Drikung Meditation Center
Boston, MA, USA
WELCOME
A Jewel of Living Dharma
For over 20 years, The Drikung Meditation Center has offered Tibetan Buddhist teachings, practices and retreats to all levels of spiritual practitioners - from curious beginner to experienced meditator - right here in the Boston area..
We are home to the only emanation replica of the sacred Jowo Rinpoche statue outside of the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa Tibet! The Jowo statue is considered a living Buddha, a very holy object of immense beauty and profound blessings. Our Jowo statue is not only an exact replica, it is a spirtual emanation of Jowo Rinpoche himself. Learn about the Jowo Rinpoche Statue HERE.
Under the guidance of our spiritual director, Venerable Lama Konchok Sonam, our mission has been to serve the community in a spirit of loving kindness, fostering understanding between all religions, cultures and people.
NEW!
Gems From Lama Konchok Sonam's Weekly Teachings:
Message and Brief Prayer to be Reborn in Dewachen Click Here
Excerpted from the Full Moon Phowa Practice
The U.S. Jowo Rinpoche Statue at the
Drikung Meditation Center in MA, USA.
Be Part of Something Wonderful...
The Drikung Meditation Center is home to the US Jokhang Temple! We are making great progress paying down our mortgage on our property in Danvers, MA!
This was only possible due to the enormous generosity of the community and everyone's profound merit and aspirations. Emaho! Lama Sonam's longtime dream of establishing a Jokhang Temple here in the US is one very large step closer to fruition!
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The Capital Campaign - We are in the Final Phase of our 5 Year Plan!
While this momentous accomplishment is certainly a cause for celebration, we will continue to work together as a community to complete the balance owed in the 5 year window before the interest rate increases.
We are entering year 4 of this 5 year plan June 2025 and are on track to meet our goal!
To accomplish this goal we have introduced the Capital Campaign.
If you or someone you know can help secure the US Jokhang Temple for future generations by joining this campaign, please read and share this Letter from Lama Konchok Sonam:
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Be a part of establishing a home for the Buddha Dharma here at the US Jokhang Temple!
Become a Monthly Donor!
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Help secure the future of the
US Jokhang Temple!
EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Buddha Vasudhara Empowerment and Retreat
May 10th and 11th
10am - 12noon and 2pm - 5pm ET
Venerable Khenpo Choephel Rinpoche
Venerable Khenpo Choephel Rinpoche
We welcome the return of Ven. Khenpo Choephel Rinpoche to Boston. Khenpo Choephel is originally from Drikung Thil Monastery, the head-monastery of the Drikung Kagyu lineage in Tibet. He was ordained at a young age by Vajradhara Pachung Rinpoche, and served as the chant master at the monastery for many years.
He later joined the Drikung Kagyu Rinchen Ling in Nepal where he received teachings and trainings from many great masters, including Nubpa Rinpoche, Drubwang Rinpoche and Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche.
For the past 5 years Khenpo la has served at Rinchen Ling Monastery, Nepal, with many administrative functions and as the principal teacher of young tulkus.
Since coming to the United States at the request of Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen Rinpoche in 2007, he has given many empowerments and teachings on Bodhicitta, Yidam Practices, Guru Yoga, and introduced us to the Fivefold Path of Mahamudra, one of the most profound dharma teachings of this lineage. He has taught at many dharma centers in the United States and abroad, constructed sand mandalas and demonstrated Tibetan ritual arts. Khenpo Choephel is also the spiritual director of Three Rivers Tibetan Cultural Center in Pittsburgh.
The Buddha Vasudhara
The female form of Dzambhala, Vasudhara grants the blessings of prosperity and abundance. She is surrounded by a retinue of Dzambhala emantions. This profound practice gives us the opportunity to share the blessings of this abundance and generosity with all beings.
Please join us at the Temple or online for this special retreat.
Schedule
Saturday, May 10th:
Empowerment (tib. wang) 10am ET
Teachings and Practice
2pm -5pm
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Sunday, May 11th:
Teachings and Practice
10am - 12noon, 2pm - 5pm ET
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Links for Daily Practice Livestreams
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See Schedule Here
Zoom:
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For Passcode: please contact dmcboston@gmail.com
FacebookLivestream:
All Times are Eastern Time.
To find out how this translates to your time zone,
please click here.
FROM OUR SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR
Capital Campaign Letter from Lama Konchok Sonam
Warmest Tashi Delek!
This is Lama Sonam from the Drikung Meditation Center. I’m writing to tell you of the exciting developments that have taken place at our small center in the last year. In addition to the beautiful Stupa and prayer wheel installations in the temple garden, we are on target with our mortgage repayment and to the complete the purchase of the permanent home for the U.S. Jowo Rinpoche Temple.
