KMC NYC Through the Years

Thinking of where it all began, it was Geshe Kelsang’s acceptance of an invitation to go to England and teach Dharma that made our Center possible. Geshe-la has been in the West since 1977. In that time, he has given thousands of teachings, published 23 highly acclaimed books on Buddhism and meditation, re-presented Dharma in the form of Modern Buddhism to make Buddha’s teachings relevant and accessible to people everywhere. He has established three study programs that are now offered at Centers throughout the world, he has built many Temples, including five Temples for World Peace, and he has founded more than a thousand meditation centers and branches in over forty countries.

In 1985, Geshe Kelsang made headlines!

Hearing about Bob Geldof’s Live Aid concert to end world hunger, he sold a car that had been given to him and donated all of his money to the cause. A local Cumbrian newspaper captured the story and as 1980s syndication would have it, the story also ran in far afield places such as Palm Springs in the desert of southern California. A local there who read about Geshe-la’s giving was so moved by his selfless act, he invited him to come and teach in America.

Kadam Morten met Venerable Geshe Kelsang in 1981 while studying at York University in the north of England. After graduating he became a resident at Madhyamaka Center, first in their townhouse location, and then a few years later, in their current countryside location, Kilnwick Percy Hall, surrounded by sheep and rolling hills.

At Madhyamaka Center Kadam Morten had the opportunity to study intensively on the Teacher Training Program, as well as teach the Foundation Program. He would also travel to teach at many Centers throughout England, regularly covering 1000 miles a week.

When Kadam Morten arrived in America, he had with him only his luggage and an address of a space on Bleecker Street where he was to be holding his first classes. Not yet having his bearings and it being quite a few years before the advent of cell phones with GPS, he entered the trendy West Village and started along the cafe-strewn Bleecker Street.

As it turns out Bleecker Street is very long. Gradually the neighborhood changed, the crowds thinned and he found himself in the barb-wired, graffiti-covered, run-down Bowery, very different from what it looks like today. It was quite a lot for a "country boy" to take in and with some trepidation he knocked on the door of the rented space - a dance studio. This was to become the setting of the very first Kadam Dharma classes in New York City.

Within six months of the first public talk in the Bowery, a community of regulars had formed. While they were still only small in number, they were large enough to justify a move into a residential space.

...and the first Kadampa Center in New York City was opened!

A few short years after establishing Chakrasambara Buddhist Center (now Kadampa Meditation Center NYC) in South Park Slope, it was time to move again.
During “the Park Slope years”, Grace, one of the residents, had started a business called Lam Chung’s Cleaning Services, which only ever attracted one single client - a couple living in a beautiful brownstone in Boerum Hill. When Grace visited their apartment, she discovered they were the owners of a large statue of Vajrasattva, and she instantly felt that one day this would be the next home of the Center.

The lease was up in Brooklyn...and it had become clear that for Dharma to flourish in New York City, the Center needed to be based in Manhattan. And so a search began for a commercial space that was accessible to everyone.

The Sangha conducted an extensive hunt for the right space, looking at almost 50 sites with various realtors, but nothing felt quite right. It was now just a matter of weeks before the residents would be out on the street if they didn't find something soon.

In the late 90's while visiting New York City and driving through the Manhattan streets teeming with people, Geshe Kelsang said to Kadam Morten, "so many people, so much suffering". Later, while opening the first commercial space in Manhattan, Geshe-la said that New York City needs 100 Centers and 100 qualified teachers.

Kadampa Meditation Center NYC has already helped give rise to other centers in the New York area and many students who studied with Kadam Morten in Brooklyn or Chelsea have gone on to become resident teachers:

While still in Brooklyn the KMC NYC community became involved in a wonderful project initiated by Venerable Geshe-la – locating a site for the construction of the second NKT World Peace Temple (the first one is of course located at the mother center Manjushri KMC in England.)

Initially the task involved scouring the countryside for a suitable location. After several months of this, Geshe-la sent his assistant to New York, who, directed by Geshe-la, found the current property in a matter of days!

From the get-go the city Sangha was involved with the Temple project, with some practitioners even moving upstate to work on it full time. Throughout the years of construction, regular retreats and Dharma Celebrations were also held on the grounds, so that by the time Venerable Geshe-la visited in 2006 the KMC NYC community was closely connected to the Temple and its community.

At KMC NYC we feel so fortunate to be less than 2 hours away from this magnificent Temple. Practitioners from here often attend courses and retreats there with Gen Samten, and we also hold a major course of our own there, at least once a year with Kadam Morten.

People will often meet the Dharma here in the City. However, it’s when they go to the Temple that they immediately understand just how big Geshe-la’s vision for the world is, and how fully engaged and serious our tradition is.

We feel closely linked, like one Center with two sides. The City side supplies the people, and the Country side supplies the immersion. Together we demonstrate Modern Buddhism, showing how to practice Dharma in our busy daily life, and showing how to combine our daily practice with occasional retreats.

Now since the opening of our new space in the city we have both a City Temple and a Country Temple. How kind is our Spiritual Guide! Thank you Geshe-la for supplying all our spiritual needs.