Paths on the green land of Merigar
This project is aimed to utilize even more a part of Merigar’s land that hasn’t yet been fully developed, giving it priority to function as a place of meditation in movement and rest, an area intended for individual and group meditation, guided or on your own, in open air, but also as a trekking experience on the land.
The wonderful nature and landscape value of the territory, the altering perceptions of the places in the phases of the day and seasons, the views of the vast landscapes, the tranquilty of the woods and its sounds, the architecture and information boards are all helps in encouraging one to stop and stay awhile, leading one to come into touch with oneself, discovering and practicing a relaxed presence and open awarness, immersing oneself in a total and profound relationship with surrounding nature.
This project, “The Path of Awareness” foresees the realization of a meditative/naturalistic path, which crosses a portion of Merigar and connects with the network of hiking trails (path n. 13 of the Italian Alpine Club and the Parco Faunistico path). A part of this planned path was already pre-existing, enjoyed spontaneously by practitioners and occasional hikers and visitors; the project intends to requalify, expand and enhance it.
The initial project of the path drawn up for its construction, dates back to 2018 but an in-depth analysis necessary for its execution revealed critical environmental issues, above all connected to hydrogeological and the land’s absorption of rainwater. (more >>)
What emerged from the ongoing maintenance of the woodland, from topographical surveys and from the first hydrogeological study, led to a rethinking of the path layout. Another significant aspect in this rethinking of the route was the need not to include the Great Stupa of Enlightenment and all its surrounding area in the general itinerary, as a means of communicating the indispensable respect for the sacredness of the place.
The entrance to Merigar’s land, for those who take the CAI path no. 13 from Arcidosso, needs to be suitably marked with an illustrative totem to prepare hikers to visit the site; The plants and greenery along the route and surrounding the Little Stupa of Enlightenment will be reviewed with an aim to allow one to perceive the visual relationship, and symbolic value, with the other two Stupas and with the Gönpa.
The direction of the path will be changed, leaving part of the paved road to reach the library structure; for a visitor who walks down from the “Golden House” or from the area of the Small Stupa of Enlightenment, at the intersection with the paved road, is planned a small “belvedere” from which one can enjoy the sight of the Great Stupa of Enlightenment with its beautiful green meadows, a line of conifers curtaining it and a view of vast hilly landscape. An explanatory signpost will note the significance of the stupa and other aspects of the view.
At this point the path will turn west to skirt the water reserve basin which will be recovered to its full function, a basin that will alter the riparian vegetation and underline the character of a wetland with the planting of a decumbent willow (Salix babylonica pendula).
Just below the ridge line, a new section of the path will be created which will descend towards the area of the Great Stupa of Enlightenment; the height of its track will be aimed at allowing a close perception of the large meadow to the north (almost touching it with your eyes) and the large meadow dipping to the south, with a view of the revived water basin between the poplars downstream and the Gönpa.
Along the descent towards the area of the Great Stupa a small rest area will be created, paved with local stones, with a “seat” with a reign by of small trees with intense spring flowering (eg: Cercis siliquastrum, Prunus serrulata). The area surrounding the Great Stupa will be altered by eliminating the existing interfering artifacts and the service road that reaches it, integrating the embankment that separates the structure from the meadow’s slope in front, in order to guarantee the immediate surrounding surface as a complete and easily legible circular shape, an area of respect. The embankment will be integrated with flowering shrubs, grasses to detach from the tended lawn/meadow.
In the area surrounding the Great Stupa, bulbous and herbaceous flowers will be planted during most of the year (chosen mainly among the typical species of the region) with a plant layout that progressively thickens from the surrounding meadow towards the Stupa, as if nature wants to gather around the Master and as if from the Stupa, an energy towards the surrounding nature is visible in a flowery blaze.
From the rest area, the path continues to the edge of the woods and downstream of the meadow basin, the bank that supports the base of the building should be thickly planted with shrubs, mainly evergreens, in order to allow the vision of only the glittering top of the Great Stupa for those coming out of the woods, from the direction of the Gönpa.
The path, after the ancient tree with the split and twisted trunk, will go into the woods through vegetation that will create a dense shady corridor up to the stream bed.
After crossing the stream and skirting the restrooms structure (to be restored and separated from view with an evergreen hedge), the path will continue towards the Cinerary; the final part of this section of the path will need to be reshaped to reduce its very steep slope. The flat area surrounding the Cinerary, its function and landscape, will be altered from changes in the downstream embankment, where a dense monochromatic red rose garden will be planted (e.g. Rosa la Sevillana), and the upstream embankment changed, now made up of cyclopean boulders to be covered with dry shrubs (e.g Spiraea thunbergii).
To overcome the steepness of this section to the Gönpa a cordoned dry walkway is planned along side the path. From the Gönpa area a new section of the path allows you to reach the Palbar Stupa (The Stupa of Blazing Splendor), enjoying the view over the large meadow in the south-west. Now walk up to the Stupa along the existing route to be redeveloped, in the large open space that characterizes this part of Merigar. The climb allows you to catch a glimpse of the Master’s spiritual retreat to the northwest, at the foot of the cliff on which the Gönpa stands; the glimpse, in the dense vegetation at the edge of the plateau, will be marked by an evergreen columnar tree (Cupressus sempervirens pyramidalis).
From the Palbar Stupa, some visitors have naturally headed towards a large isolated tree in the meadow; leaving the meadow as is, a simple wooden bench will be added, not a ‘design’ object, but a simple wood plank, with its natural grain. The beauty of the vast open place does not need any work, nothing to hamper just enjoying it; only at the edge of the field, to contain the natural vegetation, two large semicircles of flourishing bushes will be developed, around the isolated tree, with yellow broom (Spartium Junceum) to the south west, around to the Stupa, the red of blooming roses (ex. Rosa la Sevillana).
The path, as proposed in the final project, has a total length of approximately 1,057.00 m. and a width of not less than 1,20 m., in order to allow the easy crossing of two people. The bottom will be in clay, excluding the part already paved with bituminous conglomerate.
If you wish, you can participate with a donation; this is the bank account:
Dzogchen Community of Merigar - Loc. Merigar 58031 Arcidosso Grosseto Italy
Banca: INTESA SAN PAOLO SpA Filiale di Arcidosso - GR
C/C 3503
IT35E0306972163100000003503
Codice BIC o SWIFT: BCITITMM
For more information please go to the donations page.
The first project, financed in part through the 8xmille of the Italian Buddhist Union, also provided for the installation of the marquee now on the external platform in front of the library and the purchase of the land bordering Merigar used as a parking lot.
