples simply because it is referred to as a medication center instead. This does in no way, however, negate its importance to French Buddhism. The community is fairly new, having begun in the early 1980s and immediately opening its doors to other faithful. In the beginning it was the annual summer retreats which attracted more and more people to this wonderful community.
As is the practice of most Buddhist temples, Plum Village holds to a rigorous schedule in order to assure that mind is indeed put above matter, yet without neglecting the latter! Mind and body as synchronized as the stay for the faithful begins as early as 5:00 a.m. Meditation, work, rest, exercise as well as study time quickly fill up the day, and those who visit Plum Village and submit to the rigorous schedule are sure to find the peace of mind they are hoping to attain. A typical day ends at 10:30 p.m. when the lights are extinguished and everyone gets ready for the next day.
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