Updates for September 2018
Sato, bhikkhave, bhikkhu, sampajano kalam agameyya.
Monks, dwelling ardently, with constant thorough understanding and right awareness of impermanence, let the time ripen.
Moving house is always a challenge. Moving a meditation center is a much bigger one. To be able to afford purchasing the new site in Duncan, the Vancouver Island Vipassana Association had one key financial asset: the Lake Cowichan property. But the value of that asset was locked up until the property could be sold.
We’re happy to report that, only a week after the property was listed, the trust signed an agreement with a buyer on September 6, 2018. The agreed price is just over $1 million and the closing date is January 3, 2019.
The sale is a great relief for our financial planners. Now we know that the trust will be able to repay all the short-term and bridge loans offered so generously by meditators.
The sale also shows that we have been taking the right direction and making good decisions in the past few months. And it shows that old students near and far were justified in supporting this project with their donations and loans.
Bringing the teaching of Vipassana to a small town on the other side of the planet from Dhammagiri always seemed like a long shot — especially for an organization that operates strictly on a donation basis. But once again, we are learning that Dhamma works.
None of this would have happened without the many hands of Dhamma that have helped to realize a functioning Vipassana center here on Vancouver Island. None of this would have been possible without a dedicated group of meditators committed to growing in awareness and equanimity as they patiently navigated through a myriad of obstacles. None of this could have come to pass without the many Dhamma sisters and brothers from our area and beyond, who generously gave their time and money.
Even after applying the proceeds from the sale of Lake Cowichan, the trust will still have loans amounting to almost $600,000, to be repaid over varying time periods. On the other hand, recurring donations now stand at almost $6,000 a month. Our financial team is working hard to ensure that all loans are repaid on schedule.
There’s a sharp learning curve involved in starting up a center that functions year-round. New committees are identifying new tasks as quickly as the weather is turning from summer into fall. The immediate target is to be ready for September 29, when the center opens with its first one-day course.
We will begin with small courses, including a 3-day and a 10-day course in October. After that, the plan is to offer one course a month for several months. This will give us time to get to know the Duncan property, learn how it functions, develop plans and build a strong network of servers.
The gardening committee is off to a strong start, making plans to continue the excellent care that the previous owners gave to forest and grounds over four decades. The household, kitchen and operations committees are also making plans and would welcome more hands. Please email for more information.
A new website for Dhamma Modana will go live later in September. The website committee will be happy to receive your feedback.
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 All News, Updates On Center Developments on January 2019
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