IT is the seat of Buddhism in the west where stars like David Bowie and Leonard Cohen were students seeking enlightenment.

Now the holy man at the head of Buddhist monasticism in Europe has spoken of the secret of the religion’s spiritual centre in Scotland as it prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

The abbot, Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche, 74, who struggled his way to the UK away from Chinese oppression to co-found the monastery in 1967, said the visitor level had spiralled in recent years as more people seek higher fulfilment from everyday life in the sanctuary tucked away in the rolling Eskdalemuir hills.

He said: “The reason for this growth is not that we are good business people, but that in 50 years we have never taught one word of disharmony.”

They don’t count the numbers who pass through the Scottish monastery, but they are in the thousands annually, said the abbot of the Tibetan Buddhist Monastery and Centre for World Peace and Health, the first in Europe.

It has taken five decades to complete the monastery complex and finally, the lama said, there is no building work going in the virtually hand-built haven.

The abbot said: "For the first time we have a mud-free zone.

"The visitor level has doubled, and it is very international and many people from around the world are coming.

"It is totally booked. People are coming to camp in the field."

He went on: "Every teaching is saying we have to be united, we have to be working together, using our loving kindness and our ability to bring humanity together, we never had any religious based conflict and also there is no discrimination over gender or race or colour so it is a place where anybody can come to motivate themselves to become a better person and engage themselves in the way of the world wisdom to improve our lives and other people’s lives.

"I personally feel very part of this part of the world.

"I have been involved in many activities in the Scottish Interfaith Council and and making friends with all other religious groups.

"I always say I am like the glue, because we have no historical conflict with other faith groups."

A key part of the work of the monastery is helping others through charities such as ROKPA International.

The lama said: "We carry out charity work inside Tibet, hundreds of thousands of people have been helped and in Glasgow we are the ones who for 25 years are giving people soup in the street.

"I think the whole humanity people have knowledge and and wisdom must learn to get along together and not create conflict, especially in the belief systems.

"We argue and fight in the name of beliefs, this seems the opposite of what beliefs systems are meant to be doing."

Tragedy struck for the monastery three years ago when the abbot's brother Choje Akong Tulku Rinpoche, who founded the Kagyu Samye Ling centre in Eskdalemuir, Dumfries and Galloway, was killed along with his nephew Loga and his assistant Chime Wangya.

The 73-year-old lama was stabbed to death in the Chinese city of Chengdu while carrying out humanitarian work.

However it is hoped a film celebrating his life available for education purposes will continue to spread his message, with Nicholas Jennings, a friend of the lama for more than 40 years, said the documentary captures the character of the man who “led by example”.

He will also be among those remembered as the monastery formally celebrates its 50th anniversary in August with a lunch event.