Support the Dharma – Buy a Great “Bodhisattva” T-Shirt!

/in /by
A collection of photos from the Santa Monica KTC showing examples of the Columbus KTC Bodhisattva T-Shirts “in the wild.” If you look closely you’ll see some familiar faces!!!

Now you can support the rebuilding of Columbus Karma Thegsum Chöling Tibetan Buddhist Center by purchasing a great-looking T-shirt with a Bodhisattva theme.

After Columbus KTC’s dharma center was destroyed in an arson fire in January 2016, the Santa Monica KTC in California wanted to help out. So SM KTC member and meditator Max Graenitz, a professional illustrator and designer, created the “Bodhisattva in Training” T-shirt to help raise money for the new Columbus temple. 

Each design is individually handprinted in cheerful orange ink on high-quality granite gray cotton shirts. The fabric is soft to the touch, and fair-trade in origin, so it will feel good inside and out!

On the front is a whimsical drawing of a many-armed bodhisattva, and the words “Bodhisattva In Training.” 

On the back is the Compassion Mantra “OM MANI PEME HUNG”. 
$20 of each shirt sale goes directly to the Columbus KTC rebuilding fund.

Order them here: BODHI TEE

Don’t Need a T-Shirt, But Still Want to Give? Donate Here!We are just $500,000 away from having all the money we need for Basic Construction of the Columbus KTC. Please practice generosity and give to the Columbus KTC’s Rebuilding Fund. Your donation will help us provide free meditation instruction to the people of Central Ohio and beyond. The impact of your donation will be felt by countless people, now and into the future. May all beings benefit!

To give, click here. 

May all beings benefit!

Fulfilling the Vision of His Holiness Gyalwang Karmapa and Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche

/in /by

This week’s featured video was filmed in the main shrine room at KTC’s “home” monastery, Karma Triyana Dharmachakra in Woodstock, NY.  This monastery is the seat of His Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa in the United States, founded in the 1970s by our own KTC Founder, Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche.


In the beautiful KTD shrine room, Khenpo Ugyen Tenzin, a scholar and meditation master sent to KTD more than a decade ago by His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, explains his connection with the KTC Rebuilding Project and his wishes for the new temple’s completion. He also explains the benefits of creating a Buddhist temple to bring beings the methods of dharma to free their minds from suffering.


He is assisted by Khenpo Sangye Trinley, another scholar and dharma master residing at KTD Monastery, who is acting as interpreter for Khenpo Ugyen Tenzin.

Remembering KTC’s Land Blessing: Bountiful Goodness on the Land!

/in /by

It was the first time in the fire official’s long tenure with the City of Columbus Fire Prevention Division that he was asked to approve an Open Burning Permit for a Tibetan Buddhist fire offering ceremony.  He had approved fire ceremonies for Native American tribes, but never for an hours-long bonfire to make offerings to bless a vacant lot near downtown Columbus.


But the official did give the OK, and in April 2019, Columbus KTC conducted the very first Tibetan Buddhist fire offering ceremony in downtown Columbus history.

Khenpo Karma Tenkyong, Lama Karma Drodhul, Lama Zopa Tarchin, Lama Sonam and Cherry Qu drove all the way from our “home” monastery at Karma Triyana Dharmachakra in Woodstock, NY to help us put on the ceremony, part of the land blessing and groundbreaking ceremonies for our new temple in Franklinton. They brought juniper twigs, special grains and incenses, and mixed them all together to create a fragrant and beautiful offering for the fire. 

With the Columbus skyline in the background, more than 100 people gathered under a tent pitched and “carpeted” with Astroturf and outfitted with cushions, carpets and puja tables.  Don Fortner loaned us his shrine shelves, and we assembled a shrine that included images from our fire-damaged building, along with beautiful Mahakala protector torma sculptures brought from KTD just for the occasion.  Lamas from around the area gathered with the KTD crew and led a beautiful two-part ceremony to bless and consecrate the land.

After a lunch break for the lamas at the Idea Foundry in Franklinton, we gathered again to chant the Mahakala protector puja.  Just after the afternoon smoke offering ended, tiny raindrops began falling on the tent.  The wet weather held off just long enough for us to bless our property!
Want to re-live the excitement of the day? Here’s a link to Lama Kathy’s Flickr page, including photos from Don Fortner, Tanya Schroeder and others.  

May all beings benefit, and may the blessings of the day endure!

Building a Buddhist Temple in Downtown Columbus – Not Your Average Job

/in /by

It’s not everyday that a construction company gets to build a Buddhist temple – and it’s pretty rare to build one near the center of town.

In 1990, Columbus KTC moved from the University District, where it had spent most of its early years, to the East Franklinton Neighborhood in downtown Columbus. Being located 1 1/2 miles from the literal center of town (the corner of High and Broad streets) puts KTC in the “center of the action” in our beautiful and bustling city.

As we prepared to rebuild, we hired the Hanlin Rainaldi Construction Company, which has been around Columbus since 1992. To help us interface with the construction company, we hired Gavin Jones and Alan McLaughlin of Colliers International to be our owner-representatives (AKA our construction management team) to watch over all phases of the project on our behalf.

What’s it like for folks who usually build restaurants and offices to build a Tibetan Buddhist temple? In this week’s video – filmed during a visit to our construction site – our electrical contractor Tim Stanforth, Hanlin Rainaldi spokesman Matt Rupp, and Gavin and Alan of our construction management team discuss what it’s like to accumulate merit while doing their “day job.”