Press
Reclaim Peace of Mind at Drolma Center
by Lynn Peithman Stock (photo by Jason Leidy) of New River Design Group
Published January, 2009
College professors, moms, musicians, consultants and engineers all do it regularly. They have no common religious background, yet all seek inner peace.
They are among the 60 Fort Lauderdale residents who visit the Drolma Buddhist Center regularly.
"It's a meditation center for everyone," said Jason Bryant, education program coordinator. "It's not about converting anyone to Buddhism. We figure the world could use some calmer, happier minds."
To that end, meditation is a mental practice, and the center offers a home court, so to speak, to practice. The center holds daily classes, from introductory sessions three times a week to workshops and monthly retreats.
Class offerings include "Meditation and Prayers for World Peace" to in-depth Buddhist study. Children can even learn to meditate so the practice becomes a family affair. Classes cost $9 each, $5 for students or limited income. Students may become a center sponsor for $60 ($35 for students) a month, which allows them to go to any class at the Florida branches for free.
The introductory classes teach students how to gain control of their mind, Bryant said. "That's part of being happy - learning to control you mind."
Resident teacher Nick Gillespie leads many of the classes. Kadam Nick, as he is called (Kadam means "lay teacher"), has led the non-profit center in Fort Lauderdale since 1999. He has followed the Buddhist tradition for 25 years, since he was a university student in England.
The center follows the Kadampa tradition, led by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, a Tibetan Buddhist monk. Gillespie was the first Kadampa teacher in Florida, establishing three centers in the state. Today, there are more than 1,000 Kadampa centers worldwide.
"Buddhism is a non-evangelizing philosophy so we invite people form all denominations," Gillespie said. "People come with no wish to become Buddhists but to learn stress management. People have a lot of worries and the Buddhist message is our quality of mind is the most important thing of all in the quality of our life."
Upcoming special sessions have a pertinent timeliness to them. On Jan. 18, the one-day course deals with overcoming stress, "Beating the Economic Blues." A complete list of classes and workshops is available on the center's Web site, www.meditaitoninflorida.org.
The center has been in its present home since last March. A large altar filled with Buddha statues fills one end of the carpeted room. Visitors are asked to remove their shoes and stash them in cubbies at the center's entrance. Going shoeless is a sign of respect.
"It's nice to have a place where people are doing the same thing," Bryant said. But meditation can be done any place that is quiet.
"We meditate on virtuous objects, which are conducive to happiness, compassion, giving, love and so forth," Bryant said. Students also learn how to breathe to complement their meditating.
Christians, Jews, atheists and agnostics are regulars. "Compassion doesn't belong to one religion," Bryant said.
Bryant uses a dining analogy for the center, "It's almost like a huge buffet. You come through and whatever appeals to you, you put on your plate."