Sacramento Dharma Center

First, we are excited to tell you that we have three new board members Julia Mullen, Joette Sebastiani, and John Phelps. They have brought a breath of fresh air to our Board and really rolled up their sleeves and dug into the work.

Since we did not complete the purchase of the B street property, we have embarked on a re-examination of our goals and purpose in order to move forward in the most effective manner to achieve our vision of finding a stable, long-term home for our three Founding Sanghas. We surveyed each of the Sangha Boards in order to clarify their expectations regarding the Dharma Center. As always, their input informs our planning.

On December 5th the entire SDC Board attended a professionally facilitated work shop clarifying our vision, core values, decision making process and roles as board members. Additionally, on an ongoing basis we have been revising and renewing our strategic plan which will be completed soon after the holidays.

The past seven months have been busy ones for the Dharma Center Board with meetings, inspections and evaluations related to the proposed purchase of the property at 3240 B Street.

We must report that we were unable to negotiate a purchase price that would allow for enough reserves for the repairs and upgrades that would need to be done.

We are taking a breath, and some time, to process our disappointment and the lessons learned from this experience. We will keep you informed about our next steps as we move forward.

We are grateful beyond measure for our supporters and advisers; financial, spiritual, and emotional, who have traveled this road with us so far. Stay tuned…

We want to thank all the wonderful folks who attended the open house at the 3240 B Street property on the 14^th. We had a great time and hope you did as well. Your input was very encouraging, here is a sample of the comments we received in our ‘suggestion box’:

• Fabulous opportunity, please stretch to make this happen.
• I love that it is already a sacred space…Overall it is …quite charming. I like the back yard lawn that be available for open air activities.
• Interior design plans by professional please. Then work can be done slowly by ourselves. Like the feel of the space.

• Loved this – big open space a lot of potential – with 2 kitchens and little house next door – but I wondered if it might be more than the groups need, consequently more money…

• I hope we get to keep this facility for ourselves and make it into a temple and develop synergistic energy between all three groups, and change the decor to reflect our values. I love the possibilities and would be happy to help.

• I like the activity room with the wooden floor…It seems as if the repairs and upgrades would require a lot of money – both in the main building and the little house… I very much appreciate the effort, thought and consideration that has gone into the pursuit of a Dharma Center!! Thank you.

• Love the space. Two rooms are better than one acoustically. A larger room would not be on a human scale. Good feeling to both rooms. Great energy in this location.

• I love it & the potential to make this a green, loving, peaceful sanctuary & center of great fun. Love that it is older & has a very good vibe…

• This property looks very workable – good space & opportunity! I am willing to do more financially if we acquire the property!

• The building and grounds could definitely be transformed into a workable and beautiful space. It’s clear it would require a lot of work… My chief concern is about the transportation problems for sangha members who can’t bike or drive a car… The carpools and ride-sharing would have to be very well-constructed.

• I like this space. It has potential in spite of the repairs that are needed. The two large spaces allow two groups to meet simultaneously: Go for it!

• Lovely opportunity – Hope it works out. Nice spaces – great kitchen which could help provide some bit of income for special events.

• I am grateful to those who have sought & found a home for SDC. I would love to have a place where our Buddhist practices can deepen & thrive. This space is good! What a joy & contentment I feel. As with the SDC board, my only concern is our financial ability to purchase, renovate, & sustain SDC. I am reminded, though, of the Zen saying: Jump and the Net will appear.

Join us for an Open House, or should we say Open Dharma Center, at the site of our proposed new location at 3240 B Street in Sacramento Saturday June 14th. Have some treats and take a tour. Come any time between 10 am and 3 pm. The Dharma Center board members will be around and will be your guides, they want to hear your suggestions and answer your questions.

Do you have carpentry, computer, organizational skills or any special knowledge or abilities you are willing to share? We want to hear from you! Send us a message via our website contact page and tell us how best to get in touch with you when the time is right and what you wish to offer. We would love to hear from you while we are busy with inspections at the proposed new property at 3240 B Street which will inform our decision about whether to move from contingency status into a 60 day escrow. If we do we will need your energy and skills!