We want to keep everyone updated on how the Temple Renovation project is progressing.  Here are the latest details.

Septic

The results of the water table testing are in.  We did much better than when a water test was performed in 2006.  That means that now we are eligible for further testing.  At this point there is no guarantee that we will be able to have any kind of septic system on the 65 acres.  It only means that the water table is adequate for shallow and sand mound testing.

The next step is to get a land planner involved.  The land planner will prepare a 2013 version of the 2006 site plan with proposed location for further testing around the location of the 11 holes that were dug for the water test.  A septic system on the 65 acres could possibly be used for the Temple side of KPC’s property.

Prayer room separation

We met with the Department of Permitting Service to confirm that both the religious assembly and residential uses may continue after the necessary improvement (i.e., installation of a fire wall between the main residential structure and religious assembly space) is completed in order to obtain a Certificate of Use& Occupancy to re-occupy the religious assembly space. This will limit the number of people permitted to use the space to 49.  We have submitted plans, and are getting proposals from 4 – 5 contractors.

65 acres

Because KPC sold Transfers of Development Rights (TDRs) many years ago, a religious assembly use on the North Parcel (the 65 acres also known as the Peace Park) is not permitted in the Rural Density Transfer (RDT) Zone under the current Zoning Ordinance and the draft Zoning Ordinance Rewrite of Montgomery County. The only thing we could build on the 65 acres, if we have a septic system, is a single family home.

Financial Report

Here is an income and expense report for the Temple Renovation Project.

Through the profound foresight and wisdom of our precious Teacher, Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo, an extraordinary tradition began on this day, April 18th, 1985, the 24 Hour Prayer Vigil for Peace.
It would become the very life force of our mission to create the causes for peace and harmony on the planet and an end to suffering in all its various forms.  It would become the “merit machine” that still, today helps stabilize and support all our efforts towards this worthy goal.

On this day 28 years ago, our Teacher Jetsunma along with a group of students made a commitment to begin Prayer Without Ceasing until there was no more suffering, no more need.  It began in the basement of Jetsunma’s home in Kensington, Maryland where she would often take many prayer shifts during the week including early 4am shifts.  We were shoulder to shoulder, heart to heart in our effort along with our Teacher to bring light into a world filled with darkness.  The prayer method Jetsunma had trained us to do during these early days of the Vigil was called the Light Expansion Prayer.  One would meditate on the truth of what we are, the Absolute Nature, and from this awareness, light would begin to expand outward embracing everything from ones physical body to the entire universe.  We would work on specific prayer projects for example hunger and starvation in Africa.  All those suffering beings would be embraced by the light of compassion of the Absolute Nature as though a soothing balm had been placed on their aching body and they would experience relief.  They became our beloved, dear ones; our family who we were responsible for helping.

This kind-hearted, selfless and somewhat innocent motivation that our precious Teacher had taught us is the root, the foundation of the prayer vigil.  It has continued non-stop since 1985 through the continued compassionate dedication of Jetsunma’s students who share this deep and abiding commitment.

Join us this Sunday, April 21st, 2:00pm at the Enlightenment Stupa to offer a large, abundant Tsog in celebration of the Prayer Vigil Anniversary.  We will begin by renewing our commitment and reciting Caretakers of the Earth Vow written by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo.    All are Welcome!

Kunzang Palyul Choling (KPC) in Poolesville, MD since 1985 is in tenuous circumstances. As of March 1, the Temple will not be able to hold public events inside until renovations are completed.  This severely limits activities and brings a stop to classes, activities and the gift shop within the building.  Further, the situation is such that the Temple could be completely closed if the necessary renovations are not completed in a reasonable period of time. We are still in the process of determining what that period is, however the situation is urgent.

