Dukkar Apartments
Tsem Rinpoche and Dukkars in Dukkar Apts
Watch “The Magical Dukkar Apartments”
Watch “The Tour of Dukkar Apartments by Moh Mei”
Since April 2012, the Kechara Forest Retreat has been a hub of activity. Initially, two containers were set up as temporary accommodation for Rinpoche and his private staff. These containers, called the temporary abode, were set up in an L shape with a canopy over the empty space between the containers.
The initial two containers (at the back and on the right), with Rinpoche giving a talk to a group of students in the space between the containers.
Additional accommodation for male volunteers was set up in a temporary structure, which had tents in them. This was called ‘Tent City’, and was in the space between the temporary abode and the iconic tree.
"Tent City"
Eventually, more cabins were added to the temporary abode, bringing the number of cabins to seven, including one for showers/bathrooms.
Recently, as more staff have been coming to work at Kechara Forest Retreat, there has been an urgent need for more accommodation. There have also been constant requests for guests who wished to come and volunteer.
As such, Tsem Rinpoche suggested that Ladrang Liaison JP Thong build something fast, comfortable and inviting. Rinpoche said, “Let’s use containers like in Findhorn.”
JP thought it was a great idea and that it’d be fun to stay in containers!
This was how Dukkar Apts was conceptualised. JP requested one of Rinpoche’s students, Mr Thierry Janssens, a Belgian architect who has worked in Southeast Asia, to help him design the layout of Dukkar Apts. Within a few days, the layout was finalized. JP received Rinpoche’s blessings and immediately engaged the contractors to commence.
In total, there are 32 containers, with 30 for accommodation and 2 for storage. Of these, 22 containers are for full-time staff, members and friends. The additional eight containers have been allocated for Sangha (monks or nuns) and special guests. Twelve communal bathrooms will serve the entire complex. The containers are stacked in double-storey configurations to save space, and have mezzanine floors with metal staircases for access.
There is a roof over the entire premises to protect against the heavy rains, with mosquito netting all around. There will be a communal kitchen, dining area and lounge area also. This cosy complex is dedicated to sincere staff and volunteers who wish to contribute to H.E. Tsem Rinpoche’s vision and the growth of Dharma in the region.
~ Admin
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(below is Martin Chow’s thoughts)
In Tsem Rinpoche’s Kechara you learn not to be proud and yet it would be remiss of me not to point out how tremendously powerful it is when you believe your Guru and your motivation is for the advancement of the Dharma.
In just over a year ago, Kecharians started working on the land and they stayed in simple tents and slept on the ground. No one cared or minded at all. They were there on a mission, not a holiday. After a little while, something “better” was erected which was merely a bigger tent city under a timber structure. Again no one minded.
And now, look at what has happened on the very site that the old tent city stood a year ago…Dukkar Apartments which is really a resort-like community living. It is beautiful, it is comfortable and complete with all the mod cons…and yet, no one minds. The same people who work on the land would readily return to the simple tents if that is what is required for the Dharma to grow. The mission is far from over but already the undisputed truth is great things happen to ordinary people when they do it for Dharma. BELIEVE!
The POINT is, although Dukkar Apts have come about beautifully, it is merely a manifestation of minds that have transformed under the tutelage of a holy and compassionate Guru. You should see the “Dukkar” inside the minds of the people who build KFR…its unimaginably beautiful.
The exterior of Dukkar Apartments
Dukkar Apartments in the middle of a mystical forest
Laundry area
Dukkar Apartments at dawn
The plan of Dukkar Apartments
Tsem Rinpoche with Dukkar Apartment’s manager Moh Mei
Lights up! In Dukkar Apartments
Tsem Rinpoche’s quotes on the wall
Words of wisdom
First floor lounge area
A standard bedroom
First floor corridor
Common area
Computer corner
Reception area
Kitchen and dining area
Notice board and gallery
Gallery
Laundry area
Stairway
Tsem Rinpoche graces the opening night of Dukkar Apartments
Tsem Rinpoche poses in front of His quotes on the wall
A special dining area
A special dining area
A special lounge area
Map showing the location of Dukkar Apartments in Kechara Forest Retreat
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During construction of Dukkar Apartments
The very first container of Dukkar Apartments!
Adding another level…
Dukkar Apartments taking shape…
Tsem Rinpoche goes for inspection at Dukkar Apartments’ construction site almost every day
Panaromic view of Dukkar Apartments halfway through
Preparing the gallery section
The garden of the special dining area
Hardworking Khoo installing tables at Dukkar Apartments
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Hi, I’m so impressed with the project, it really awesome!
