First, Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo wished for a large Guru Rinpoche statue. Now there is a beautiful 8-foot statue crafted in Nepal, fully enthroned, empowered and seated at the entrance to the Peace Park. It’s a stunning offering to the world. Weekly practices take place there on Sundays and everyone is welcome.

Now enter Phase 2 where, by enhancing the landscape, we create a space even more conducive to practices, prayers, seated and walking meditations, now and into the future. At the same time, there are important changes and additions to the statue supports which will require lowering the ground level to be 4” below the cement base of the statue.

The landscape plan will be both beautiful and functional as a barrier to erosion and use environmentally friendly techniques., there will be a wall around the path which will provide necessary support to the statue with the lowered earth. The wall will delineate the khorwa path, provide seating, and also consciously capture and direct rain water.

The khorwa (circlular walking) path will be made of flagstone to smoothly assist everyone with walking prayers around Guru Rinpoche. The flagstone will sit on a permeable base that will receive rainwater and direct it underground, to a nearby rain garden.

To honor the statue, the roof will be decorated by traditional dragons in the 4 directions and a gold top ornament. The dragon is a symbol of enlightenment, and often adorns temple roofs, both as guardians and to symbolize the dragon’s power of clarity. These have been created by craftsmen in Nepal, and are on their way here now.

Such exciting news! And even more exciting… we have a preliminary estimate for this phase, of $46,000. AND we have already raised $29,000! That only leaves $17,000 to go!

If you want to donate for this project, you can click below and know that your donation will go directly to Guru Rinpoche’s new surroundings.