For twenty-eight years KPC has provided a place of pilgrimage and spiritual refuge to people of all faiths 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via its unbroken prayer vigil dedicated to peace. Tens of thousands of people have meditated, prayed and visited KPC since 1985. It’s beautiful and sacred meditation rooms and altars have been freely open to the public.  KPC has also been providing a food bank to the surrounding community, working to feed the homeless, and working on animal rescue.  KPC’s peace park with walking trails winding past sacred monuments and meditation gardens is always open to the public during daylight hours and also freely offered.

Now, without being able to hold public events and with its store closed, KPC’s ability to raise funds is limited to barely a trickle while the need is greater than it has ever been.

If the renovations are not completed this treasured place of refuge will not survive. It has offered so much comfort to so many for so long it simply cannot be lost. We urgently ask for your support to make sure this treasure survives not just today but for many generations to come.

Extensive renovations are necessary to meet compliance requirements with Montgomery County, Maryland’s Building Use and Occupancy Code.  KPC’s goal is to begin the mandatory building renovations and comprehensive interior upgrades as soon as possible, including fire separation, electrical and plumbing work, storm water management throughout the grounds, the installation of extensive sprinkler systems throughout the building, and fire truck access.   The initial estimate for this exceeds $1,000,000.

Updates to the status of the renovation, reopening of the Temple and event information will be posted here on www.tara.org. For more information, or questions, please contact KPC by email at kpc@tara.org or call 301-710-6259. KPC is a Vajrayana Buddhist organization founded to uphold the Palyul Lineage in the Nyingma tradition, located at 18400 River Road, Poolesville, MD.

Please donate, join us on twitter (@kunzangpalyul), and friend us on Facebook (Kunzang Palyul Choling).

Kunzang Palyul Choling has wonderful news! In a meeting with the Interfaith Advocate from Montgomery County, we were informed that we can open our doors, that visitors can come and go, taking advantage of the many blessings the temple has come to offer. The Prayer Room will be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week once again for ANYONE seeking a place of spiritual refuge. You will be welcome to meditate quietly or pray, and take in the wealth of blessings offered by the statues, thangkas and crystals.

Not all functions of the temple will be able to continue until we are able to navigate the permitting process of Use and Occupancy and make the necessary renovations to ensure public safety and accessibility, but for those who have come to count on KPC as a place of peace, refuge and blessings the doors will once again be open to all regardless of faith.

We cannot hold events inside the temple, but will continue to offer events outdoors in order to continue with KPC’s mission of offering the Dharma. In just a few weeks KPC will host Khenpo Norgay who will be offering teachings and empowerments associated with Phowa, a powerful Buddhist practice to prepare for the time of death. Though this event will be held outdoors, KPC will do it’s best to ensure you are comfortable while enjoying this precious opportunity.

Please continue to support us in our effort to come into compliance with the county. The renovations required to ensure the safety of all will require everyone’s ongoing support, as they will be very expensive. Please donate. Meanwhile, all are invited to come and partake of the many blessings of KPC.

At the Temple, many of our daily activities are going on as normal. We still maintain our 24-hour prayer vigil for world peace and the end of all suffering; the residents of the temple still maintain the daily tsog, food offering practices, and other spiritual commitments the community keeps; we still get mail; we still maintain the 65-acre peace park across the street; we still offer teachings online at our regular times of Friday at 7PM and Sundays at 11AM and 1PM; we still have stupas; we still have candles to offer; we still take prayer requests; and we still welcome visitors of all faiths to come partake of the blessings this place of refuge represents in the world.

The only thing we can’t do is open the doors to the actual temple building to the public until we can complete the work necessary to make it safe for public assembly inside. We have no restrictions, really, to how we can offer the outside to the public and so that is what we’d like to remind you of this weekend.

On Sunday, March 9, we will offer a barbeque to the public, at around 12:15 PM, for people to visit the temple grounds and come hang out, enjoy the early spring weather, talk with residents about our current predicament and how you can help, and to help us all remember that a temple isn’t just defined by four walls and doors and windows. We will be offering our usual Sunday Tsog ceremony at 2PM outside so that all can participate in this profound yet uncomplicated Tibetan Buddhist practice in the natural expansive space that the outdoors represents. All are welcome.

