Drala Mountain Center facts for kids
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| Predecessor | Vajradhatu |
|---|---|
| Formation | February 2000 |
| Type | 501c3 educational non-profit |
| Location | |
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Formerly called
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Shambhala Mountain Center |
Drala Mountain Center is a special place in the northern Colorado Rocky Mountains. It's a non-profit organization that helps people learn and grow. The center is located on 600 acres of land and offers a quiet space for spiritual retreats.
Here, you can find programs like Shambhala Training meditation, yoga classes, and leadership training. They also have programs for children and longer retreats. It's a place where people can relax, learn, and connect with themselves and nature.
Contents
A Look Back: How it Started
The land where Drala Mountain Center is located was first used in 1971. It was called the Rocky Mountain Dharma Center. This center was started by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and run by his organization, Vajradhatu.
In the year 2000, the center became its own separate non-profit organization. It was named Shambhala Mountain Center. This new center was independent and focused on education.
The Great Stupa: A Special Building
In August 2001, a very tall and special building was finished. It's called the Great Stupa of Dharmakaya. A stupa is a type of monument often found in Buddhist traditions. This one is 108 feet (33 meters) tall!
Building the stupa took fourteen years. It began after Trungpa Rinpoche passed away in 1987. Inside the stupa are some of Trungpa Rinpoche's relics, which is a common practice in Tibetan Buddhism.
Caring for the Land
Since 2017, Drala Mountain Center has been working to restore its forests. They teamed up with the Fort Collins Conservation District. Their goal is to make 118 acres of forest look like it did in the 1800s. This helps more plants grow and makes the forest safer from fires.
Facing Challenges and Changes
In 2018, the center faced some challenges related to its former leadership. Drala Mountain Center stated that its former leader would not teach there until certain issues were resolved.
In 2019, a university paused its programs at the center due to a teacher's behavior. The center quickly responded by dismissing the teacher and apologizing for the incident.
In the fall of 2020, a large wildfire called the Cameron Peak Fire reached the center. It burned 14 buildings. However, some of the fire stopped on the center's land. This was thanks to their forest management efforts. The fire caused about $2 million in damages.
In October 2021, the center became fully independent. It created its own board of directors to guide its future.
In February 2022, the center changed its name to Drala Mountain Center. The word "drala" comes from Tibetan Buddhism and means "energy beyond aggression." Around the same time, the center faced financial difficulties. It needed to reorganize its finances due to the wildfire and the COVID-19 pandemic.
