Subscribe>>

Donate>>

Sacramento Dharma Center

Impermanence: Transitions at SDC

We have seen comings and goings over the last few weeks at Sacramento Dharma Center, evidence of both impermanence and progress. The issuance of the City Building Permit on August 10th, the arrival of 80 new chairs, the removal of a large, diseased tree last week, and the beginning of construction this week, are the most recent.

The first work on the building will be the demolition of unsafe concrete walkways to be replaced with level and fully accessible ones. Inside the building a defunct kitchen and a large closet will be demolished to make way for two ADA compliant restrooms. For a few weeks, we will rejoice in dust!

We are because you are! Getting the building and the Dharma Center ready for the Sanghas to move in and start offering sittings, retreats, classes and other programs happens with the help of volunteers, from SDC board members to folks from all three Sustaining Sanghas, and beyond! For instance, board members and volunteers helped to repair the sprinkler system, they are making window coverings, researched and tried out chairs, and they are researching environmentally responsible cleaning supplies.

The Board is developing a “wish list” of items that you will be able to purchase for SDC via our website; items might include everything from a vacuum cleaner to a rake. Look for the “registry” coming soon!

Representatives from each of the Sustaining Sanghas met on August 7th to select offices and to begin the collaborative planning that will result in the shared use of the Center once the Occupancy Permit is in hand.

 Come to August Volunteer Work Day!
  • Sunday, August 28th, from 8:00- 11:00 a.m.
  • Bring your beverage container, and enjoy some refreshments.
  • If you like outdoor work, come spread mulch, dig, mow, weed, sweep, clear the fence line, and rake.
  • If you prefer indoor work, there’s a variety of helpful tasks awaiting amidst the remodeling.
  • Even an hour of your help makes a difference!
  • Contact Terry Wenner at terrywenner@gmail.com, or call 916-212-4806 for more information.

WD July

July Work Day Volunteers

Ailing English Oak Removed & Turned to Mulch

After much investigation, the first of several unhealthy trees on the grounds of Sacramento Dharma Center was felled this week. Visitors will see that the tree is being ground to chips, a procedure that destroys the infestation and transforms the tree into beneficial mulch for other plants. Come to our workday and help spread the mulch! Healthy wood from the trunk will be turned into boards, perhaps for shelves in the Center.
Ailing Oak 1
SDC’s arborist and active volunteer, Terry Wenner, explains:
Climate change and severe drought in California over the past five years are two natural forces showing up around the world, and now right here at Sacramento Dharma Center. All around our region, coast redwoods, various birch trees, tulip trees, and alders, can be seen standing dead or in distress. These species do not grow naturally in our hot, dry valley, and the recent extremes have been culling some of them out.
The Valley Oak is a native which has evolved to survive extremes of heat and aridity found here, so imagine our surprise when we noticed yellowing and then browning of one of the three oaks at the east end of the property. This sign of distress caused us to look at the tree closely to see what the problem might be.
Two things stood out:
1. This oak, though similar in appearance, was not a Valley oak like the other two, and
2. There were white globs of foamy sap here and there on the bark of the trunk and branches.
The California Department of Agriculture helped us identify the tree and its problem. The tree was a Pedunculate oak, also known as English Oak, not suited to this climate. The problem probably was foamy bark canker disease, caused by an infestation of oak bark beetles carrying a virulent fungus. Perhaps Food and Ag will keep the infested samples brought to them in order to ascertain that this is the first incidence of this disease in Sacramento County.
For our purposes, the extensive beetle colony, now in the larval stage, with or without the fungus, dooms the tree to death. Prompt removal, and the process of chipping, is called for in order to prevent a new generation of beetles from emerging to infest other trees. After careful consideration by the Board of Directors, removal was ordered and is now nearly complete.
Ailing Oak

Things are hopping !

May our efforts to create Sacramento Dharma Center be of benefit in countless ways! Many of us have felt rocked by the barrage of events this summer that divide our human family. If ever there was a time to establish a Center, here in the capital of California, that offers a path of compassion and wisdom to the world, isn’t it now? How powerful that we have this opportunity right now to come together from our diverse traditions, working to be the change we want to see in the world!
“When will SDC open?”

Sometime in September is our best estimate. We are waiting for the City’s approval of our building permit for adding ADA bathrooms, and some other ADA changes required for our occupancy permit. As soon as our building permit is approved, our contractor Bill Carter will give us an updated schedule. Bill is committed to helping us get in the building without delay, and we feel supported by everyone involved in this highly detailed process.
“What progress are we making right now?”

Glad you asked! The intricate mysteries of 1980’s security, fire alarm, and sprinkler systems have been yielding to Bob Jenne’s daily efforts, in concert with a very active SDC Building Committee. Each Sangha now has its own access code for the security alarm. Fire alarm options are being weighed, as monthly fees for a separate phone line are required for the alarm to be integrated with our new security system. Access through the gate has been solved. Keys and fobs are ready for Sangha use. Each Sangha will be choosing its office space soon, and room assignments are coming clear.

In breaking news 7/16: We received expert analysis today about our broken sprinkler controllers, and system repairs are at last underway. Lynelle McNeil, Bob Jenne, and Julia Mullen have been persistent sleuths untangling the break-down of the system – solenoids, wiring, and all. For several weeks, Julia stepped up as guardian of our lawn and plants, hauling hoses and using manual sprinklers to keep our greenery alive. Many thanks to all for such teamwork! Dead wood in most of the trees has been pruned away by arborist Terry Wenner.

Research continues on the all-important choice of chairs, window coverings, and other furnishing needs. Finances are in good shape for the move-in expenses, as implemented in a thorough “Year One Cash Flow” budget prepared by Cynthia Embree-Lavoie and the Finance Committee.

