Columbus KTC Online Auction

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Tuesday, August 1 – Thursday August 10, 2017

Thank you so much for all the help you have given our center as we’ve recovered from the fire that destroyed our dharma center in January 2016.

We continue to raise money toward our newly revised $1.4 million rebuilding goal. To support this effort, we’ve organized a FABULOUS ONLINE AUCTION of dharma and everyday items.

Items include statues and thangkas, including rare items donated by sangha members around the country. Some are even blessed by His Holiness Karmapa, Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche and other great masters.

The Online Auction will be 10 DAYS ONLY: Aug. 1 through 10

Starting Tuesday, August 1st, please visit us on eBay here and enter seller’s user ID: columbusktc

Questions? Contact our auction team at auction@columbusktc.org

You also can simply donate to the Columbus KTC Rebuilding Fund at this link: https://columbusktc.org/rebuild/

Lama Kathy’s Dharma Blog: Sacred Spaces

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In the afternoon sunlight, daisies sway in the breeze; nearby you can hear the tinkling of wind chimes.

It’s beautiful, and even a little bit magical. Somehow, you feel possibility in the air.

The scene played out at our “home” monastery, Karma Triyana Dharmachakra, during the holy month of Saka Dawa – the month commemorating the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death. During this month, grass is allowed to grow on the KTD grounds without being cut, as monks try to reduce the number of sentient beings killed (even accidentally) on monastery grounds during Saka Dawa.

This year, the days after Saka Dawa brought a special visitor to KTD – His Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa, who made a low-key private visit to his monastery after his successful public visit to Canada. In a visit that lasted less than 48 hours, His Holiness toured the campus of KTD, went to visit the Karme Ling Three-Year Retreat Center (where he blessed retreatants including our own Jinpa, Adam Berner) and blessed the site of 8 reliquaries (stupas) set to be assembled on the KTD grounds.

As far as I can figure, that’s a three-fold blessing for our home monastery – the time (just after Saka Dawa), the person (His Holiness), and the holy objects (the Buddha statues, texts and reliquaries). A trifecta of goodness!

One might wonder what makes holy places holy, and capable of bestowing blessing. And, one might understandably ask, what is a blessing?

The way I’ve heard it, blessing occurs when we prayerfully turn toward the sacred. According to the teachings of the Buddha, each being possesses Buddha Nature – a mind that has the potential to awaken to enlightenment, or Buddhahood – and when we draw near to people and places that embody awakening, our own Buddha Nature resonates, much like a tuning fork resounds to the exact same note struck in its viscinity.

In other words, people who have practiced meditation and opened their minds to compassion for themselves and others have the potential to “pass along” an inspiration to others whose minds are open to it.

The Buddha himself said that whoever thought of him would experience his presence in front of them. When we think prayerfully of the Buddha, even if we open our eyes and cannot see his form, his blessing – his essence – is present in our hearts. For that moment, one could say we reflect the Buddha, we embody the Buddha, we share sacred space with the Buddha.

And being inspired by this, we may be able to embody the Buddha to others – to carry to others some small bit of his wisdom and compassion.

I was thinking of this on a recent Sunday, when a group of us traveled to the corner of West Rich and South Grubb streets in Franklinton for a whimsical photo opportunity that I felt could connect our community both to its future and its past.

In a warm breeze and bright sunlight, a group of about 20 of us piled into cars and drove from our temporary shrine room at Congregation Tifereth Israel on East Broad Street to our old property at Rich and Grubb streets, where we lined up on the empty embankment to smile for the camera and celebrate our community.

There we were, squinting into the sunlight, enjoying being together in our “old” home, and smiling for people of the future to show them we had been there – on the vacant lot that had once been our shrine building, and, with good fortune and hard work, will one day be our shrine building again.

It felt to me as though I had one foot in each time – past, and future – but what grounded me was the place, the place where we had heard so many teachings, offered so many prayers, sat in meditation so many times, and – yes – received so many blessings.