Thank you so much for all the efforts, spirits and moments that you guys made to the Dhukkar Apt Project.
May I know is it available and open to public stay for weekends? I’ve a plan to do a short retreat with my family. If yes how should I sign up?
Thank you.
Reading this posts brings back memories to the time of the Tent City, the only roof over our heads to keep us protected from the rain and wildlife during the days where Kechara Forest Retreat was only flora and fauna. Seeing the tent city “transformed” into Dukkar Apartments is exactly like what Martin said. It’s not only a physical transformation of the physical structure but of a mental one.
The hard work, sweat, heat, rain, mossie and sand-fly bites was worth it. The fact that Kecharians got out of their comfort zones when they could have just left the work to the contractors to do.
I’ve never properly stayed in Dukkar till recently. As it is now, it has become the hub for a spiritual community of the same dharma aspiration to flourish. It is awesome to live in a spiritual place. ?
Spiritual community.
Modern and yet rustic design of Dukkar Apartment in Kechara Forest Retreat. It was a great job done by the Kecharian who built this design. I have never thought that containers can be built into rooms. Interesting concept.
So beautiful and comfortable…..
A home away from the city ,a beautiful place Dukkar Apartments was conceptualized using containers. Through the hard work of so many people involved in Kechara Forest the kecharian and volunteer to work as well as to do meditation in such a peaceful environment.I was there recently and what strike me most is Rinpoche’s quotes on the wall.Don’t Wait For The Light Be The Light.Beautiful concept and design i love it.
Thank you Rinpoche for making these possible .
Beautifull Dharma retreat place.claudio cipullo
Thank you Rinpoche for providing us the place away from the town, where we can found peace, do meditations and retreats.
It is so nice to be able to spend a few days away from the busy work schedule, staying in Dukkar Apartment to enjoy the peaceful environment in KFR.
Thank you all Kecharians for your hard work and effort.
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Dear Rinpoche,
It makes my head spin just thinking how much big changes have been done to the land that was once the land of an even simpler design of just one big canvas tent and a dozen or so smaller tents under it.
It is hard to believe how Dukkar Apartments managed to manifest so swiftly and quickly and despite such a fast speed everything inside and outside of the Dukkar Apartment turned out great!
I really love how cosy,simple,comfortable and yet such a creative and and artistic layout and furnishing was managed!
Thank you Rinpoche for making such a wonderful idea possible!
Love
Jutika
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Dukkar is one of my favorite meditation deity and i am really happy this apartment was named after her.
The design and the concept of this apartment is amazing!!!
Hope that one day i will be one of the resident of this beautiful Dukkar Apartment!!
Thanks Rinpoche for the sharing
感谢师父无私的爱，先成立了可切拉佛教中心，几许多不同的部门，并现在成立了一个能够给我们学习禅修，闭关，心灵佛法的可切拉禅修中心，并更一步的迈向伟大的佛法宏远，成立世界和平中心
师父更慈悲的让我们参与在其中，好让我们能够有机会透过参与建立工作而累积更多的福德资粮，好让我们能够有足够的功德，更接近佛法
同时感谢各位师兄姐，您们无私的付出在佛法工作，并守护在师父的身旁，这一切一切都是我们新人心中的好
感谢师父除了提出这一切KFR的概念。更是用自己的身与力学行完全的督促与参与在所有的建设工作中，伟大的上师，感谢您
祈愿师父长驻在世 常转法轮
The Dukkar Apartment is a heaven!
One will never imagine in this remote forest there is such a comfortable, cozy lodging completes with every facilities you can think of… laundry area, beautiful dining area with 5-Star cooking facilities, desktop computers and free Wifi.
When you walk in the apartment, you will never realise the bedrooms are made of containers! I am one of the very lucky staff who gets to stay here when I am in KFR. When you wake up in the morning, you can feel the cool fresh air from the mountain…
I should be there, actually Khanda and I should be there! He had a dream we would all be together in our little apartments of the retreat years ago!! weird
Dear Diana, come and visit and cook for everyone. You are good at it. TR
It is amazing what Kecharians can achieve in just a few months. It is the result of a hardworking and dedicated team comprising JP Thong, Moh Mei, Khoo and Nicholas. When we put all in, with team work and working harmoniuosly, we create great result.
This beautiful apartment is built fora higher purpose, not for self-glorification. May pure dharma spread wide and far from here.
It has been a real pleasure to spend a few nights in Dukkar apartments after it was completed. It is clean, simple and very comfortable. Moh Mei is a wonderful and meticulous person who is perfect to oversee the Dukkar Apartments.
