Versión en español

A Brief History of Chakrasamvara Center

 Up until  the 1980s, the only Buddhist center in the city of Seville was Doyo Zen, located at that time in the courtyard of San Laureano. In around 1982, a married couple from Seville visited the O Sel Ling retreat center in the Alpujarras Mountains and invited the resident Lama there to give teachings in Seville.

The first Tibetan Lama to visit Seville, took place at the end of 1987 or the beginning of 1988. It was Venerable Geshe Tempa Dhargye, resident Lama at O Sel Ling. He came with the Sherpa monk Thubten Tsering (his English translator) and the Spanish nun Paloma Alba. They gave teachings in a gymasium on Avión 4 Vientos Street. Geshe Tempa taught the Four Noble Truths. He always chose the first teachings given by Buddha Shakyamuni after his enlightenment whenever visiting a center for the first time to give teachings.

The next lama to visit was Jamyang Rinpoche, who who was on a brief stopover in Seville and gave a short teaching on Bodhichitta, translated into Spanish by the English monk Martín Wills who was residing in Extremadura at the time.

Later, Ángel Soubiron and his wife Conchi contacted people who had attended these teachings and proposed creating a Tibetan Buddhist center in Seville. They offered their premises, which were still used as a gymasium, but in which an altar and a throne were set up whenever teachers came, during the teaching sessions. The group also began meditating together on weekends. The first group included Ángel, Conchi, Rocío, Aurora, and Paco.

From then on, Geshe Tempa continued to visit regularly. Another important teacher was Venerable Geshe Lobsang Tsultrim, who gave the first Kriya Tantra initiation (jenang) in Seville accompanied by Jesús Revert. Afterwards, Geshe Lobsang Stultrim gave teachings at the Chakrasamvara  Centre regularly.

Later, Geshe Tempa Dhargye  gave the Green Tara initiation for the first time and continued giving teachings based on Lamrim topics. During this time, the center had a strong connection with O Sel Ling and considered joining the FPMT, founded by Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. In fact, Lama Zopa gave the center its name: Chakrasamvara. Although the center did not formally join the FPMT, it maintained strong ties with O Sel Ling, especially with Geshe Tempa.

In around 1990, Geshe Tamding Gyatso first visited Seville, gave teachings on Bodhichitta and bestowed the Manjushri initiation. He later gave the first Highest Yoga Tantra initiation given in Seville, the Chakrasamvara initiation. Gueshe Tamding Gyatso (Khen Rimpoché) came to Sevilla as well as many other FPMT on the initiative of Isidro Gordi who organized a series of teachings.  After the death of Geshe Tempa, Lama Zopa offered  Gueshe Tamding Gyatso to be the resident teacher at O Sel Ling, but he did not accept as the director of O Sel Ling. I think he always preferred to be independent.

In addition to Tibetan lamas, Western Buddhist teachers such as Dieter Kratzer, a disciple of Lama Zopa; Juan Manzanera, at the time a monk in the Monastery of Nalanda and Glen Mullin, a tibetologist and translator of the works of various Dalai Lamas previous to the current Dalai Lama also visited the center.

In 1992, the center left the premises on Avión 4 Vientos Street and temporarily met in premises dedicated to yoga on Boteros Street. There, Geshe Lobsang Tsultrim gave the Yamantaka initiation, and Dieter Kratzer taught a course on the subject of death.

Later, permanent premises were found in Plaza de San Martín. There, Geshe Tamding Gyatso accepted the role of spiritual director for the first time. Both he and Geshe Tempa were considered the main teachers of the center.

In order to inaugurate this new location, Geshe Tamding  remained in Seville for two months, offering many teachings and initiations. Other teachers also visited during this time such as Juan Manzanera and Dieter Krazter.

As the center outgrew the premises a, larger location was found on Nuestra Señora de la Paz Street. Many teachers visited, including several Tibetan lamas and Western practitioners. Gueshe Tamding Gyatso, Gueshe Lobsang Tsultrim, Lodro Rimpoche, Gueshe Palden Tsering, Gueshe Lamsang and Gueshe Tashi Tsering all gave teachings here. Gueshe Jangchup Choeden, who later became the abbot of Ganden, also gave teachings lasting for over one month. Also, Western Budhist teachers such as Dieter Kratzer, Juan Llurba, Juan Manzanera, Javier Artime and Ángeles de la Torre all gave teachings during this time.

In 2001, our teacher Geshe Tamding Gyatso was appointed abbot of Gaden Shartse Monastic University. However, his position as abbot was short-lived as in April 2002, he passed away after giving his final teachings on impermanence. After his passing, teachings at the Nuestra Señora de la Paz premises were given by H.E. Loden Sherab Dagyab Rimpoché, who visited on several occasions and bestowed the Heruka Chakrasamvara initiation. Teachings were also been given by Lama Geshe Tenzing Tamding; the current resident teacher H.E. Nyari Tritul Rinpoche;  and by Geshe Lobsang Yeshe.

In 2004, the community religious entity “C.B.T. Chakrasamvara” was officially created and officially registered under the Religious Entities Register.

In 2007, the center moved to a house on Senserina Street in Sevilla Este, which also served as the residence for the resident Lama Nyari Tritul Rimpoché.

In 2009, the Mahayana Buddhist Federation Thubten Thinley was established, and the Chakrasamvara Center joined it.

In 2013, the center moved again to a house on Extremadura Street. This house was purchased through the savings of seven members to avoid bank interests. The Chakrasamvara Center is still repaying this loan gradually, without any interest.

In the current year 2026, Extraordinary General Assembly meeting has been held and it was unanimously decided to leave the Thubten Thinley Federation and regain independence.

This decision was based on the understanding that spiritual leadership and financial management are two different things. Leaving the federation does not necessarily mean separating from the teacher, Lama Geshe Tenzing Tamding, who many still consider to be our teacher. However, the members of the center do not adhere to blind obedience to him regarding the Center’s administrative matters. Nonetheless,  they do remain open to receiving his teachings and welcoming him whenever he wishes to visit the Chakrasamvara Center, as he has done many times before.