It was a strange request, I suppose, but I couldn’t help but feel we were making a promise to the place, a promise to the land and to the Franklinton neighborhood, that we would be back someday, and that they should hold our place open for us.

As I turned toward the parking lot to go to our Sangha Lunch, I noticed a neighbor across the street sitting on her porch, watching the unfolding scene. As others were waiting on me, I didn’t have time to go over and speak to her, but I tried to give her a positive assurance in the only way I knew how in that moment.

I made a motion like a person digging the earth with a shovel, and said, “Next year! Next year. We will be back next year.”

With the Buddha’s blessings, and everyone’s hard work …

Lama Kathy’s Blog – The Journey Home: The Next Phase

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by Lama Kathy Wesley, Columbus KTC

Rebuilding a Dharma Center, in some ways, is like creating a Chorten, or Stupa – one of those beautiful Buddhist monuments you see in photos of Tibet, India, and parts of the United States.

The stupa – a square base topped with a vase and spire – is composed of geometric forms that represent the Buddha sitting in meditation. Inside, the stupa is stuffed full of dharma treasures – rolls of mantras, a full set of Buddhist scriptures, fragrant wood, and a packet of relics attached to a central wooden post, called a “life tree” that is itself inscribed with scriptures and mantras in gold.

The Three Jewels – the Buddha, his Teachings, and the Sangha – are represented in the stupa, and circumambulating it (walking around it in a clockwise direction) is said to nurture a virtuous mind state in the dharma pilgrim.

Well, the Columbus KTC building will be just like a stupa; it will contain a large image of the Buddha, a full set of Buddhist Dharma scriptures, and representations of the enlightened buddhas, bodhisattvas and masters who comprise the exalted Sangha. There will be a circumambulation path around it, and inside there will be a classroom, library, offices and a spacious meditation hall.

Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, our founding lama, recently spoke at our “home” monastery, Karma Triyana Dharmachakra. He said he was confident about the future of the monastery and the Karme Ling Three-Year Retreat Center, but he was concerned about the Columbus KTC and wanted to see it rebuilt as soon as possible.

At 93, Khenpo Rinpoche has lived a full life – a little less than half of it in the United States. Rinpoche believes in the power and strength of Dharma in the United States, and is encouraging us to pull together to rebuild Columbus KTC.

Behind the scenes for the last few months, the KTC Board – Director Kim Miracle, Assistant Directors Tanya Schroeder (who left office in April) and Michelle Evans (who took office in April), Treasurer Steve Phallen, Secretary Justin Fitch, and Member At-Large Eric Weinberg – has been working on ushering our project into its next phase.

As you may recall, we’ve obtained provisional approval from the East Franklinton Review Board for zoning changes to build a new and larger building on our existing lot at Rich and Grubb Streets in Franklinton. We’ve also engaged a contractor, Centerpoint Construction, to work on the plans for building this amazing new building.

The design by Milwaukee architect (and dharma patron) Keith Spruce is being transferred this month to a local Columbus architectural firm, as an Ohio-licensed architect is needed to create plans for actual construction of the center.

Keith’s beautiful designs now will be developed and brought to realization. We can’t wait to share the “next generation” plans with you in a month or two!

Meanwhile, Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche has been busily designing the KTC shrine. He recently showed us the two-foot-tall images of the long-life Buddha Amitayus and a precious metal stupa that will flank our Buddha image, and the 18-inch statues of Marpa, Milarepa and Gampopa that will sit in front of our Buddha image.

As for the Buddha image itself, Rinpoche smiled and showed us the length of his forearm and said, “this is how tall the lotus flower underneath your Buddha statue will be.”

All I could think of was “WOW.” Days before, I’d been thinking that it would be wonderful to have a larger image of the Buddha for our shrine hall – an image that when you saw it would make you stop and catch your breath – and image that would touch your heart and uplift your mind. Don’t know what it will look like just yet, but it will be at least four feet tall J So that’s amazing, all by itself.

