Buddhist Sanctuary worth to visit near lake Balaton
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The Buddhist Sanctuary is the brainchild of the President of the Buddhist Peace Stupa Foundation in Hungary, Korean Buddhist monk, Venerable Bop Jon (Sunim). He decided in the early 90s to build a Buddhist Sanctuary in Hungary to promote the message of worldwide peace.
He discussed the plan with Zalaszántó local government and residents of the village that offered unfaltering support to the project; later, Balaton Uplands Forest and Wood Processing Plant also joined the initiative.
The project received financial assistance from South Korea, Hungary and Austria. The construction of the sanctuary was completed at the end of September 1992 and cost HUF 40 million. It was consecrated by the Dalai Lama on June 17, 1993.
Visitors are advised to walk around the stupa at least three times in a clockwise direction; this helps spiritual purification, and getting rid of negative energies.
Next to the sanctuary, there is a small gift shop selling goods from India, some of which are made by Tibetan refugees. Donations of generous people and the revenue generated by the small gift shop are the only source of income the two monks who run the sanctuary have.
A meditation room was built right next to the main structure of the building where the monks offer free meditation sessions to interested visitors every day in summer, and Saturdays and Sundays in winter.
