Danakosha Ling

A beautiful and traditional Buddhist monastery in Jokioinen, the mid-point of the three major cities in south-western Finland. We emphasize being an authenthic Buddhist monastery for study and practice for students from all over the world, particularly in northern Europe. 

Brief history of Danakosha Ling

Danakosha Ling is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery, founded by Tulku Dakpa Rinpoche, as a place for the study and practice of Buddhism, particularly the Nyingma tradition.  

The beginnings of Danakosha Ling date back to 2001, when Tulku Dakpa Rinpoche gave teachings for the first time in Finland. Rinpoche, who had been visiting Europe since 1999, was invited by a group of Finnish practitioners to stay here permanently and Rinpoche accepted.

Initially, collective practice took place in the apartments of individual practitioners, making their space available in turns. In 2005 Danakosha Ling was officially registered, and the following year the decision was made to rent a stable place for hosting retreats and events, and the premises of a former kindergarden on Museokatu, Helsinki was rented.

For the following ten years, the pace of the group gradually took up, with the membership base becoming more stable, succeeding in organizing great many retreats and events with Rinpoche and hosting retreats with some prominent teachers such as H.H. Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche, H.H. Sakya Trizin Rinpoche, H.E. Khochhen Rinpoche, H.E. Mindrolling Jetsun Khandro Rinpoche and others.

During this period it became clear that the growing scale of Rinpoche’s activities would in a long perspective benefit from Danakosha Ling having a place of its own. For over two years several prospective properties have been visited and considered before finally in 2016 the Sälli estate in Jokioinen was discovered. Owned by a sibling couple, whose family practically owned the area for generations, the three-hectare land with several building amidst a picturesque landscape of southern Finland seemed ideal. 

All went well and soon a deal was struck, leading to the outset of Danakosha Ling as a Dharma community place. Right after the purchase in September 2016 arduous work begun on the construction of the temple which emerged in place of the former tractor hall.

In 2023, Danakosha Ling was recognized by the Finnish authories as being a Tibetan Buddhist monastery, the first in Finland.

How to arrive at Danakosha Ling

Danakosha Ling is situated in the municipality of Jokioinen, amidst the three major cities of Helsinki, Turku and Tampere in the south of Finland and is indeed well accessible.

For inland connections please note that Forssa, the closest town with good connections to all over Finland is only some 7 km away. In order to get here from Forssa, you can choose to take a bus, a taxi or arrange a pick up with Danakosha Ling’s janitor.

Visitors arriving from abroad most frequently do so via plane through Helsinki or Turku international airports or by water – the ferries of all the providers land in those same cities.

Don’t hesitate to contact us in case you have some questions.

Brief explanation of the deeper significance of the name Danakosha

To the west of India in the land of Oddiyana, there was situated, in the midst of a lake, an island called Danakosha. Abode of the four types of Nagas, it was like a treasury of wealth which continually satiated whatever anyone desired. The banks, strewn with golden sand were encircled by many sublime trees, sandalwood and so forth, where birds as well as tame and wild animals, living in harmony with each other, cheerfully disported.

In various directions there were charnel grounds where mamos and khandros (dakas and dakinis) resided continually, spontaneously arisen stupas and the Orgyen Heruka Temple, seat of the treasure-holders of the infinite, profound, secret Tantric sacred scriptures. The kingdom, felicity and fame all endured and the king, ministers, retinue and subjects all prospered through the glory of the many excellent Dharma activities and wordly affairs. As the birthplace of the Dzogchen Master Garab Dorje and of Guru Padmasambhava, celestial beings and others have come from afar and brought supreme offerings. Moreover, the Master Jampal Shenyen or Manjushrimitra and many other scholars and siddhas have gathered here and this is the origin of all the secret Tantra teachings.

Since the name Danakosha embraces all these auspicious meanings, it was bestowed for the purpose of serving as a reminder of the kindness of all the great Indian and Tibetan masters as well as, so that in the mindstream of those practitioners endowed with faith and with a connection to Tulku Dakpa Rinpoche, all activities in accordance with the Dharma, which arise from seeing the great excellence of this auspicious connection, will be fulfilled effortlessly, attaining the qualities of scripture and realization vieing only with the glory of the waxing moon.

Main temple and Karma Gatshel

The very heart of Danakosha Ling is the marvelous temple. Building a temple was the first major project after purchasing the estate in 2016 and it manifested through an extensive reconstruction of a large tractor garage. The hall itself is divided into the spacious temple, which serves for practice and event gatherings and Karma Gatshel, “Garden of karma”, a smaller space with an “L” shaped gallery which hosts smaller occasions, serves as a backstage during bigger events and contains Danakosha Ling’s and Danakosha Trust’s offices and a small dharma shop.

Though relatively young, the temple’s facilities, altar and both interior and exterior decoration underwent a significant improvement over the past couple of years resulting in a rare example of elegant mixture of traditional and modern sacral architecture. It is dominated by a grand altar, containing among many other relics and objects of veneration, two larger-than-life statues of Buddha Shakyamuni and Guru Padmasambhava.

Dormitory – Gendun Gatshel

Our dormitory, also known as Gendun Gatshel, “Garden of Sangha”, is located in the center of the ling and as of summer 2019 provides for accommodation, food and sanitary needs of Danakosha’s many visitors. The two-storey building in red and white, previously serving as a granary, was transformed into a modern and functional facility with 15 double bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, a professional kitchen and a beautiful two-level dining hall with an outside terrace.

Apart from providing for the bulk of our guests during the main events, the rooms are used for individual retreats too, making Danakosha Ling an ideal place for studying and practically applying Buddha’s teachings throughout the year.

Garden and surroundings

Danakosha’s garden, orchard and a birch grove stretch over more than two hectars situated on an easy slope overlooking the small river Loimijoki and its opposite bank. The property is a locally renowned sighseeing point due to the beauty, variety and overall aesthetics of its landscape. The garden has been built over many years by previous owners Leena and Tuukka with affection and knowledge and the result is wonderful. Its harmonious surroundings provide an ideal background for calming one’s mind and becoming more open to the beauty of the present moment.

Yet it’s not only natural richness that we owe this beautiful place for. From spring until late autumn, supported by our diligent garden team of volunteers, it provides multitude of healthy and delicious foods – berries, fruits, herbs, mushrooms. Danakosha’s garden’s harvest is especially rich in apples and pears, leading to the idea to start producing our own juice. Since its start in 2017 this initiative saw a lot of improvement and has slowly become an integral element of Danakoshas thriving wheel of activities.

Support our Stupa Project

Help us finish the road access and lanscaping around the Great Enlightenment Stupa at Danakosha Ling, Finland!