The Amitayus statue, stupa and guru statues are from Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche’s personal shrine at Karme Ling. He’s also donating his personal set of Buddhist scriptures to Columbus KTC. Khenpo Ugyen Tenzin of KTD is sponsoring a new set of cloth covers for the books, and when they’re “dressed and ready” we will bring them to Ohio to await their new home at a rebuilt Columbus KTC.

Lama Karma Drodhul, Khenpo Rinpoche’s nephew and chief attendant, has started a GoFundMe campaign among his own dharma students to help KTC. He’s calling it “Khenpo Rinpoche Single Wish” and he hopes it will inspire his students in Asia to help us with the rebuilding campaign.

Locally, KTC Capital Campaign honorary co-chairs Nanette Maciejunes of the Columbus Museum of Art and Stephen Hayes of Quest martial arts have held brainstorming meetings, and soon we will share with you the fundraising ideas they are “cooking up” for Columbus KTC.

And the KTC Rebuilding Campaign team has been working behind the scenes here in Central Ohio to secure leadership pledges for our campaign.

Our current goal is $1.3 million. To date, we have $848,000 to apply to the cost of the new building. This includes insurance money, received donations, and money pledged to the rebuilding effort. The leadership pledges-plus yours-will help us reach the $452,000 goal we still need. There is great merit in this project-and not just because you’ll be helping to accomplish Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche’s wish that the first center he founded in the United States be rebuilt.

Whether you’re building a stupa or a shrine building, the benefit and merit are the same; Khenpo Rinpoche says society in general is benefitted by seeing images of the Buddha and connecting with the scriptures and relics. So if you think about it, you will accumulate virtue for yourself and provide an opportunity for many others to cultivate virtue by supporting the Rebuilding of Columbus KTC.

You also can join us by reciting the Tashi Prayer for the Rebuilding of Columbus KTC. However you assist us, we thank you for your help and inspiration. May all beings benefit!

40th Anniversary Celebration and Rebuilding Campaign Kickoff Luncheon Is Sunday July 30!

When Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche came to Central Ohio in September 1977, he gave talks on Buddhism in Columbus and Newark, Ohio. A few months later he returned in November to help shepherd his new crew of students. Meanwhile, His Holiness 16th Karmapa sent us a letter granting us the name Karme Thegsum Chöling – a Tibetan variation of the name Karma Triyana Dharmachakra, meaning “place of the Buddha’s teachings of the three yanas.”

We’re so delighted that 40 years later, Columbus KTC is going strong – and is getting ready to kick off the fundraising campaign to build a beautiful new shrine building for our larger-than-ever congregation.

You’ll be hearing more about our 40th Anniversary Celebration in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, please save the date for our anniversary luncheon at Tifereth Israel – 11:30 a.m. Sunday July 30th.

Gather up your photos from KTC events and start jotting down your favorite memories. We look forward to hearing all about them in the coming weeks!

Transcript of Khenpo Rinpoche’s remarks at the conclusion of the Mikyo Dorje Retreat at KTD

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At the conclusion of the 2017 Mikyo Dorje Retreat at KTD in March, Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche addressed the assembled dharma students regarding the difficulties being faced by KTD affiliate center Karma Thegsum Choling of Columbus, Ohio.

Khenpo Rinpoche spoke briefly and movingly regarding his concern for the Columbus KTC. His remarks were translated by Lama Karma Drodhul; this edited transcription was made by Lama Kathy Wesley. May all beings benefit!

As you may know the Columbus KTC in the last year was burned by fire; it was completely destroyed by fire. The Columbus KTC means a lot to Khenpo Rinpoche; it was founded during the time of the 16th Karmapa, and you could say it was the first KTC ever started (in the United States).

