Temple Project: Community Update #2
Topics: Current State of the Dharma Centre Renewal and Temple Project, Needs Assessment
In this Community Update, two main topics are covered: 1) The current state of the Dharma Centre Renewal and the Temple Project, and 2) The extensive Needs Assessment that was conducted during the 4th quarter of 2020 to determine the DCC’s wants and needs for a temple facility.
The Current State of the Dharma Centre Renewal & Temple Project
Three significant decisions were recently unanimously approved by the eight DCC board members. These decisions are relevant to share in this Community Update:
The existing Temple will remain with renovations as needed.
The field site has been approved for a new Temple facility.
The field site is the area where the small pagoda and apple trees are, where Namgyal Rinpoche had approved a Nature Research Centre to be built.
The board will investigate installing an already-donated cabin near the Hermitage that will function as a teaching space and cabin.
This important trio of decisions gets many in the DCC community what they have long hoped for:
Those who want to keep the existing Temple will do so.
Those who want to pursue building a new facility can do it.
Those who have dreamed about a long-term retreat teaching space near the Hermitage move one step closer to making that a reality.
Some may ask, “If we are keeping the existing Temple, then why are we exploring the building of a new Temple on a different site?” The simple and brief answer is, the existing Temple does not serve all in our community. Upon thorough investigation, it has been determined that the amount of money it would take to get the existing Temple to serve all in our community would not be the best use of energy, time, or funds.
The Needs Assessment
The Board, after having chosen the Temple Project Leader and the Design Build Contractor, authorized a Needs Assessment to be conducted.
After interviewing a variety of design build contactors, the Project Leader interviewed members of the DCC community. The purpose of the interviews was to understand the variety of viewpoints in the DCC community about the Temple, to create a list of the challenges, and to understand what is important to the community as it moves forward. More than 40 people were interviewed, and most discussions took longer than an hour. The people interviewed include Spiritual Directors, board members, past board members, and others in the community.
Find the 12-page Needs Assessment for your review here>>
In Closing
Hopefully this Community Update sheds light on the three recent decisions made by the Board, while also providing more background about the diligence that has gone into the preparations for making these decisions. In future Community Updates, more information will be shared. Comments from the community are always welcome, and can be made by replying to this email (or if you’re reading this on the DCC website, by sending an email to Info@DharmaCentre.org).
May these updates inform the DCC community about the changes taking place at the DCC, and may these projects serve to awaken all beings as quickly as possible.