KFR is a place I go to with my kids over weekends where I can relax and my kids can spend time in nature planting and hanging out in the outdoors. Dharma here is about getting disconnected from our electronic gadgets 🙂
Dear Rinpoche, Is there a medical room for a doctor in the Retreat Center? I think so many people would need at least one doctor…
In my opinion Dukkar Apt should be submitted into some special category of interior or architectural competition cause it has great potential to be an award winning piece of creation. Its beautiful from external and very spacious, practical and modern internally. The space and decor also allows a lot of room for changes and flexibility in its interior design. I can imagine Rinpoche having lots of fun moving the furniture around and creating new spaces.
My family and I had the pleasure of staying over in Kfr for a few days over the new years. We slept in one of the 2 old containers and it was fabulous though it was very basic. Then we were not even aware that the DA would be built. Hence in a short time of 7/8 months the DA is built and lots of activities have taken place there too. Its almost unimaginable the speed it took to manifest. The power of faith and dedication .
Thank you dear Rinpoche and all the other hard working and wonderful people who made it all happen to benefit so many . Really looking forward to see the rest of the magic manifest in KFR.
Congratulations! Good job to everyone who worked tirelessly day and night, living in uncomfortable situations in the beginning without complaining and working for the dharma. All your good motivations and intentions has blossom into something so beautiful. Dukkar apartments looks magnificently beautiful, so sophisticated and brilliant idea to use containers, all of it was pieced together perfectly. Thank you Rinpoche for your never ending compassion, working tirelessly to benefit your students and the public without any selfish agendas. Kechara Forest Retreat is coming together wonderfully. Its amazing that you guys have 32 containers from the photos it doesn’t look like it could fit 32 containers all under one roof, it goes to show great planning and hard work bad be put into building Dukkar Apartments. Well done to Rinpoche, every Kecharians and every volunteer who came to build and clean Dukkar Apartments.
Tonight is the first night that I stay at Dukkar Apartment with my family. I feel so fortunate to be able to stay here and do Dharma here at Kechara Forest Retreat. Our girls are so fascinated when they came out from the car and be greeted by the sounds of insects. Lew & I brought our girls visited Wisdom hall, doing prostration to Buddha Shakyamuni, doing lights offerings to Lama Tsongkhapa and visited the newly setup Gift Room. We feel so blessed to be able to be here at Kechara Forest Retreat.
Thank you Rinpoche for making it happened for all of us. The KFR team, the liaisons, and a lot of hardworking Kechara staff and volunteers work tirelessly to build this up. Not forgetting all the sponsors who support us in the cause. Thank you all and may the Dharma spread far and wide and all beings can be free from sufferings and find peace within themselves with the manifestation of KFR.
Dukkar Apts is amazing, well structured and very conceptualized built to provide a comfortable stay for everyone who works hard in Kechara Forest Retreat. Thank you Rinpoche for showing great care to all of us and we are truly blessed to have your protections day and night.
Doesn’t look like a cabin to me at all. Very comfy and nice. I am sure the staff, volunteers and guests will have a pleasant stay at Dukkar apartments. 🙂
Dukkar Apartments (DA in short)is a cool and neat place to stay and chill out with other Kecharians and guests. Over the last two nights we had two different cooks i.e. Angel and JJ, with help from Levi and other wannabe cooks hehehe, cooking for all in DA’s communal kitchen. Last night after dinner cooked by JJ and company, we were treated to a movie screening in DA’s lounge area by Moh Mei, DA’s resident manager.
All these would not been possible without the vision of Tsem Rinpoche, concept drawing, managing and supervising of the whole project of Kecharians whose names have already been mentioned by Joy and others.
Thank you all.
Dukkar Apartments and it’s whole entire surrounding is truly something more than amazing… I must admit it is “magical”. It seems like it was only yesterday, we were camping in tent city and in our knee high yellow boots, walking in mud… and now looking at Dukkar… wow, you will begin to realise really nothing is impossible. JP, Nicholas, Moh Mei and Khoo… KUDOS!!! You guys are a great inspiration and true heroes of Dharma. You never built and did any construction yet you just trusted your Guru, followed instructions and just jumped right in, surrender and did it! And even when you come face to face with one after another obstacles…(and we all know there were tremendously lots) you NEVER gave up, you never once say you’ll quit and run!! And like what Rinpoche says; “If you wanna “purify” your karma fast and learn “patience”, just deal with Malaysian contractors. Boy do they really push every single button you got! This is what’s inspiring… and it just goes to show if you trust in your teacher 100%, everything else will just fall in to place.
Looking at the Dukkar, it’s a manifestation of Rinpoche’s vision and the students devotion and trust towards their Guru! It is truly “MAGICAL” It’s the 1st ever in the world to have Containers in a Meditational Forest Retreat and still maintaining the cool & luxurious “Kecharian” style that is sleek, modern yet stylish 😉 Yup that’s us!