Now the center has started the process of rebuilding. This (work) is mainly the responsibility of Khenpo Rinpoche and Lama Kathy, but Khenpo Rinpoche says that he himself is not able to put forth a large amount of effort (toward the rebuilding project). However, he wants everyone to know that the rebuilding of the Columbus KTC is very, very important, and he would like to see it rebuilt.

Khenpo Rinpoche says he is not worried about KTD Monastery, because Tenzin Chonyi is here and Khenpo Karma Tenkyong is here and many lamas and sangha members are supporting it. Khenpo Rinpoche says he is also not worried about the Karme Ling Retreat Center, because there are four retreat masters there taking care of the center and its students.

However, Rinpoche says his biggest worry is about the Columbus KTC. If it is not rebuilt before he dies, he will not be happy; he wants to see it rebuilt soon.

Never get discouraged.

As Lama Kathy is putting all her effort toward this cause, Khenpo Rinpoche is encouraging her to please continue to take this effort and responsibility; and (he encourages her) that instead of just asking individuals for donations, that she ask friends who might have money, or who might own a business, to give to the cause. Never get discouraged.

Even if you don’t know such people personally, you can ask your KTC members to help you find business people and those with wealth who you can approach to ask for donations.

You (have an advantage in that you) speak the language and know how to talk to people. Sometimes Americans hesitate to ask other people for money (for projects such as these); it is something they are not used to.

But Khenpo Rinpoche would like to remind you that this (rebuilding project) is something that will serve the Buddha’s teachings and something special that will be of benefit to all beings. Raising money for the dharma is not something new; this is something foundational. People making offerings (to benefit the dharma) has been happening since the time of the Buddha. This is something that is essentially connected to the dharma and to the benefit of beings. There is no reason for us to hesitate to ask for donations for such a cause as this.

If you are interested in helping the Columbus KTC rebuild their temple, please check out the rebuilding page on their website:
Lama Kathy can be reached at: mail@lamakathy.net

Lama Kathy’s Blog The Journey Home: Neighborhood Approval

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Rebuilding the Columbus KTC has been a gradual process. First we gathered advice from our founder, Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, then asked our sangha friends to help us choose the number of rooms and the size of the rooms in our re-imagined KTC building. Then we asked our architect, Keith Spruce of Milwaukee, to design a building based on this advice.

We reviewed the plans with the KTC sangha in early 2016, and got more advice and input.

The next step was to ask permission of the City of Columbus to put a larger building on our (now vacant) lot at Rich and Grubb streets.

For this, we received the assistance of Attorney Thomas Hart and Paralegal Lizabeth Russell, as well as help from Landscape Architect Rick Fay of OHM Engineering (great name, right?). They helped us review our plans with City of Columbus officials through meetings with the East Franklinton Review Board.

The East Franklinton Review Board is the chief zoning authority for our neighborhood, which is part of a larger redevelopment district located just west of Downtown.

City officials have long wished to see the rejuvenation of our neighborhood, which was the first neighborhood of the city of Columbus when the settlement was in its infancy in the late 18th Century. If we wanted to follow Khenpo Rinpoche’s advice to put a larger building on our lot, the EFRB was our destination.

We brought them our first plans in June of 2016; they offered advice and sent us back to the drawing board. After making changes to suit the zoning needs of the neighborhood, our team, led by Attorney Tom Hart and aided by drawings from Keith Spruce and Rick Fay, took the plans back to the EFRB in mid-December.

The project took another step forward at that meeting in December, when the EFRB gave us a conditional approval to construct the newer, larger center on Grubb and Rich streets!

Our design team still has to meet the EFRB’s conditions for final approval (which consist of adding extra exterior design elements and aligning ones we already have). We are working to bring those additional elements to the EFRB in early 2017.

But the good news is that we are approved to rebuild in Franklinton. May all beings benefit!

