Bodhi Path Buddhist Center on Martha's Vineyard Celebrates 25 Years

- through Henry Oudin

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The Bodhi Path Buddhist Center in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, opened in 1999. Twenty-five years later, it has become the center of Buddhist practice on the island. On September 18, the center celebrated its 25th anniversary by dedicating a new stupa.

“To have (a stupa) here, I think it’s incredibly special,” said Penelope Dixon, a member of the Bodhi Path Buddhist Center.Vineyard Gazette)

The gray stone monument, with images of the meditating Buddha on its sides, was built in Nepal and shipped to the United States. Local landscaping company owner Celio Guimaraes assembled the stupa on Martha's Vineyard.

Bodhi Path members placed the stupa near the center's meditation building, and Buddhist teacher Karma Trinlay Rinpoche held a ceremony to honor the occasion, throwing rice on the stupa and reciting Tibetan prayers in unison with more than two dozen participants who attended the occasion.

Stupas, traditionally made of stone or clay, are often used to house the relics of Buddhist masters and saints, and many practitioners believe that people who build stupas or help maintain them receive blessings. The stupa at Bodhi Path Buddhist Center contains mantras written on paper, as well as treasure vessels and a statue of Shakyamuni Buddha.

All the objects in the stupa were blessed by Karma Trinlay Rinpoche, who lives in France but traveled to the United States for the blessing ceremony and to offer a Dharma teaching. “Take care of (this stupa). It has the power to fulfill all your wishes,” Karma Trinlay Rinpoche said. (Vineyard Gazette)

Over its 25 years of operation, the Martha's Vineyard Bodhi Path Buddhist Center has earned a reputation as a haven of peace and tranquility. Dixon was living in the town of Chilmark on September 11, 2001, when she learned of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Needing a place to pray, she began attending services at the center. Dixon noted that she recently traveled to Bhutan where she saw Buddhists performing devotional services similar to the dedication ceremony at the Bodhi Path Buddhist Center.

Bodhi Path Buddhist Center, located in the town of West Tisbury and led by resident teacher Lama Yeshe Drolma, offers three weekly meditation sessions and regularly hosts visiting teachers and rinpoches from the Bodhi Path network.

The center was founded by the 14th Shamarpa, Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche, a former lineage holder of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. Before moving to its current location, Bodhi Path was located in the Vineyard Haven community, where ceremonies were held in a small house. The new center was built in 2001.

Under the leadership of Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche, the new center was built by some of the original members and includes a house for visitors, as well as an open meditation hall and a large field behind to give practitioners an unobstructed view.

Co-coordinators Sharon Gamsby and Barbara Dacey shared that it had been an honour to lead the centre, especially during events such as the stupa dedication, and expressed hope that such events would inspire others to learn more about meditation.

“Come here and learn to meditate with us,” Gamsby remarked. “Anyone can come in and hopefully feel comfortable.” (Vineyard Journal)

See more

Bodhi Path celebrates twenty-five years in the vineyard (Vineyard Gazette)
Bodhi Path Martha's Vineyard (Bodhi Path) 25th Anniversary Celebration

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The post Bodhi Path Buddhist Center in Martha's Vineyard celebrates 25 years appeared first on Buddhadoor Global.

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Henry Oudin

Henry Oudin is a Buddhist scholar, spiritual adventurer and journalist. He is a passionate seeker of the depths of Buddhist wisdom, and travels regularly to learn more about Buddhism and spiritual cultures. By sharing his knowledge and life experiences on Buddhist News, Henry hopes to inspire others to embrace more spiritual and mindful ways of living.

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