CRAGSMOOR, N.Y.\u2014Capping 9 years of planning, community consultation, and government approvals, Dharmakaya will hold a groundbreaking ceremony on July 18 for its new residential meditation center.<\/p>\n
The ceremony\u2014which will be held from 10 am to noon, on Thursday, July 18\u2014marks the beginning of site work and construction of the Milarepa Center which is set on a 90 acre property in Cragsmoor.<\/p>\n
When complete, the Milarepa Center will consist of four buildings with a meditation and teaching hall,\u00a0 practice rooms,\u00a0 dorm rooms,\u00a0 a kitchen,\u00a0 a dining hall,\u00a0 a library and an administrative office. It will include facilities for short- and long-term mindfulness\u00a0 meditation retreats,\u00a0 and other contemplative practices for mind-body wellbeing,\u00a0 transmitting centuries-old teachings on inner awareness.<\/p>\n
Named for the most well-known 11th Century Tibetan Buddhist yogi and poet, the Milarepa Center is an important project of Dharmakaya,\u00a0 a New York religious nonprofit dedicated to teaching well-being through the ancient skills of awareness.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe this groundbreaking ceremony, although humble, will serve as an auspicious beginning to our mission of creating an environment of peace, solace and healing,\u201d said Trungram Gyaltrul Rinpoche, Dharmakaya founder and executive director.<\/p>\n
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 \u2014 chairman of the Wawarsing town planning board, and Bart Mendel \u2014 construction manager for the Milarepa Center project.<\/p>\n
The ceremony will also be a \u201ccelebration and \u2018thank-you\u2019 to all of those who have supported the Dharmakaya vision, and a warm welcome to our neighboring community members,\u201d said Rinpoche \u2014 a Tibetan honorific, meaning \u201cprecious one.\u201d
\nDharmakaya 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.
\nThe media are also cordially invited to attend.<\/p>\n