English
Tuesday
Community Articles, Southern StatesThe Ground, Path and Fruition of ‘Resting in Alaya’
By Bree Buchanan
At our annual Harvest of Peace Celebration, ASMC’s Director, Billy Boyar, set out his vision for the transformation of Alaya from a “storage space” to a “people space.” Boyar and our governing Council have undertaken this project as Phase II of our Capital Campaign, having fulfilled promises of Phase I which included the storage complex, post-meditation space for the East Shrine Room and ADA bathroom renovations.
Boyar shared the plans for a beautiful, uplifted and peaceful space for practice and teaching, one much needed by our increasingly busy Center. Praising our history of prudent fiscal management, he informed participants that ASMC had been able to complete Phase I without incurring indebtedness and had secured a member-financed loan for basic construction of Phase II.
Dependent on the generosity of our members, however, would be the critical “finish out” of the space. How many windows would we be able to afford and what type? What kind of flooring and light fixtures? Boyar asked that we consider the possibilities for how we would choose to “rest in Alaya,” (a play on Atisha’s mind-training slogan.)
With a goal of $12,000, Alan Holt initiated an enthusiastic round of fundraising. The energetic and playful banter between Alan and participants was decidedly fruitful. By the end of the day, contributions totaled $9667! With just over $2,000 remaining to meet our goal, please consider being a part of this endeavor. You can make a contribution using PayPal at our website: http://austin.shambhala.org.
