New Dharma Center
by Nancy Turner

Finding the right home that suits your desires and bank account is never easy and even tougher when what you are searching for is church for Buddhists. I toured several building sites in my quest for an abode for PIMC. An appealing and promising site on southeast 69th ignited our community’s enthusiasm and financial contributions. We made an offer on that nesting hen thinking she sat on a golden egg of real estate. Then our savvy inspector, Bill Owen, found that the fluffed feathers concealed a rotten foundation. 

Not to be daunted by disappointments, nor the cautionary message from realtors that, “churches only come on the market once in a blue moon,” my exploration continued. An overpriced, oversized shell of spirituality going for over eight hundred thousand dollars in the northeast section of town left me cold. A megalith of mold and cracked plaster for about the same price set off a fit of allergic sneezes. A centrally-located-ex-African-American-Masonic temple which sounded promising over the phone turned out to be dark and dingy. Like Goldilocks testing porridge and chairs left empty while the three bears picnicked in the woods, we judged various venues as “too cold” or “too small” or “too big”, and never just right. Until someone in our sangha discovered the one on southeast 66th and Duke. 

The church at 6536 SE Duke has never been a fancy temple or cathedral, thank goodness. It consists of three separate buildings, not showy and not overly Christian. Many Christian churches are stunning and worthy of traveling great distances to admire, but imagine housing a Buddhist community in a building sporting a tall steeple or crosses embedded in the architecture. This one has neither, although there are two beautifully crafted stained glass windows that cast colorful icons into the bathrooms on the main floor. 

Terri Crotteau, our realtor extraordinaire, was shocked when I asked her to research this church. “How did you know about this place? It’s not even on the Multiple Listing yet. Are all Buddhists psychic?” 

“Of course,” I answered, and then continued before another urban legend got started. “Someone living a block away spotted the For Sale sign out front and emailed Robert. The listing agent had just hung the sign out front.” 

“Well,” Terri continued, “the asking price is $450,000, but it’s appraised at $630,000, so if you’re not happy with it, you can turn around and sell it for a profit. Property values in that part of town are rising fast. From a purely financial standpoint, this is a good deal!” However, I knew we weren’t looking for investment property; we were looking for a home for PIMC.

When you approach the church, you’ll see the sanctuary, AKA Dharma Hall, first. Along the front of the building are three peeked roofs built as if to cover dormer windows, but there are no windows below, simply a covered entryway. Perhaps the original designers had in mind a symbolic expression referencing the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. When I gaze at this architectural feature at the front of the soon-to-be-Dharma-Hall, I automatically think of the three pillars of Buddhism: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.

The arrangement of the buildings is more practical than artistic. The sanctuary sits on the northeast corner of the lot facing the main street, Duke. The fellowship hall, which is attached to the back, is a long low building that sticks out perpendicularly to the west. The minister’s office is a small building constructed behind the fellowship hall and has its own entrance on 66th. Even so, the buildings are handsomely proportioned and gigantic firs shooting up from the lawn bring a hint of forest and the scent of pine to what will become an outdoor walking meditation area. Out of respect for a building that has been a Christian church since the thirties, I consider it Our Lady of Perpetual Opportunity. 

Terri described the interior of the sanctuary as big enough to seat 300 people. Which reminds me, may we sell you a long wooden pew covered with plush red velvet upholstery? They are in fine condition, well padded, and provide great back support. Of the thirty or so, we’ll probably want to remove most and retain six along the parameter of the dharma hall. Buddha sat on the ground, but if your back is killing you, have a seat.

Just inside the foyer is a glass partition preventing the noise of shoe changing and conversations from disturbing people within the dharma hall. The sanctuary floor is a huge square area which, thank goodness, is flat, not sloped toward the altar as in some churches. The altar at the far end is adorned with hanging strips of fabric we can probably live without. Along both sides of the room are white translucent lead windows with narrow strips of sky blue glass around their perimeters, reminding me of a blue moon shining through summer clouds. The lofty arched ceiling is sure to encourage enlightenment, and when the time comes to put on a fresh coat of paint, something warmer than dull white, the dome will require practitioners highly skilled in levitation to reach that high. One can easily envision, once pews are removed, a couple hundred bodhisattvas seated in the round on the cyan-blue carpet as the sweet silvery ring of the bell calls us to meditation. Melodious chanting of the sutras will fill the air as meditators take refuge. I can already smell the faint scent of candle wax and incense. 
The spaciousness of this new property is astounding. With over 8,000 square feet to play with, one can imagine creating an art gallery, a book store, a library, a nursery, a game room for teenagers. There are enough classrooms in the basement and along one side of the fellowship building to accommodate a school, resident Dharma students, or an entire monastery full of traveling monks. Now, there’s an idea!
My one sorrow is the absence of a baptismal tub as seen in other (rejected) churches. I had envisioned creating a unique indoor lotus pond, but when I let go of that initial desire and unfurl my imagination, I conjure an image of a walking meditation garden with solid stone paths winding by a serene pool of collected rain water, sheltered beneath a stand of bamboo, embellished with white lilies. 

The front door is ragged, as if clawed by the puma rumored to have escaped from the zoo back in the fifties, and several small pieces of glass in the lead windows are broken. The oil furnaces need to be replaced, but the roof is in top condition and the electrical system is sound. The church just needs a clean dress, that’s all, and it will be ready to go dancing, or to sit quietly trying not to think about dancing. How can I not be excited? This is a great find. As some would say, “Good Karma!” Since I do not fully grasp the meaning of Karma, I say, “Whoopee!”

Don’t expect to see these digs adorned with Japanese lanterns or bug-eyed dragons. The overall style is simple and unpretentious. Like many things, it is the quiet interior that will draw you in and elicit reverence. Regardless of how much conflict there is in the world, or how chaotic your life, or tumultuous your mind, here you will find a soothing place to commune with others, study the Dharma, and sit in silence.