Raise the Roof at Samye Hermitage New York
Samye Hermitage invites our community to support Phakchok Rinpoche's seat in North America — and help us Raise the Roof!
Anyone who has visited our center in Cooperstown knows that our communal life of study and practice centers on our Shrine Hall (the "Big Barn"), a home for study, practice, and transmission. A former horse riding area, Samye Hermitage's Shrine Hall was built over 40 years ago, and the roof is now beyond its useful life. In fact, our roof is leaking and endangering the entire facility, including our precious shrine space.
We must act now, if we are to have this space available for Phakchok Rinpoche's upcoming visit in September 2023, as well as Tulku Migmar's visit this coming summer. And with over 10,800 sq. ft. of roof to replace, this is a big project.
We are delighted to announce that a donor has stepped forward to initiate the necessary work with a $37,500 matching grant. With your financial support, your donation will be matched dollar for dollar and will generate at total of $75,000, which will fund a restoration of the building in line with Phakchok Rinpoche vision for our Hermitage in 2023.
The Vision
In the wake of his visit this past September, Phakchok Rinpoche has outlined a number of areas for Samye Hermitage New York to develop over the remainder of 2022 and into 2023. And we need your help to make good on Rinpoche's vision. Specifically, Rinpoche would like us develop our Shrine Hall, the "Big Barn," into a practice space that is at once elegant and comfortable for all. To begin to realize Rinpoche's vision, there are a few pressing projects at hand:
New Roof: $58,000 - COMPLETE!
We will first need to protect our Shrine Hall, and for this a new roof is absolutely vital. The current roof is over 40 years old, and it's leaking. Unless we replace the current roof, any efforts to improve the interior, including necessary electrical and heating upgrades, will be in danger. A new roof is the single most important step for saving our beloved Big Barn.
New Altar: $6,500 - FUNDED!
This September, Rinpoche consecrated three new statues for our a Shrine Hall, the first step in this new phase of development. Shakyamuni Buddha, Vajrasattva, and Guru Rinpoche now grace our practice space, filled with relics of the Buddha, as well as rare and powerful blessings from Guru Rinpoche and Chokgyur Lingpa. Every day, our morning and evening practices here unfold, and yet the statues have yet to be place into a shrine that can hold them securely. We still need your support so that we can build a simple yet elegant shrine for these remarkable objects of blessing, placed at the heart of our center in Cooperstown.
New Flooring: $8,000 - FUNDED!
Beyond a shrine for our practice supports, Rinpoche envisions new, clean flooring for our practice space. While the installation of certain hardwood composite materials is relatively simple, and much less expensive and time-consuming compared to traditional hardwood, the materials themselves will still need to be purchased. Your assistance with help us create a new space for our future practice and study together for many years to come.
Additional Improvements: $6,500+
The overall vision includes a renovation of the interior corridors, creating more comfortable rooms, adding more storage functionality, and creating a small lounge space for our growing library. Your donations will help fund the material and labor costs associated with realizing this vision of a fresh, welcoming space for all who come visit Samye Hermitage New York. This large-scale reimagining of the interior shrine hall will likely cost more than we anticipate. Your donations will set the stage for fresh, redesigned home for our practice together at SHNY.
If you are inspired to support this project with a gift $1000 or above, please contact Doris Motta, Treasurer of the Chokgyur Lingpa Foundation, doris.motta@cglf.org to arrange directly.
CAMPAIGN UPDATE (January 2023): We raised the roof! Thanks to the immense generosity of our local and global community, the first phase of our project is complete. Funds for a new shrine and flooring are now available as well. Additional donations will be directed toward implementing Rinpoche's directive to improve and uplift the interior space of our Shrine Hall. We offer our deep gratitude for all of your support!
Your gifts to Samye Hermitage New York are tax-deductible for income, gift, and estate taxes, as we are operated by the Chokgyur Lingpa Foundation (CGLF), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization (EIN 20-8020758). If you have any questions about how you can support our mission, please contact Craig Davis at justsitting1@gmail.com.