Karma Ling Institute

Located in the Bens valley at 800 meters above sea level, in the Belledonne chain, above the village of Arvillard , the place was occupied by a community of Chartreux between the 12th and 18th centuries.

In 1173, they built a monastery there, the Charterhouse of Saint Hugon , from which they were driven out during the French Revolution.

In 1979, a small group of Buddhist practitioners acquired the old monastery to restore it and offer it to the great Tibetan master Kalou Rinpoche . The latter consecrates the place and gives it the name of "Karma Chédroup Tcheu Ling". He entrusts the spiritual direction to his main disciple in the West, Lama Denys .

This institute quickly became one of the most important centers of study and Buddhist practice in France. In 1993 and 1997, the 14th Dalai Lama ( Tenzin Gyatso ) gave lessons at the Karma Ling Institute.