Scheduling for our vibrant community activities is receiving careful consideration with a wide range of input. Decisions made will be open to change, as we see how sound travels in the building, parking needs, etc. The Sangha boards and SDC are in consensus that our task is to observe and adapt to what works, what needs adjusting, in this first year of becoming a Center.

With Gratitude

We bow deeply to Bruce Baccei who recently resigned from the Board. Bruce brings great expertise in energy systems and how SDC might become a truly green center. Bruce has been an upbeat and thoughtful Board member and will be much missed. We are grateful that he will continue to advise us about wise heating and air conditioning solutions.

You can help! 
Volunteer Workday Sunday, July 31st — Come push brooms, mowers, and more with good company: contact terrywenner@gmail.com. Stay posted on the website for details about the workday and more ways volunteers can pitch in this summer, including two board openings. We’ll also share some happy feedback from our Dharma sisters and brothers at Plum Village in France.
IMG_0229

Creating a home, Welcoming to All…

Your Sacramento Dharma Center Board is doing the work of readying the Center to be welcoming and comfortable for all who come to develop and deepen their practice. Before our three Sustaining Sanghas – Sacramento Buddhist Meditation Group; Sacramento Insight Meditation; and Valley Streams Zen Sangha can begin to offer their programs, we must accomplish some repairs and upgrades to the building and grounds to obtain our Occupancy Permit from the city. This includes making the building ADA compliant, with new accessible restrooms, improvements to parking and walkways, and other changes including additional parking spaces and secure bicycle parking.

Our new Board member representing Sacramento Insight Meditation, Bob Jenne, a contractor for years earlier in his life, has become familiar with all the systems and structures of the building. He has been able to give us useful information as we make decisions about locks and security systems, electrical issues, lighting, heating and cooling. Bob, and fellow Board Member Bruce Baccei an energy specialist at SMUD, are providing guidance as we take steps to enhance energy efficiency and minimize waste, with a review of everything from light bulbs to waste removal. We have hired a licensed General Contractor to oversee and carry out most of the repairs and upgrades.

Along with dedicated volunteers, Board members have also been reviewing possible phone and internet services; researching chairs, planning a library and media room, and developing a list of volunteer opportunities. If you would like to volunteer please send us a message here and let us know about your interests and skills. We will need help with everything from garden planning, housekeeping, communications, and the list goes on!

We are hoping that by early September all the initial, necessary work will be finalized, our Sustaining Sanghas will move in, and we can all bring life to our mission of ‘welcoming everyone who seeks to end suffering and live in harmony.’

We have the keys to our home!

Take a long slow deep breath and join with us in celebrating – Sacramento Dharma Center is a physical reality! A building, a large tree shaded yard, room to be and room to grow enriching our own Sanghas and their programs, reaching out to others.
We closed escrow on May 16th and have the keys a month ahead of schedule. This gives us a head start on doing all that needs to happen to meet the city’s occupancy requirements. We anticipate that by the end of August or beginning of September these requirements will be met and our three Sanghas can fully move in. To bring all our programs into the building we have been asked to upgrade bathrooms, parking and sidewalks to current ADA standards, and to document adequate parking arrangements for full occupancy.
Meanwhile, now that 3111 Wissemann’s future as a nurturing home for the Dharma has been secured, we will be setting up a schedule of days and times for you to visit. We suspect that many of you who for six years rode the waves of search and purchase with us will want to step inside soon, knowing it is now ours. We will communicate that schedule to you through email and Sangha e-news.
As always, we are available to talk with you about any aspect of Sacramento Dharma Center’s manifestation, current and future.
And, as always, we are aware and grateful that it is your support and patience that brought us to this happy moment.
With much metta, Susan

Closing in on opening our doors! Can you help?

Sacramento Dharma Center’s physical location is rapidly moving from dream to reality – your gift now can put us over the top for our Wissemantn Capital Campaign! A donation now will be doubled by a $5000 Matching Grant, thanks to the generosity of a member of one of our sanghas.  What an inspiring beginning we have before us! These final days of the Campaign offer us a chance to share our love of Dharma. Whatever gift is possible for you, whether $30 or $3000, you will know that you helped us reach our goal of $230,000.

To see our thermometer, updated daily, click here!

Every gift matters. Each gift shows the power of sangha, all of us coming together to support each other’s practice, and make the Dharma available to more people in our community. Your generosity creates a foundation of strength and support as the Center opens its doors to serve everyone who seeks to end suffering and practice compassion. To see our thermometer, updated daily, click here.

How will your gift help?

Our number one priority is to move in and to be operational as soon as possible. Donations to the Wissemann Capital Campaign will directly help that happen, as code requirements for accessible bathrooms and walkways, and minor electrical work must be met before our sangha groups assemble there.

Once we learned the owner would not negotiate sharing any of these costs, we obtained the services of experts willing to design-build promptly after we close escrow. We are, with your help, ready to get going on construction of two new ADA-accessible bathrooms and other improvements that will make the Center welcoming to all.
Your gift will also contribute to the establishment of a prudent ten month reserve fund to cover expenses for those emergencies that always seem to happen – within the impermanence of their predictability! Such stability gives us the freedom to focus on practice, rather than make continuous appeals for new needs.
Your gift will also allow preventive maintenance now, instead of deferring expenditures to a likely more expensive future, and will allow the purchase of chairs and other furnishings that will make the building fully functional as a meditation center for everyone.
This is a profound moment of possibility and shared vision among us who love the Dharma. Please savor our community’s support, and join in helping to open the doors of Sacramento Dharma Center.