Tashi delek! When was the last time you spun the traditional, grand copper Prayer Wheel in the Great Paia Peace Stupa at the Maui Dharma Center along Baldwin Avenue? Considering the many attractions in our seaside village – such as Baldwin Beach, Paia Bay, unique boutiques and fabulous dining – the Maui Dharma Center is visited by scores of people. They come from all walks of life, and every day send their prayers out to the universe with each spin of the wheel. The 27-foot Peace Stupa, aflutter with wind horse prayer flags, adorns the entrance at 81 Baldwin Ave., known as the Maui Dharma Center, an unusual visitor’s destination.
Conceived, founded and established in beautiful Maui nei in 1974 by the Great Tibetan Buddhist Master, Kalu Rinpoche, the Center moved to Paia in the fall of 1995 – where it remains a source of universal rest, peace, spiritual health, prosperity and hope. Since its inception, Maui Dharma Center has been guided by Tibetan Buddhist teachers whose lives and training originate in modern India and old Tibet.
The first resident teacher was the late, Venerable Lama Tenzin, unbeknownst to many in Paia Town during his tenure. He lived at the Center for 20 years, laying the foundation and sowing the seeds of success for the future, before he passed away in 2001. The young, Venerable Lama Gyaltsen, as the successor to Lama Tenzin and now present spiritual director, designed, built and guided the construction of the traditional Peace Stupa, with the help of many community leaders, donors and helping hands. This amazing accomplishment culminated in the Stupa’s consecration blessing ceremony, performed by His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama on April 24, 2007, in front of over 500 guests on the Center grounds.
As it stands today the Center is a traditional Tibetan Buddhist Church, with its authentic orthodox style meditation, ritual ceremonies, and oral transmission of Buddha’s teachings on virtue and goodness. It is also an eclectic place for spiritual refuge and reflection. The Temple is a sacred jewel box filled with ancient and modern Tibetan art; the Stupa is a symbol of universal prayer and love; the Shambhala Peace Garden, founded by neighbor, the late, Irene Andaya, is a place for quiet contemplation; the Golden Buddha Gazebo dedicated to Sage Peros, serves as an inspiration to all house-holders and lay practitioners; and the Sri Lanka Bodhi Tree garden shrine, constructed by Shayama Ramani Dole and family, in memory of their ancestors, represents the commitment and respect to universal devotion. All are teachings without words.
