As we offer you our heartfelt end-of-year greetings, we would like to share an update on the Monastery project, including recent developments, progress, and the challenges we continue to face.
Last March, confident that we were close to starting the work, we had not fully reckoned with the timeframes and demands of the bureaucratic process.
We are currently at a standstill over an access road issue, which was initially designed in accordance with the requirements communicated to us in May 2023 and was subsequently revised following further requests following the convening of the Conferenza dei Servizi (a formal inter-agency planning review) in March 2025. This is an essential issue that must be resolved before the necessary urbanisation works can begin, allowing construction to start.
We have also been working for several months on the service infrastructure, particularly on a design process that has reached a level of complexity we believe is unique in the local area. We are still awaiting clarification on the level of financial commitment required.
We are, and remain, a non-profit organisation committed to social development. We are not a commercial, profit-driven enterprise; therefore, we ask that this status be recognized appropriately after many years of sustained and demanding preparation for the start of construction.
The monastic presence here in Pomaia dates back to 1977, almost fifty years in this area. It is undeniable that our contribution, through pursuing inner development as a primary purpose in life, has supported the country's development and the well-being of many thousands of people.
<strong>The objective, therefore, is greater than ourselves and than all the institutions and organisations involved. Yet this dimension continues to be largely underestimated by those with whom we are in dialogue, with only rare and recent exceptions, whom we take this opportunity to thank for their continued support in this direction. <strong/>
In order to serve others more effectively, our first Abbot, Geshe Jampa Gyatso, already advised us as far back as 2004 to establish a Monastery for monks and nuns close to the Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, so that we could continue to be of benefit in this place, which is so special for the many people seeking inner harmony.
The values that define us, and which are cultivated through listening, reflection, and meditation, are peace, compassion, kindness, and the renunciation of what is superfluous and of the causes of suffering, grounded in universal love and wisdom. These are qualities that cannot be monetised, yet they enrich human beings, animals, and the environment around us, and they require a place dedicated to their cultivation, as shown by the spread and enduring example of monasticism and religious communities within Christianity.
We have truly taken many steps forward in this direction, thanks to the guidance of our Teachers and the support of many of you who continue to stand with us and believe in the benefits this Monastery will bring.
For the issuance of the building permit for the Temple,which was previously approved and then suspended, we still require authorisations both for access from the provincial road and from the utility service providers.
We are working every day to find a solution to certain requests that have been presented to us and that go well beyond our capacity. We hope to overcome these issues within the first months of the new year,and that a spirit of reasonableness will prevail.
We will keep you more regularly informed, thanks also to an important new development, that we are making possible with the help of five specific donors: the opening of an office and a space open to the public in the centre of Pomaia.
A New Space in Pomaia, Where We Can Meet
Last May, thanks to the generosity of five donors, we purchased a former commercial premises in the centre of the village of Pomaia, which we are currently renovating and which will be ready in the coming months.
The purchase was driven by the need for a space of our own, where monks and nuns can work together and meet with people.
It will be an environment for organising social-focused activities to serve both the local and broader communities, including those who engage with us online. It will be a place where information, listening, and answers can be found.
Part of the space will be dedicated to an office where our collaborators can work, meet with professionals, and create and deliver high-quality communication and activities.
It will also be a “beautiful” space, where relationships can arise naturally, without needing to be planned, without having to purchase an experience, and where social interaction can exist without being justified by a purchase, a ticket, or a reservation.
A place that strengthens the social fabric and helps make a village liveable even on “ordinary” days, a place to be together, to work, to talk, and to get to know one another. A place where the Dharma becomes action , as Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche taught, emphasising the practical application of Buddhist wisdom and compassion in everyday life.
Inside, there will be a space for meditation and prayer, for reflection and spirituality. You'll find suggestions, care and assistance, and much more, which we'll also share with you as we await your visit.
Good Things We Have Done Together
During the past year, we continued the teachings of our Abbot, Ven. Geshe Thubten Chonyi, dedicated to Lama Tsongkhapa’s text The Songs of Experience. He has been sharing these teachings with us with great generosity since 2024, and they continued through several sessions over the course of the year.
The course “Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand” continues and now has more than XNUMX participants registered on our PerCorsi di spiritualità platform. Throughout the year, we offered more than 40 lessons, hours of guided audio meditations, self-assessment quizzes, and numerous opportunities for live online sharing and in-depth exploration, all of which were also available as recordings. This has supported a form of practice that is consistent, gradual, and accessible to all.
Alongside our more traditional courses, we continued to offer material for inspiration and reflection through the podcast Dharma Stories, a listening space dedicated to the Dharma in everyday life, as well as through articles published in the News section of our Monasterobuddhista.it website and on social media, offering prompts for reading, study, reflection, and meditation on a wide range of themes.
We took part in cultural and social events of broad significance as a way of sharing and contributing to the spread of the values of the Dharma, the Buddha’s teachings.
Our Meditation Retreat in Assisi, held each year in the hometown of Saint Francis and Saint Clare, is becoming a valued annual opportunity to cultivate study, meditation, and reflection together in person. It is further enriched by meaningful moments of interreligious dialogue, which have nourished the hearts and minds of all those who took part.
With renewed gratitude for what we have shared together, we are already at work organising the next retreat, scheduled for this coming July, as well as many other Dharma activities.
With our sincerest wishes for a peaceful and wholesome 2026.