A Shared Hope: A Meeting for Peace in the Mountains of Costa Rica

The Flame of Hope (FOH) delegation recently had the honour of being invited to the Tibetan Buddhist community in Costa Rica for an inspiring exchange centered on peace, compassion, and our shared responsibility for the future of humanity.

The gathering was a meaningful opportunity to come together across traditions and recognize the common values that unite people of different backgrounds and faiths. At its heart was a simple but powerful message: peace begins within us, and from that inner transformation, it can extend to our communities and the wider world.

As the Flame of Hope continues its journey through Costa Rica, we are exploring the possibility of establishing a future base for the eternal Flame of Hope, the symbol of peace, in the country. The presence of such a symbol could serve as a gathering place for people committed to peace and for expanding the movement's message throughout the world. 

We are deeply grateful to our Tibetan Buddhist friends for their warm welcome, shared prayers, and heartfelt commitment to creating a more peaceful future. Their openness and spiritual dedication reflect the kind of cross-cultural cooperation that the Flame of Hope seeks to encourage around the world.

Dewachen Buddhist Center: A Sanctuary for Inner Peace

The meeting took place in the beautiful mountains of Costa Rica at Dewachen Buddhist Center, founded by Drupon Lama Dorje of the Kagyu lineage.

After completing a four-year solitary retreat in the mountains of India under the Drikung Kagyu lineage, Drupon Lama Dorje emerged with a profound aspiration: to create a quiet retreat sanctuary where anyone could step away from the noise of daily life and reconnect with their innate goodness.

Today, the center offers teachings, meditation, retreats, and activities rooted in the Kagyu Buddhist tradition. Surrounded by the natural beauty of Costa Rica, it provides an environment where spiritual practice, contemplation, and a deeper connection with oneself and others can flourish.

Although the Flame of Hope and the Dewachen Buddhist community come from different traditions, their meeting revealed a profound common ground: The Flame of Hope international peace movement, established by Ven. Ryukyo Endo Sensei, a priest in the Pure Land Buddhist tradition in Japan, and the Dewachen community share a commitment to spiritual practice that reaches beyond borders, cultures, and religious dogma.

Both recognize the importance of compassion, personal transformation, and collective responsibility in creating a more peaceful world. Their shared aspiration is rooted in a universal wish: to see humanity move beyond division and suffering toward peace, compassion, and a brighter future.

This meeting in Costa Rica was, therefore, more than an encounter between two communities. It was an affirmation that people from different spiritual paths can stand together around values that belong to all humanity.

Carrying the Light Around the World

The Flame of Hope is an international peace movement and a living symbol dedicated to transforming the suffering of humanity's past into a future of global peace.

The Flame has traveled across continents, gathering prayers, blessings, and wishes for peace from spiritual and world leaders, including the Dalai Lama, Pope Francis, and Pope Leo. At the heart of the movement is a sacred collection of flames representing 17 historical and spiritual sources from around the world, including embers connected with Hiroshima, sacred sites in Japan, and memorials honouring great leaders of peace.

Along its journey, the Flame has also gathered the prayers and aspirations of hundreds of thousands of people who share a common hope: a world free from war, nuclear weapons, hatred, and unnecessary suffering.

Yet the Flame of Hope is not only a symbol. The movement also seeks to turn compassion into action through community support, educational workshops, holistic initiatives, and humanitarian and relief efforts in some of the world's most disadvantaged communities, including projects in the Middle East, Bangladesh, and Indigenous communities in North America.

From Costa Rica to the World

The encounter at Dewachen Buddhist Center represents the kind of connection that can help carry the message of peace forward. In a world often marked by conflict, polarization, and uncertainty, creating spaces where people can listen to one another, pray together, and discover shared values is more important than ever.

The meeting reminded us that peace is not the property of any one religion, nation, or organization. It is a shared human aspiration.

The Flame of Hope continues to travel, carrying the light of remembrance, compassion, and possibility from one community to another. And with every prayer, every friendship, and every act of service, we wish that  light grows stronger.

May the meeting in the mountains of Costa Rica become another step on this shared journey toward a more peaceful and compassionate world. May the Flame continue to inspire hearts, cross borders, and illuminate the path toward a brighter future for all humanity.