The White Butterfly Lives.....by Jacqueline Gens

ON the last day before his departure, our visiting guest artist for Khandroling Paper Cooperative from Nepal, Milan Rai, created one of his magical installations on the barn at Lower Khandroling. Auspiciously, Milan’s coming and going seemed to coincide with the synchronous events of transformation currently happening on upper and lower Khandroling. A young sprite of a man, he came and went with a light foot print, leaving his butterflies and the spirit of transformation everywhere. All sorts of people were captivated by his simple handing out white butterflies with no particular agenda. The following represent some of the remarkable changes manifesting on Khandroling. [A full review of Milan's visit to a local high school and participation in an art opening are forthcoming on the Khandroling Paper Cooperative website.]


Forest Rehabitation and Tree Cutting

One of the most dramatic events on Upper Khandroling at present is the long awaited scheduled removal of white pine, dead debris, and unwanted first growth scrub such as Hemlock that inhibit the presence of wildlife and a flourishing forest. This project was developed a few years ago as part of a grant to the state of Massachusetts to create new habitat for small animals, especially birds. Years ago Rinpoche selected trees that should be eliminated such as all the white pine. As the tree cutting takes place, still many beautiful forest hardwoods are being retained in the landscape that will eventually become verdant open fields leading up to the spectacular Mandala Hall at the site of the Universal Mandala. Wild flowers and bulbs were planted this past year in preparation for the altered landscape. The same company undertaking this project was enlisted to clear the two possible sites for the Community House/Gonpa that Rinpoche asked us to build when he was in residence this past summer. Both sites that Rinpoche visited and performed offerings have been cleared for building. See our previous story here.





Before bringing on the awesome machinery necessary for this project, there was Guardian and Serkyem practice.

[one of the sites proposed by Rinpoche for a gonpa/community house]

The following pictures of the road leading up to the stupa from the pond on Upper Khandroling are by Paula Barry:








The monster "tree eater"

Mandala Hall Floor of the Universal Mandala

Amid the din of heavy machinery, Jim Smith and Nary Mitchell, with a few volunteers, have been quietly troubleshooting the arduous process of preparing the surface to apply color to the incised Universal Mandala. The process is intricate and multifaceted. An interview is forthcoming but for now let me just share my first impression of the applied white color of the Universal Mandala, the first of the coloration which required thirteen coats!

I was simply awed by the translucency of the color, which appears transparent like a delicate skin where one can see organic patterns of veins and cells - something alive. The effect like much of the Mandala Hall itself, defies the actual density on the material level of the concrete materiality manifesting in a fusion of lightness, with a kind of floating quality. You will have to see for yourself. 

Pictures at this point do not do justice to this quality. The next application of color will be yellow so perhaps the pictures will show something of this quality better than the white.

[The surface needed to be swept before each application of paint or sealer]

It is useful to know that the Universal Mandala on Khandroling will be the first thoroughly accurate mandala to scale. Here is a segment of the master rendered to scale that is being followed where golden lines will transect the boundaries of the Earth and Solar Mandalas.

Many thanks to all those workers, donors and supporters of this project from around the world. We look forward to seeing some of you during our inauguration proceedings in the summer of 2014.

Lower Khandroling Farm Cooperative 

This year, the land surrounding Rinpoche's modest house on the land that was once a working farm began to come alive with the constant care and attention of the newly formed Khandroling Coop team spearheaded by Yuchen Namkhai, whose vibrant vision of a sustainable community for the future of the Gar is the guiding light behind this project.





[view of Rinpoche's house from the south field photo by Yuchen Namkhai]

Connecting the farm and the upper Khandroling property is a state of the art road that is partially paved leading from the far end of the meadow up to the property known as the Colonial’s property, the nearest neighbor to our retreat land and the Mary Lyon parking lot, thus easily connecting the two properties. Wild flowers were flourishing along side the road in a burst of riotous color. Bees, mushrooms, and hundreds of blueberry bushes are being planted this month.

Summer 2014

Many activities are currently in the works to celebrate the special events planned for the summer of 2014, including the inauguration of the Mandala Hall for the Universal Mandala. 


Jacqueline Gens
September 2013

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