CRAGSMOOR, N.Y.—Capping 9 years of planning, community consultation, and government approvals, Dharmakaya will hold a groundbreaking ceremony on July 18 for its new residential meditation center.
The ceremony—which will be held from 10 am to noon, on Thursday, July 18—marks the beginning of site work and construction of the Milarepa Center which is set on a 90 acre property in Cragsmoor.
When complete, the Milarepa Center will consist of four buildings with a meditation and teaching hall, practice rooms, dorm rooms, a kitchen, a dining hall, a library and an administrative office. It will include facilities for short- and long-term mindfulness meditation retreats, and other contemplative practices for mind-body wellbeing, transmitting centuries-old teachings on inner awareness.
Named for the most well-known 11th Century Tibetan Buddhist yogi and poet, the Milarepa Center is an important project of Dharmakaya, a New York religious nonprofit dedicated to teaching well-being through the ancient skills of awareness.
“We believe this groundbreaking ceremony, although humble, will serve as an auspicious beginning to our mission of creating an environment of peace, solace and healing,” said Trungram Gyaltrul Rinpoche, Dharmakaya founder and executive director.
The July 18th groundbreaking ceremony will feature a short prayer for peace following the tradition of Tibetan Buddhist religious ceremony. It will also feature remarks by Rinpoche, Brian Schug — chairman of the Wawarsing town planning board, and Bart Mendel — construction manager for the Milarepa Center project.
The ceremony will also be a “celebration and ‘thank-you’ to all of those who have supported the Dharmakaya vision, and a warm welcome to our neighboring community members,” said Rinpoche — a Tibetan honorific, meaning “precious one.”
Dharmakaya has invited a number of local government officials, Cragsmoor neighbors, area landowners and friends, as well as planners, engineers and architects directly involved in the project.
The media are also cordially invited to attend.
For directions and arrangements, please email retreatus@dharmakaya.org or call Miriam Hernandez at 917-532-1209.
