Buddhist meditation center headed to Scotts Valley

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by Joe Shreve

2011-06-11 【Share to Friend】 【Print Friendly】

Insight Meditation Center teacher Gil Fronsdal and treasurer Diana Clark stand in front of the soon-to-be-home of the Buddhist organization on Glen Canyon Road. Lucjan Szewczyk/Press-Banner

Frondsdal is especially excited about the prospect of completing the upstairs of the former residential living home. Lucjan Szewczyk/Press-Banner

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The site of a former assisted-living facility is to become the new home of a Buddhist retreat in Scotts Valley, following a deal that was finalized June 1.

Following a five-year search, Redwood City-based Insight Meditation Center, a Buddhist organization, acquired the property of The Mansion at 1906 Glen Canyon Road for use as a Buddhist meditation retreat.

“It seemed like a beautiful place for our purpose,” said Gil Fronsdal, leader of the center. “It seemed like it would work well.”

The Mansion, a gated assisted-living home that specialized in caring for Alzheimer’s patients, closed at the end of May, and the property was sold. The owner, Dede Beam, had opened The Mansion in 1986, expanding the buildings over the ensuing 25 years. At its height, the facility had 20 rooms for older men and women in need of round-the-clock care, specializing in cases of dementia.

Over the coming year, Fronsdal said, The Mansion’s 18,000-square-foot building and the surrounding acreage will be modified to accommodate meditation classes, including 10-day silent meditation retreats.

Insight’s plans for the remodel include creating private rooms for 40 participants, adding a restroom and shower facility, remodeling the kitchen and dining room, and creating a meditation hall, a walking-meditation area, offices and interview rooms.

Fronsdal said in particular he was excited about designing the upper level of The Mansion building, which has never been fully completed, describing it as “6,000 square feet of blank canvas.”

As for the surrounding grounds, Fronsdal said, the center plans to replace what he described as water-intensive plants with a more drought-tolerant native landscape.

He said he looked forward to the prospect of becoming part of the Scotts Valley community.

“(The neighborhood) was very welcoming of us,” he said. “I’m very much aware that we are joining this community, and I hope we can become a contributing member of this community.”

Fronsdal, who has been a teacher with Insight Meditation Center for 21 years, described the type of Buddhism the center practices as “an American Buddhism” — Eastern teachings adapted for Western society.

“Some people aren’t sure what Buddhists are,” he said. “We’re just ordinary folks doing this thing.

“Anyone is welcome — it’s not an exclusive thing.”

Fronsdal said he hopes to welcome the first retreat group May 1, 2012.

미국- 스콧 벨리의 요양시설이었던 곳이 불교수행의 새로운 요람이 될 것이다. 레드우드에 있는 통찰참선센터가 5년을 기다린 끝에 글렌 케년의 한 저택을 참선수행을 위하여 구입했다.

질 프론즈달은 수행하기에 좋은 장소인 것 같고 또 잘될 것이라고 했다. 내년까지 저택 및 주변 땅이 참선과 열흘간의 묵언수행이 가능하도록 변경될 것이라고 프론즈달이 말했다. 40 명의 수행자를 위한 개인 방과 화장실, 샤워 시설을 만들고 부엌과 식당을 리모델링하고 참선방, 행선방, 사무실과 점검방을 새로 만들 것이다.

특히 저택의 2층을 아직 완성되지 않은 거대한 캔버스에 비유하며 디자인 작업에 설렌다고 프론즈달은 말했다. 주변 부지는 수생식물을 대신해 가뭄에 강한 본래 자연경관으로 대체할 것이라고 했다. 그는 또 스콧벨리 사회의 일원이 되는 것이 기대된다고 했다. 21년 동안 통찰명상센터의 지도자였던 프론즈달은 이 센터에서 수행하는 불교는 미국식의 불교로써 동양의 가르침이 서양사회에 응용되어진 것이라고 표현했다. "어떤 사람들은 불교도가 무엇인지도 모른다. 우리는 단지 수행하는 평범한 사람들일 뿐이다. 어떤 사람도 환영한다. 특별한 부류를 위한 것이 아니다."

2012년 5월에 첫 수행팀을 맞이하기를 바란다고 프론즈달은 말했다.