I am so glad to see that the Dukkar Apartment are completed. Now helpers have a nice place to stay when they want to do dharma work. I am sure that these apartments are very comfortable, and i look forward to stay in them the next time i go to KFR. Whoever made the decision to build this place is very smart.
Wow! Very nice.It is a miracle for the Dukkar Apartments to materialise in such a short time from conceptual to actually being completed.We should thank our guru for his guidance and determination to provide us a place, we could learn living Dharma in the course of the project development. We must thank all the kind and generous sponsor and volunteer .Who had contributed so much time and money to materialist our Guru vision.
Dukkar Apartments is a manifestation of Rinpoche’s vision. Rinpoche was the one who came up with the concept that is implemented today. Without Rinpoche, there would not be KFR! Thank you so much Rinpoche for all your hard work and devotion and leading us to Enlightenment.
Dukkar Apartments are a very comfortable and warm place to live in! My mum, brother and I came up and stayed in my dad’s container on Friday, and then we left on Sunday night. This morning, we came up again! Hehe.. I really love the concepts, designs, everything about it! Wonderful!
Thank You for sharing the videos and pictures Rinpoche! 🙂
It was a nice , neat and comfortable ‘apartment” to stay on. It was modern and cosy, the most important, it full of the love, passion and determination of Tsem Rinpoche and Kecharian to made this happen.
The interior design of Dukkar Apartments is so beautiful and classy.Thank you Moh Mei for showing us in this video.I am sure a lot of people would want to come and spend some time here just to get away from the city life during weekends or holidays. I also like Rinpoche’s quotes on the wall.Don’t Wait For The Light Be The Light.Thank you Rinpoche.
From two containers, Dukkar Apartments was conceptualized using containers to provide accommodation for Kechara full time staffs, members, friends and guests. Through the hard work of so many people involved in Kechara Forest Retreat, Dukkar Apartments is such a spacious, beautiful and cozy place to live in.
May Dukkar Apartments housed many more committed and dedicated dharma practitioners who will come to support Rinpoche’s vision and mission
Wow… Dukkar apartment really so wonderful and beautiful place 🙂 I really can’t imagine, that in KFR had been so fast completed build up so many buildings already. When I looks on those picture, this place looks so comfortable and it is awesome..
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing those pictures and videos.
Dear Rinpoche, me and my family just came back from KFR. We lived in Dukkar Apartment for 2days and we had a lots of fun. We are going up to Dukkar Apartment again. I love staying at Dukkar Apartment. The place is very well done and I like everything about it except for the dusts.
it is beautyfull and amazing place dear rinpoche and very hard working kecharean.nice to done Dukkar Apartments its realy realy nice place.i realy like it rinpoche thank you.
It is actually quite incredible how construction have progressed with such intensity and speed within Kechara Forest Retreat. It is as the article shares, not so long ago that we literally had to “rough-it-out” in the forest so to speak. It was not pleasant to say the least but it was not a chore either as it was something that was certainly worth the discomforts or doubts that arose as it was for a bigger purpose… bigger than ourselves!
And literally, lo and behold, less than a year after we have the Enchanted Forest Ladrang, Manjushri Hill office, Wisdom Hall AND Dukkar apartments. Let us not forget much landscaping throughout the land that has given it the visual sparkle!
For us it may seem “normal” to be able to complete all thus far but to people outside, it is often shock and disbelief at the speed and vision.
All this and more because of ONE thing… the faith in Rinpoche, the surrender and the trust that comes with it!
wow, that is so beautiful! i have always thought when saw it when working at KFR that it looked nice and now it is complete, good job guys. now people that have moved there or are helping for the night have a super nice shelter. thank you for sharing this Rinpoche.
Dukkar Apts is truly a manifestation of our Guru, HE Tsem Rinpoche’s vision. Rinpoche had come up with the concept of container living for awhile now and as described above, we did start with two containers and over a very short time, the concept had evolved into what we have today. Rinpoche cares very much for his students and friends and Dukkar was created with simple, basic comfort in mind. The result looks like resort-living and is actually quite luxurious!
Thank you to Rinpoche, sponsors and KFR team for Dukkar Apts – may it house many dedicated and sincere Dharma students and friends for years to come!
Shelly tai on 4 August 2013 at 1145am
Is a very well build cabin what are good idea in a very short period of time we can have such a coolsy place like this to stay. Thank you Rinpoche for giving us such a condusive place to stay as we can collect merits. I rejouce for those who work hard for this project.