Dharmata Foundation

My review is not of what goes on inside, but rather the raping of a lovely historical building which may or may not have been designed by Julia Morgan for the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, August 1908. Anyway, when the Dharmata Foundation acquired the building, the first thing they did was to remove the beautiful stained glass windows… they were part of the community for so long, and now there are people that don’t know they even existed… I’ve heard they are in storage and will be replaced if this group ever moves… If that’s the case… I say good bye already. Namaste!

Anam Thubten is a great Tibetan teacher. His meditations are every Sunday at the Dakini Temple in Point Richmond.
He speaks English very well and relates to all parts of the human psyche.

Very nice place.

The Dharmata Foundation (housed in what was called Dakini Temple but today is called «Dhyana Hall») is headed by Anam Thubten (author of NO SELF, NO PROBLEM & soon to be released THE MAGIC OF AWARENESS). He is non-​sectarian, especially as regards Tibetan lineages. In fact, I have Zen, Catholic, Jewish, humanist friends who feel comfortable with his teachings while they continue in their chosen paths as well. That’s because his message is universal: Don’t believe your thoughts; feelings are fleeting; calm your mind & your heart will naturally open; everyone is perfect but we’re blinded by our mental habits. Meditation returns us to experiencing our true nature & the true nature of all phenomena— including «Bad» people, «Bad» events/​situations {illness, economic issues, war, dying, pollution}.
For me this is a 5 star teacher/​experience. BUT I put 4 stars considering that for someone who’s rarely sat quietly it might take time to work through the initial shock of seeing how active our minds are or to overcome the desire to fall asleep. oh, the tricks our mind plays.
There are chairs to sit on, meditation is only 30 minutes, you can arrive around 11:30 a.m. AFTER the meditation session if you wish – but you’ll have to sit downstairs because upstairs fills quickly.
Sundays when AT is teaching in person (every other Sunday) it’s a guided meditation. so I feel more comfortable squirming a bit, though no one is expected to sit like a statue. You can also sit downstairs & watch all on a TV monitor & walk out into the garden. On Sundays when he’s not teaching, we meditate & then watch a DVD of one of his teachings.
Always there’s a break with tea (sometimes cookies, chips).
I have several friends/​family who spend a lot of money (& time) trying to make their bodies feel good (massage, acupuncture – all of which I enjoy too, but we’re more than our bodies) and/​or they depend upon therapists, spiritual retreats, etc. to feel better. –all of which I’ve also done. But, ultimately (at least for me) the answer is to be a fully functioning person at work while also letting go of the past, letting go of my attempts to control everyone/​everything in the future and melt into love. Hanging out with people who meditate daily helps remind me of what’s important in life.
PS: Unlike a couple of other spiritual teachers/​meeting places Unilocaled about on these pages, Anam Thubten has a policy that no one will be pressured for $$ or pressured for anything. It’s part of his approach to Dharma. (If you look, you’ll find a couple of donation bowls sitting around where you can offer $ – if you can and/​or feel so moved.)

Tibetan Buddhism right here in Pt. Richmond. The old church has been transformed into the Dakini Temple.
Sit quietly in meditation every-​other Sunday with Anam Thubten, a clear speaking Nyingma Master. Great vibes, profound teachings.