This project began in 2007 when I sought to commission a replica of the precious Jowo Rinpoche from artisans in Nepal. Through many donations and fundraising efforts since then we now hope to establish this fully consecrated emanation replica of the Jowo Rinpoche to benefit all beings.
We are asking if you will lend your support to the next phase of this important project; paying off the Temple’s mortgage. This letter will tell you more about the history of the Temple project, our current focus, and what we hope to accomplish in the next two years.
History of our Temple Project:
Phase 1:
With generous support from many over the years, the Drikung Meditation Center (DMC) was able to raise a down payment of $426,000 toward the new center building, which is 40% of the total purchase price of $1,065,000 This was an extraordinary achievement for our community, and I am very grateful.
Phase 2: Completed!
On July 16, 2021, the DMC was able to close the purchase transaction with a mortgage of 60%, which is $639,000 from Citizen Bank. Because the DMC does not have continuous sources of income, the bank provided a commercial loan with a 3.75% interest rate, fixed for 5-years and adjusted thereafter. This means that in five years our interest rate will increase to 8.75%, which is a cause for concern.
As of right now, our mortgage obligation is covered by our Sustaining Membership Fund, a grass-roots campaign which consists of many individual donors offering small monthly contributions.
We are incredibly grateful for our community’s support in this effort, which has made our dream of building a U.S. Jowo Rinpoche temple a reality. But we want the security of knowing that the temple will exist for future generations.
Our Current Focus
Phase 3: Our Goal is In sight...
We are launching a capital campaign to pay off our mortgage in five years - by June 2026. Since August 1, 2021, the DMC has been paying $4,338 monthly in mortgage, property tax, and insurance. The DMC pays another $1000 for utilities and upkeep of the property. Despite being a small non-profit with limited resources and network, we have been successful in meeting this $5,500 monthly obligation.We are currently meeting our goal of prepaying the maximum amount our mortgage allows of $122,003.00 yearly. We do this to avoid and increased interest rate on the unpaid balance in July of 2026.
Therefore, our Phase 3 focus is a capital campaign to pay off our mortgage to sustain and secure the Temple.
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We are Almost There - How You Can Help:
We are reaching out to you for help, so that we can work towards becoming completely mortgage-free in 2026. It is our hope that you, or someone you know, will become a patron of this historic project. Since we are a small non-profit, and do not have the experience or connections to reach many potential patrons, any advice or expertise you could offer would be tremendously beneficial. We are including a brochure which describes our capital campaign and would be delighted to offer a video tour of the new Temple. We would be happy to connect with you to discuss these ideas further.
This project to establish a Jowo Rinpoche temple and Buddhist pilgrimage place in the U.S. is very close to my heart. By paying off this mortgage in the first five years we are ensuring that the temple will exist to benefit the next generations, allowing me and future teachers to focus on sharing the Dharma for many years to come.
I would like to thank you in advance, and look forward to speaking with you.
With my prayers,
Lama Sonam
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Request
Ven. Lama Konchok Sonam asks us to join in the gathering of profound spiritual blessings by participating in the Online Dharma Practice Sessions and the accumulation of mantra. The benefits of these shared recitations are deep and vast due to being recited with the welfare and benefit of all sentient beings in mind.
​​MANTRA ACCUMULATIONS THUS FAR
​​Totals updated regularly..
As of, April 13th, 2023:
​100 Million Green Tara
Current Total:1,531,069
​Parnashavari, Vanquisher of Disease
Current Total: 94,013
Ven. Lama Konchok Sonam offers this beautiful audio recording, wherein he chants the "Treasury of Siddhis Medicine Buddha Mantra for Universal Healing", with original guitar and flute musical accompaniment.
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Recording courtesy of
Drikung Dharmakirti Circle.
​Music by Omar Rodrigo Sierra,
Casa Tibet México, León, Guanajuato.
Click on image to listen.
Items Consecrated by Ven. Lama Sonam
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Ven. Lama Konchok Sonam has specially consecrated many precious and unique items in our Dharma Shop - stupas, amulets, statues and more.
Proceeds of all sales go directly to of our operating expenses needed for the daily functioning of the center, and also to our US Johkang Temple Fund!
Please help ensure that generations to come can enjoy the limitless benefit of the U.S. Jowo Rinpoche statue.
Thank you!
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This Golden Stupa is available in our shop. It brings the profound blessings of the Buddha to our home, office, business or space, and has been consecrated by Ven. Konchok Lama Sonam.