Meanwhile, Director Kim Miracle and the amazing KTC Board (Tanya Schroeder, Steve Phallen, Justin Fitch and Eric Weinberg) along with Building Committee volunteers, have interviewed possible contractors for our project, and a Capital Campaign Committee of KTC volunteers has met with our professional fundraising advisers from Mollard Consulting to develop a game plan for raising the money that will be needed to make the project a reality.

A lot of money will be needed to rebuild the KTC. We received about $500,000 in cash from the insurance company for the loss of our building and its contents; the insurance company has promised another $100,000 for code improvements if we rebuild a new structure.

That’s $600,000 to start with.

Add to that approximately $100,000 raised from the GoFundMe emergency fundraiser and the about $50,000 in donations from our home monastery KTD, Khenpo Karthar Rinpohe, various lamas and the Chinese community, and we have about $750,000 at our disposal.

Our architect has estimated the cost of the new building at around $1.4 million; that means we need to raise $650,000 to make the new center a reality.

That’s a lot of money for a small center like ours. We have about 60 members – some individuals, some families – and many have modest means. But we are going to look far and wide to find people – both in Columbus and around the world – who know the value of building a dharma center and how much merit there is in creating a home for the dharma.

We will need a lot of help and encouragement. The first construction bids have come in, and they’re a little higher than we anticipated.

We’re going to meet with contractors this week and next to see if we can trim some of the expenses, and begin to contact our donors and friends to see if they can help us make the building a reality.

These are tense times, but we have a lot of confidence that we can find ways – with the help of you and all of our dharma friends – to make our center a reality.

We’ve made great progress thus far. Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche and the Board are delighted to be moving into the next phase of the project. Khenpo Rinpoche is already thinking of ideas for the shrine (which he has promised to help “furnish” with statues and paintings), and Board members are working on such things as lists of appliances and furnishings that will be needed in the new building.

We are so thrilled to be at the juncture in the planning process, and invite you to continue reciting the Tashi Prayer.

or the OM MANI PEME HUNG or KARMAPA KHYENNO mantras to help make these dreams a reality.

May all beings benefit from the work being done for the dharma in Columbus; may the Columbus KTC come “home” again in the coming year!

We Did It! First Goal Is Reached. Now – We Begin Our Capital Campaign!

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Artist’s rendering of new KTC building by architect Keith Spruce

Gratitude is overflowing at Columbus KTC, as we’ve reached our first goal – completing our $108,000 emergency fundraiser.

In seven months we raised $114,000 – enough to cover most of the losses from our damaging fire that weren’t covered by insurance. It’s a good feeling to know that folks saw our need and stepped up; we can’t thank you enough.

Now we’re working toward the next goal – a “nest egg” of cash to lay the foundation for our new home.

We’re in the process of asking the City of Columbus to allow the Columbus KTC to rebuild on our Grubb Street property. It’s a complex process involving many steps – two Neighborhood Zoning Review Board approvals and two City of Columbus Building and Zoning approvals.

Our first two “concept” reviews (with the Neighborhood and City) went well, and now we are working with our attorney, architect and engineer to prepare for final review meetings in mid-January. We’ve already started interviewing contractors, so if the Neighborhood and City approve, we can quickly move on to the next phase – taking bids from contractors and launching a Capital Campaign to raise funds for the actual construction.

At this point, we don’t know how much the final building cost will be, but you can be sure that you’ll be hearing more about this in the weeks to come.

In the meantime, we want to say “thank you” for helping us reach this first goal.

We will be “retiring” this emergency fundraising GoFundMe page, but we invite you to join us on our other platforms to follow our Capital Campaign fundraising effort.

If you’d like to read more about the rebuilding effort, you can check out our “Rebuilding KTC” page on our website.

There will be regular updates printed there, and you can learn more about ways to participate in the effort.

Or you can keep tabs on us through our Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/ColumbusKTC/

Or sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Creating sacred spaces and sacred objects for this generation and the generation to come is a worthy endeavor; your donations – past and future – will produce a ripple effect that will bring more teachings of awakening to Columbus.

Thank you – and may all beings benefit!