The Buddha first turned the Wheel of Dharma in Sarnath, Varanasi. This brought benefit to many sentient beings. Since that time, monasteries have played an important role in the history of the spread of the Dharma as a place to listen, contemplate, and practice the Dharma. The Thrangu Monastery in Richmond, B.C., near Vancouver, is a Tibetan-style monastery intended to be like a pure land for the people of North America to practice the Dharma.
