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Sacramento Dharma Center

Visitors flock to Open House!

“At first, we felt so delighted to welcome people to the Open House. But gradually the ones we welcomed became welcomers, and it was just all of us, together, right here!”

Tours, posters asking for creative uses of the space, volunteer sign-ups, an information and donation table, and refreshments engaged the estimated 125 guests who explored the airy space. “”Ohhhh”, exhaled many upon walking into the light-filled room which may become the meditation hall. Sangha leaders Dennis Warren of SIM, Jim Hare of Valley Streams, Joe Countryman of SBMG, and Susan Orr, SDC Board President, each added perspective: the likelihood of many new folks arriving when the Sanghas have a building; the seeds of SDC’s beginnings and organic growth; and the enthusiastic support being offered.

Practicing with the Timeline

Knowing that this escrow period with its multitude of inspections requires due diligence, we are working wholeheartedly to bring the purchase to fruition, while remembering not to count on ownership until escrow closes. It’s all practice! We aim for permit approval from the City Planning Commission possibly as soon as May 12th, and close of escrow on June 15th. And – change happens!

Barn-raising energies arise

Nineteen Volunteer Application forms were filled in at the Open House; many ready to work a couple of hours/week. Thank you! If you’d like a form, or want to discuss volunteering, please contact Helen at hdhobart@gmail.com. The favorites? Fifteen people are ready to dig and plant, and ten each for Spring Cleaning and Painting. Only 2 for Carpentry, and 0 for Plumbing and Electrical work – let us know if you have these skills. As escrow progresses, teams will meet to plan the work, and get ready to roll.

SDC invites your generosity now

All of us seek to move into the building without ongoing burdensome fundraising. Capital gifts now from supporters like you will help reduce monthly expenses by maximizing the down payment, and covering the cost of facility improvements that may be identified as part of our due diligence. We launched the Wissemann Capital Campaign in February and hope to reach our Goal of $230,000 before closing in June. We’re more than half way to our goal! Can you help? Visit our contribute page, and find easy options for you to express your enthusiasm and generosity!

And follow our progress here!

Board changes at our March meeting
Election time!

We thank Joette Sebastiani as she leaves the Board for her dedicated work as a SIM representative, Building Committee chair, and helping in every way possible; she will continue as an active volunteer.

A warm thank you also to SIM representative Brian McKenzie, who leaves the Board to serve as SIM’s Volunteer Coordinator for SDC.

Barbara Colton was newly elected as a SIM representative and will work on the Communication Committee and fundraising.

Julia Mullen was re-elected as a SBMG representative; she continues as Secretary and Vice president, and will step up to chairing the Building Committee.

Linda Dekker was re-elected representing Valley Streams, and will continue on the Executive and Finance/Fundraising committees.

Helen Hobart continues as a SBMG representative, Volunteer Coordinator, and Communications Committee chair.

Susan Orr continues as SDC Board President, serving as an at-large board member, and as an inspiration for all!

John Penfield of Valley Streams continues as Treasurer, joins the Executive Committee, and will chair the Administration, Organization, and Legal Committee.

Bruce Baccei continues as a Valley Streams Zen Sangha representative and works on the Building Committee, his expertise in sustainability, and prior work in the field of architecture guides us in our work.

Spring breeze (2)

Walk Through The Doors to Our Proposed Dharma Home!

Spring breeze (2)
Come to our open house Saturday, March 5th

Noon – 2pm at 3111 Wissemann Drive!

Over five years ago, three meditation-based Buddhist Sanghas joined together in a search for a home to share that would accommodate and encourage the expanding interest in meditation and Buddhist practice in Sacramento. Each Sangha was experiencing growing pains, or problems finding rental space for regular meetings as well as for classes and daylong retreats.

Many hours, many properties, and many discussions later, a property has been found, full of promise – and a few challenges – a 7,930 square foot building with lofty ceiling on 1.7 acres, about ½ mile from two light rail stations, and with plenty of parking. The building is spacious, with room for meditation halls, a library, a classroom, offices, a conference room, and two kitchens. The grounds are large, surrounded by trees, with ample space for walking meditation, gardens, perhaps a playground? Perhaps a labyrinth?

Escrow was opened on February 16th, and our time for “due diligence” with building inspections and neighborhood outreach has begun. We are working closely with Kari Bryski, our broker, to ensure the property meets our needs.

Fundamental to our process is hearing from YOU,
our community members!

So please, please, please — come one and come all to the Open House March 5th. There will be refreshments and tours, opportunities to meander the building and the grassy grounds, envisioning use of space, envisioning new programs, envisioning what the Dharma Center could mean to your practice and to the practice of others, and envisioning our legacy to future practitioners. Your questions, suggestions and ideas for embracing the opportunities and dealing with the challenges will be welcomed, as would be your energy and enthusiasm as volunteers and donors to make this dream a reality.
South side of building

For more pics

Wonderful News!!!

Front entrance

The dream of a dedicated Dharma Center in Sacramento came closer to reality today! Sacramento Dharma Center has entered into escrow on a lovely property in the bucolic College Greens neighborhood off Folsom Boulevard near Watt Avenue.

