for the Practice of Tibetan Buddhism in the Gelugpa Tradition
Recently the Center's flowering plant beds (which add to the offerings in the gompa) have been kindly tended through separate efforts by Traci Haas-Thompson and Jeannette White. We rejoice in the beauty that these efforts yield!
Thank you, Traci and Jeannette!
With at least one video camera (often more) at the ready, Sandy and John Carlson document many of Kadamp Center's events for future reference. This great kindness helps not only our current members but also our future Kadampa community. Thank you John and Sandy!
The wonderful job of filling and blessing the Stupa was also hot and hungry-making work – but thanks to Elise Strevel and Barb Baranski, there was plenty of delicious food and refreshing drinks to replenish all who came to help.
Our dear Venerable Tendron has served Kadampa Center in so many ways these past five years — as Spiritual Program Coordinator, teacher, board and management team member, bookkeeper, counselor, Dharma friend. She expanded our schedule of classes, organized the Light of the Path retreat at Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s request and assisted Geshe Gelek. Now she heads to Chenrezig Institute in Australia to continue her studies. We wish her well!
Once a month we gather for shared food -- always a delicious mix of savory dishes! -- and socializing at our potluck lunches. For more than a year, Trilby Berger has coordinated our potlucks, organizing sponsors, helping with setup and cleanup, and getting the word out for all to come.
As our stupa gets closer to completion, the cedar and juniper team continues to gather fragrant branches to grind and bake for filling the stupa. On a recent weekday, Jeannette White, Patrick McGinity, Scott Miller and Chris Baranski tootled out to Noland’s farm to disassemble and bag up collect 40 pounds of eastern red cedar donated by Noland.
It took a lot of scrubbing and elbow grease, but with many willing hands we cleaned and polished the prayer wheels recently donated to the Center. Many thanks to Geshe Gelek, Geshe Sangpo, Ven. Tendron, Ven. Lhamo, Ven. Choekyi, Susan Boehm, Sarah Brooks, Mona Samet, Paul Pierce, Yuhuei Pierce, Kim Goll, Cherie Sutorus, Scott Miller, Tom Aldi, Sherri Harmon, Liz Rourke and Elise Strevel.
Planting time has arrived for our veggie garden, and this year we have four raised beds full of rich, loamy soil, thanks to the generous donation of time and materials from Joey Gooch and Brenda Hollifield. On Sunday, Joey and his class of students planted cucumbers, yellow squash, tomatoes and sunflowers -- including some plants donated by Kim Goll and Kim Lillig -- as well as some pest-repelling flowers. We look forward to a wonderful bounty for the hungry!
Our High School Youth Group meets on a Sunday afternoon every month for pizza, talk and camaraderie. Many thanks to Venerabl Choekyi and David Machles, who coordinate the meetings and make this social event possible for our teens.
Our Children's Program couldn't operate without our General Helpers -- Jessica Kasinoff, Susan Potter and Suzanne Weigand. Every week a helper is on hand to greet and orikent new families, run errands for teachers, and sometimes step in and sub when a teacher is absent. Thank you Jessica, Susan and Suzanne!!
Offering water bowls on our altar is a great practice in generosity and creates great merit for the one making the offering. Many thanks to:
Kadampa Center recieved the wonderful gift this week of a large buddha statue and many prayer wheels. These sacred items had been in the home of Barbara Cook of Asheville. When Barbara passed away recently, a friend suggested to her family that Kadampa Center might be a good home for her Dharma items. Barbara's daughter, Beth Stevenson, generously offered them to Kadampa Center. Many thanks to Beth, to Barbara's friend Victoria Easterday and her husband Gordon Clark, who kept the items at their home until we could collect them, and Chris Baranski and Donna Seese for transporting them!
