LE MOULIN 
LE MOULIN About us
LE MOULIN About us | About us |
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- History of Tapovan and Le Moulin - Association Moulin de Chaves 
Le Moulin (formerly Tapovan)has been
supporting Dharma practice since 1995, initially in a remote valley in
the French Pyrenees, and since 2005 in our beautiful riverside centre
in the Dordogne, South West France.
Le Moulin hosts all kinds of Dharma events, from silent retreats to Dharma Gatherings and our annual Dharma Yatra
pilgrimage. Our primary emphasis however, is on deep Dharma practice
which engages with others in a relational environment. Many of our
events seek to integrate silence and solitude with relationship and
interaction. This offers the richness of a community environment, where
deepening in meditation supports our contact with others, and at the
same time, seeing how we are in relationship with others forms the
basis for much of our exploration in meditation.
Three adults and 2 children live permanently on site – Gail and Martin Aylward, their children Jaya and Narayan, and Ian Davidson. There is also a small community of supporters gradually forming in the village, mostly in the house of our old friend Caroline Forbes. 
Le Moulin is set in exquisitely beautiful surroundings. Right on the
banks of a wide river, there are bamboo groves and mature trees, the
sounds of birdsong and flowing water, the beautiful Japanese style
wooden meditation hall. This contact with beautiful, peaceful
surroundings has a soothing and stilling effect on heart and mind,
encouraging ease of being, and directing our attention inward.
All our activities are run through the Association Moulin de Chaves, a French non-profit organisation. Staffed entirely by volunteers, we welcome Dana to support our ongoing work. History  Tapovan was founded in 1995 by Gail and Martin Aylward, with lots of
inspiration and no money. With a 1 year old daughter at the time, they
found very few Dharma centres open to them, and so decided to start
their own. They found a small stone house in the foothills of the
French Pyrenees with no running water, no electricity, 2km from vehicle
access, and opened their doors to anyone with a love of Dharma and
Nature. The very first visitor, Paco, arrived in April 1995 to stay 3
days, and was there for the next 8 years.  By 2001, 8 adults and three children were living  permanently at Tapovan, in addition to a flow of visiting yogis all through the summer. Martin had begun teaching retreats around the world, and more and more people were coming to stay. Martin and Gails personal space was on a mezzanine just above the communal kitchen, and it seemed like something had to change. It was no longer possible to keep receiving visitors while also taking care of their own relationship and family life with their two children. In early 2004, Ian Davidson who had spent time at Tapovan and been involved in different ways in supporting activities there, proposed to Gail and Martin looking for a way to move and expand Tapovan.  After six months of looking at crumbling farms all over south west France, they found an extraordinarily suitable property,
a former zen monastery in a beautiful forested valley, right on the
banks of the Auvezere river, in the Dordogne region of South West
France. They drove up to see it in the early afternoon, and had agreed
the sale by tea time. Martin and Gail, their two children Jaya and
Narayan, and Ian moved in March 2005. Le Moulin was inaugurated on the
May Full moon of the Buddha’s Awakening, 23rd May, 2005 – which was
also Martin’s 35th birthday. In early 2006, Caroline Forbes, an old friend who many know as retreat manager at the Thai Monastery in Bodh Gaya, India, bought a house 3 minutes away from Le Moulin and is also very involved in the ongoing life of the place. Le Moulin continues to offer space to ever more visitors, and to develop its ongoing program. The intention as ever is to support as best we possibly can, the deepening of wisdom and compassion, the profound exploration of the inestimable Dharma, the Liberation of human life. 
About Association Moulin de Chaves.
Association Moulin de Chaves (formerly the Dharma Network Association - DNA) is a French Non Profit organisation (Association sans but lucratif 1901), registered no. 0112002698. Association Moulin de Chaves manages all Dharma Events connected with the Le Moulin Meditation Centre. The officially stated aims of the Association are: To facilitate the study and practice of the teachings of the Buddha, to bring together Dharma practitioners and to foster links and mutual support between them, for the purposes of spiritual Awakening. Association Moulin de Chaves is staffed entirely by volunteers. Many people give time and energy to support the activities of the association. This is done as an act of love and generosity. They in turn are supported by your kindness and Dana. |
