Buddhist lama behind proposed €1m temple design

A BUDDHIST lama, who is a former actor and member of his country’s parliament, has been behind the planning and design of Ireland’s first Tibetan temple.

Planning permission is being sought for the new €1 million development at west Cork’s Dzogchen Beara buddhist centre where ancient skills, not normally associated with building projects in this country, were used to draw up the blueprints.

Geomancy, described as a system of divination that employs the scattering of pebbles, grains of sand, or seeds on the earth and then the interpretation of their shape and position, was central to the plans which have been submitted to Cork County Council.