Celebrating Our Center’s Time at 17 Eastern Avenue

After many years on the second floor at 17 Eastern Avenue in downtown St. Johnsbury, the Center will be going virtual.  At our recent community meeting there was unanimous consensus with the decision to not renew the lease. Our sangha’s suggestions on how to move forward and stay together as a community were heartfelt and encouraging:

• Committing to a minimum of one year’s rent and expenses for an unused space is undesirable. The noise from the theater is not favorable for a meditation center, especially for newer students. We would be better off to rent space as needed for special occasions. This could include places such as the United Universalist Church in St. Johnsbury, Karmê Chöling or any number of venues.
• There was much support for continuing and expanding our relationship with Karmê Chöling. KCL desires more local involvement and we could help to open these gateways. Furthering our Practice and Education relationship with Karmê Chöling would be mutually beneficial.
• We will continue offering online programming as a core element of our center. We don’t know what will happen within the Shambhala organization and we don’t know how long the restrictions on indoor gatherings will last. What is clear is our desire to stay together as a sangha. It is our greatest strength.
• We were heartened to hear our sangha’s desire to continue financial support. Our expenditures will be dramatically reduced without the costs of a physical center. Many people expressed the desire to build a reserve for another future space or to fund special occasions.

We will hold a closing ceremony on November 6th. As much as we wish we could have a live gathering, COVID precautions prevent it. There will be a small number of dignitaries present to facilitate the ceremony and we will broadcast the event live.

We invite you to share your memories and stories from our time at the St. Johnsbury Shambhala Meditation Center at 17 Eastern Avenue in the Comments below. And we look forward to your participation in the next chapter of our Center.