In February 2013, after four years of meeting in borrowed space in a church, we fulfilled our dream of getting our own dedicated space! When a Sangha (Buddhist congregation) has its own place, it can become the focal point of community. Even when we are not there, we hold it in our hearts as a place of refuge.
We found our new space only 0.7 miles from the church where we used to meet. (To the left are some pictures of our space before we moved in.) We had some money in savings but knew our monthly income as of January 2013 would not have covered our expenses with our new rent. Using Crowdtilt.com we raised an additional $2489 
to cover the gap between our 
current income and our expenses with this rent for an entire year! That meant we could sign the lease, move in, and then develop and grow in our new space for a whole year without worrying about not being able to pay our bills.
We are confident, however, that during the course of a year our income will grow at least enough to cover costs: in January of 2012 our average monthly income was $50, in January 2013 it is $650, and by January 2014 we will only need it to be $880. A weekly practice meeting on the weekend promises to make Bright Way Zen more accessible to many people, so this will be a significant source of growth. In addition we will be able to offer workshops and classes. Click the following links for more information: location and directions; a
Before
further description of the space; pictures of the Zendo surroundings; and our process of setting up.
After
