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Vision Cafe
Preserving an Ancient Culture for a Modern Time
Drupon Samten Rinpoche was one of the first Tibetan Buddhist lamas from the Drikung Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism sent to the United States in 1987 after completing the traditional three year meditation retreat. During this retreat, he remained in isolation from the outside world for three years, three months and three days.
The vision had been to fulfill a prophecy of Drupon’s teacher, the Venerable Khyunga Rinpoche, to preserve this ancient culture by creating a proper place to hold these precious Tibetan Buddhist teachings and to provide a place of solitude, refuge and tranquility for both westerners and the small handful of Tibetans now residing in the San Diego area.
Drupon said, “It is difficult to find such a special place that will carry on and preserve the culture. In order to accomplish such a task, you must look through the astrology of the earth, the elements, the mountains and all the surroundings. By following the astrological signs, the right place will be known.”
After looking for over two years, Drupon finally found a very special hilltop property in Escondido, CA that met the requirements he had been looking for. The place had all the necessary qualities and energies that would become a proper place for teachings, meditations, prayers and refuge.
This meditation center building project is different from other building projects because Drupon and the other monks and nuns are directly involved on all levels. From digging trenches to creating the landscape, irrigation, and building design, they are putting their energy into every aspect. Drupon’s fingerprints are in the earth, on the trees and in the buildings. Holy and precious offerings have been made to the local deities and are embedded in the earth below the building foundations.
In His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s support letter, he said, “By having such a Center, it will not only help to contribute to the religious diversity of your area, but will also positively influence the members of the Center and the community in general.”
The vision of the Tibetan Meditation Center is twofold. The first is to provide an opportunity for all individuals to have a place of peace, solitude and tranquility to experience the teachings and philosophy of Tibetan Buddhism. The second is to support the Tibetan community in exile, preserve the ancient Tibetan culture, and to maintain the traditional teachings as taught by the great masters of India and Tibet.
Drupon will oversee the creation of the shrine room and lead the final consecration ceremonies once the buildings are completed, which will invoke all the good energies and blessings from the lineage for generations to come.
The Spring Tibetan Cultural Event will be May 16, 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Seaside Center for Spiritual Living, located at 1613 Lake Drive, Encinitas, CA. Suggested donation $20. Proceeds to benefit the new Tibetan Center, a non-profit organization in Escondido, CA. Contact 760.738.0089 or info@drikungkc.org for more information or visit www.tibetanmeditationcenter.org.
Bay Area -
Free Natural Medicine Clinic Draws Crowds
Living in this fast paced impersonal world makes it easy to forget that being natural is simple. The vision of Be Well Integral Healing Space, located in Oakland, CA, is to provide a place for people to cultivate awareness, healthy life skills, and participate in healing experiences that are facilitated by compassionate, educated, and embodied Well Beings.
On every second Sunday, Be Well offers free acupuncture and massage, consistently drawing new and repeat clients as it makes the benefits of natural medicine accessible to all.
Wellness is the common goal, whether patients come for the first time to try out alternatives to conventional medicine, or they come every month because they rely on Be Well’s no-cost care for their routine visits. Encompassing an array of expertise, the practitioners offer acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage of various forms, nutrition and dietary counseling to support holistic wellness and positive transformation for a vast array of people and conditions.
Being open for three hours of free treatments on the second Sunday of every month benefits everyone. “Second Sundays is an opportunity for us to reach out to and give back to the community and for folks to get to know us and what we do,” says co-founder Aaron Leon Kenin, Be Well Acupuncturist. A graduate of Berkeley High and the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, Kenin has chosen to pursue the healing arts through teaching martial arts and practicing Traditional Chinese Medicine. “The high turnout shows that the community has a real need for holistic health services,” Kenin adds.
In addition to free monthly second Sundays, the clinic also conducts weekly Grass Roots Fridays where all services are offered at 40 percent off. Spanish speaking members of the community are also welcome anytime.
Be Well, which opened last summer, upholds green values, affirming its expansive approach and commitment to personal and global wellness. Be Well’s three practitioners beautified the medical office with their own hands, painting it with non-toxic, VOC-free paints and installing renewable bamboo flooring. A whole being clinic, Be Well Integral Healing Space offers its services with the community and the earth in mind.
The next second Sunday event will be Mother’s Day, May 10, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.; share a healing experience with your mother on her special day. Spaces are limited, so come early to sign up. Be Well Integral Healing Space is located at 401 29th Street, Suite 101, Oakland, CA. For more information, please visit www.bewellnatural.com or call 510.836.0200.