It’s an important step in a process that was begun in the winter of 2011 when the Sacramento Buddhist Meditation Group, Sacramento Insight Meditation and Valley Streams Zen Sangha joined forces. The vision was to create a sanctuary and community practice center where Buddhist meditation groups can practice, following their diverse traditions, and offer programs, classes and retreats for the community under one roof.
The building, at 3111 Wissemann Drive, is easily accessed by freeway and light rail and offers ample parking. Original hopes to locate a Dharma Center in central Sacramento shifted when the cost of such a building with adequate parking and grounds for walking meditation proved to be prohibitively expensive.
Airy and full of natural light, the building on Wissemann Drive was built in 1982, and has been home to a credit union. SDC and Sangha board members who have visited, believe it can easily be transformed into a dedicated refuge for the three Sustaining Sanghas, all of whom are currently renting space in and around Sacramento.
The 7,900 square-foot building, situated on 1.7 acres, features two large rooms with vaulted ceilings and expansive windows that open onto a spacious lawn with trees. The building has two kitchens, several offices and small meeting rooms as well. Requiring few immediate renovations, the property appears to be move-in ready and can accommodate 48 cars on site with additional street parking available.
While negotiating for the purchase of this building we have had positive meetings with the nearby neighborhood association, with city officials who are handling the City Permit application process, and with lenders.
While financing has been pre-approved through the Center’s credit union, to achieve an affordable monthly payment, we will be launching a full-court press to raise additional funds for the initial down-payment and necessary improvements. To that end, we have been working these last few weeks with a fund-raising consultant, whose services were donated by a generous benefactor. On the consultant’s recommendation a variety of fund-raising strategies are under consideration, and more information will be shared with the participating Sanghas soon.
The tentative date for an open house is March 5th from noon to 2pm – Stay tuned here for confirmation and details. In the meantime, you can drive by and take a look. Our Board will proceed with thorough inspections of the roof, air conditioning and heating systems, plumbing and electrical services at the site, to ensure all is well before closing the purchase.
It is important for us all to continue to remember that we are still in the process of purchasing this property and have many hoops and inspections to get through in the 90 day escrow period. Surprises can happen! Sacramento Dharma Center Board invites you to join us in guarding your hearts by practicing the Lojong phrase ‘Abandon all hope of fruition’.And you are invited to join us in visualizing moving in, with prayer flags flying.  

Look Who's Talking about SDC!

helen_hobart

The February 11th Business Journal has a wonderful article about SDC board member Helen Hobart’s work as a staff chaplain at the The Sutter Center for Psychiatry. In the article she also talks about the Dharma Center and our vision.

We are so fortunate to have Helen on our Board – here is a bit of what she said about us:

“Outside the workplace, Hobart does have an agenda, however: building the Sacramento Dharma Center, a sanctuary that would represent three Buddhist meditation groups to accommodate the growth of the religion in the greater Sacramento area. ‘The region has a long Buddhist history,’ she says. ‘But there’s a growing interest in meditation – an outgrowth of people wanting their lives to be less stressful.’ ”

“Hobart says that the people involved with the Dharma Center project have raised $430,000 so far toward its construction. ‘We want to raise a million dollars,’ she says, ‘and we’re going to do it – this year, I hope. Maybe it won’t be a perfect building but our goal is to be open every day and be in a convenient location. We’re going to open the doors when it’s completed and say, ‘Y’all come!’ ”

Read the entire article here.

Opening in 2016 is our Goal!

Throughout the fall, you’ve been hearing about investigations to obtain a building for our Founding Sanghas to call home and it’s high time we updated you on where we are looking, what we are looking for, and the preferences that guide our search. Based on a five-year-old survey of Sangha members’ preferences we have been searching for a space in the central Sacramento area.

While we are still searching in the central city, we’ve come to realize that focusing on this area may not meet our need for adequate parking, outdoor space, and affordability – so we are considering the pros and cons of expanding our search area.

A convenient, accessible location remains uppermost in our search. Sangha members want to be able to take a bike ride, bus, or light rail to the Dharma Center. We also consider safety, availability of amenities such as restaurants in the area, and outdoor space for walking meditation.

Our Dharma community is growing!  We need to be able to accommodate the Sanghas’ expanding space needs for classes, retreats, sittings, special events, board meetings, and regular programs – this will require a space large enough for two events at the same time.

Our type of activities will require an assembly permit from the City of Sacramento and makes it difficult to locate in residential areas – a mixed use or commercial area would be easier. We have prioritized finding a property with an existing assembly permit and have found them to be few and far between.
During 2015, we reviewed over 15 properties and seriously considered 3 of them, alas, manifestation as our Dharma Center didn’t happen. The board of one property did not accept our offer and it was taken off the market; the owners of another property received a better offer before we were in contract; and a third was expensive and did not have space for walking meditation.
The shiny aspect of all our exploring is that our Board is stronger than ever; our Founding Sanghas offer us support and encouragement; and our Sangha communities have opened their pockets with funds and their hearts with hope.

2016 is the year.  Our dharma center will offer sanctuary, depth of practice, and refuge. This dream is unshakable. Welcome to this New Year! Thank you for your practice.