Khenpo Tenzin Norgay’s teachings and empowerments related to the Tibetan Buddhist practices for the time of death, called Phowa, and teachings on the different passages through the bardo, the intermediate stage between this life and the next, scheduled for Friday, March 22- Tuesday, March 26, will happen as planned. We will simply be participating in the retreat outside in a heated tent instead of inside in the dharma room.

In fact, all are still welcome all of the time. Please come and see all that we have to offer even as our building must remain temporarily closed to the public. This community is still strong, still creating virtue and still offering refuge from the chaos and bustle of the everyday, ordinary world and we need as many people to take advantage of that joyful offering as possible.

Our community is kept afloat by donations from kind individuals such as yourself who visit the temple regularly and find comfort by doing so. We need you to continue to visit and continue to see this place as an appropriate vehicle for making offerings to the three jewels of refuge: the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. Not just for your own enlightenment, but for the enlightenment of all beings, all of those close to you and all of those you have yet to meet, come and partake of the blessings of the pure land that the grounds of KPC actually are.

John P

KPC Resident

If you have ever visited the Temple, attended a teaching, an empowerment, or a class at the Temple, if you have been deeply touched or healed by the Temple or value the Temple as a place of prayer, peace and refuge, please consider helping NOW. After almost 30 years of being open and available as a supreme place of Spiritual Refuge and Pilgrimage, as of March 1, 2013, Montgomery County has closed the Temple, effectively shutting the doors, until the building can meet compliance requirements with the current Montgomery County Building Use and Occupancy Code. This is an extremely urgent situation, and the Temple itself is at risk and may no longer be in existence if we cannot raise the funds to comply, as soon as possible. We are sending this urgent appeal to everyone.

How can you help?

Our goal is to begin the mandatory building renovations immediately, so that we can comply with the County Code, save the Temple and re-open our doors as soon as possible. This will require immediate funds. Our preliminary estimate is that it will take over $1,000,000 dollars to begin the massive interior upgrades to all systems, including drywall, electrical and plumbing work, and the installation of extensive sprinkler systems throughout the building, and much more.

To accomplish this as quickly as possible, we need YOUR help NOW. Please forward this  message to your friends, your family and your wider community and ask for their support and spread the word to raise the green love (aka money) and be a part of helping to bring the Temple up to code and re-open the doors.  To make a monetary contribution NOW,  to Save the Temple, please click on the donate button NOW.

Thanks to your past support, we have already secured the land on which the Temple and Peace Park reside. It is owned by us and can never be taken away. As such, the Grounds of Temple, the 65 Acre Peace Park and the amazing healing Stupas remain available and open to the Public.

Additionally, the 24/7 Prayer Vigil will continue and we encourage you to continue to come to the Temple Grounds, partake in the peace & beauty of our walking trails, circumambulate the healing Stupas, make prayer requests and bring your friends and family to make offerings on behalf of all sentient beings.

Please remember this is your Temple and we are asking for YOUR help, so it can be here for generations to come. While a small community of monks, nuns and core lay sangha help to care for the Temple on a day-to-day basis, the beautiful Temple belongs to EVERYONE. The Temple is here to provide you, your community, your friends, your relatives and your loved ones a place of refuge, sanctuary, and untold blessings for generations to come.  It’s primary purpose is to be of benefit to all sentient beings, and without your help, it may no longer exist.  To make a contribution and be a part of securing this precious Temple, please donate to our “SAVE the Temple” Fund by clicking on this donate button NOW.

Tune Into Dharma Teachings Online

We will continue to offer programs online, so please tune in for bi-weekly webcasts of our regular Friday and Sunday teachings here on tara.org.

We will be sending you, our community of supporters, regular email updates and progress reports. TO learn more about how you can contribute to “Save the Temple” please do not hesitate to contact us at kpc@tara.org. Thank you!