Sacramento Dharma Center

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!

We are planning to have an open house during the afternoon of June 14th at the proposed location for the Dharma Center. We are busy with inspections now and if all goes well we hope to see you then. We did a walk through with architect Mike Malinowski last Monday which was definitely an eye opener for what it will mean to purchase and care for an older building. On Friday some of the Board members accompanied a contractor who provided additional much needed information and will supply us with a written report. A termite inspection was also done on Friday. Board members went through both buildings checking outlets, lighting, heating and air conditioning units. We are reviewing a year’s worth of  operating costs for the facility as well. Several inspections yet to come, including but not limited to the roof, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, and sewer.

We now have the final purchase agreement for the property at 3240 B Street! Our broker received the signed agreement this morning, May 2. We will put down a refundable deposit with the escrow company by Monday. This starts the 45 day contingency period in which we will determine if this is the right space for our Dharma Center home.

We will begin inspections next week, and work with architect  Mike Malinowski, with a view to how well the space will accommodate the Sustaining Sanghas and support the Center’s mission to provide a sanctuary where our practice will flourish. We will have an open house near the end of the contingency period. We hope you can come, stay tuned for details. If everything goes well during the contingency period we will move into a 60 day escrow.

We need your support now more than ever. Sustaining Circle monthly donations will provide the funds we will need to maintain this property and fulfill the dream of a sanctuary for meditation based Buddhist practice in Sacramento. Visit our contribute page now and join us in this adventure.

After weeks of negotiation we have signed a purchase agreement with the sellers of the Armenian Church property at 3240 B Street. The church has a sanctuary, large social hall, and a small one bedroom house, all on a nice double lot in a residential area near McKinley Park.

The paperwork will be filed early next week with the escrow company and we will put down a refundable deposit. This will start a 45 day contingency period in which we will carry out inspections of the property to ensure that this is the right place for our Dharma Center home. We have an architect, Mike Malinowski, who has experience with older structures. Mike will tour the property with us next week and begin the process of thoroughly evaluating what we are getting ourselves into.

Board members of the three founding Sustaining Sanghas have been through the building and we are working to determine how well the space will accommodate everyone and support the Center’s mission to provide a home and sanctuary where the wisdom and compassion practices of the Buddha will flourish.

We will have an open house near the end of the 45 day contingency period and we hope many of you will be able to come. Stay tuned! If everything goes well during the contingency period we will move into a 60 day escrow.

We need your support now more than ever. We have done a lot of financial modeling but this has been done with estimates. Now we will be able to get specific operating costs, know what repairs and improvements are needed, and determine our actual continuing operating budget. This much we know now, we will need consistent monthly donations from between 150 to 200 donors averaging $25 a month. We are calling these donors the Sustaining Circle. You can set up a Sustaining Circle donation here on the website contribute or donations pages. If you need more information any one of the SDC Board of Directors will be happy to answer any questions. Send us an email from the contact page.

This is an exciting time for the greater Sacramento Sangha and we want you to be a part of this, together we can create a wonderful home for our practice, and a legacy for the next generation.