Community Mindfulness Center | SokukoJi Buddhist Community

THE VISION

The Community Mindfulness Center will be an inclusive and welcoming place to discover basic goodness and a sense of well-being. It will be a space to think deeply, get to know yourself, and learn to communicate, cooperate, and collaborate within a community.

Sokuzan ~

Abbot of

SokukoJi

Buddhist

Community

Become a Founding Supporter of the Community Mindfulness Center

HOW YOU
CAN
HELP

To bring this new space from concept to reality, we at SokukoJi, with your support, plan to raise $1million over the next year. The Community Mindfulness Center will be a vibrant space to nurture and support the needs of our local community and extend SokukoJi’s mission into the world.

Won’t you join us in bringing the Community Mindfulness Center to life?

THE CHALLENGE

Living mindfully in a chaotic and fragmented society is difficult. Mindfulness is a state of deep connection to one’s thoughts, feelings, and perceptions. Whatever state of wakefulness we’re embodying at the moment translates directly into how we relate to ourselves, others, and our environment. Knowing oneself is key to engaging with the world with sanity, understanding, compassion, and love.

Mindfulness supports us in relating to the complexities of modern life, improving mental health, reducing stress, and offering a sense of general well-being. Learning to be mindful is best embraced, cultivated, and practiced within a supportive community.

Currently, there are no organizations in Battle Creek dedicated to a secular approach to mindfulness. Additionally, while SokukoJi has a lively and active virtual community, representing more than 30 states and 20 countries, and featuring a residential training program housing seventeen students, SokukoJi’s campus is limited in supporting public, in-person spiritual offerings or directly engaging with the local community onsite.

DISCOVERING BASIC GOODNESS

Watch the video to learn more about the SokukoJi Community Mindfulness Center.

THE COMMUNITY MINDFULNESS CENTER

A new, 3,100-square-foot Community Mindfulness Center will offer secular-based meditation classes, embodied practices like yoga, and mental health services. Regular public offerings on topics such as working with anger, developing patience, living within a community, and personifying mindfulness in daily life will find a home in this space.

Supporting gatherings of up to 100 people, the Community Mindfulness Center will also be a place for people to explore spirituality and engage in Buddhist offerings, including in-person classes, group retreats, individual learning, and meditation sessions.

The new building will include a meditation hall, foyer, and two ADA-supported bathrooms, and state-of-the-art A/V equipment. On the main thoroughfare nearest the Community Mindfulness Center, there will be an electronic sign showcasing upcoming programs.

Matt Willis
Director,
Willard Library

With its diverse programming and inclusive ethos, this new facility aims to provide countless individuals with the opportunity to foster inner peace and engage with the world through the lenses of sanity, understanding, and compassion within a supportive community environment.

Deanna Spencer
President,
Battle Creek Pride

Our LGBTQ+ community understands the impact of having resources and facilities that are welcoming and inclusive of all people. It is our shared belief that the proposed Community Mindfulness Center and its facilities and programming will serve to bring people together in a peaceful and equitable way."

Michele Reid, PhD
Friends of SokukoJi

The Community Mindfulness Center's welcoming physical space and collaborative community setting, and the range of programs and events that will be held within its walls, are intended to offer to individuals... a variety of opportunities to learn to engage with the world with understanding, compassion, and love.

Kelly Climie
Program Coordinator, Karma House Community Wellness Center

The Community Mindfulness Center presents a wonderful opportunity to nurture protective factors including opportunities for social connection and relationship skill-building. It also presents a practical opportunity for community members and organizations to engage with the space in a way that supports the good work already being done in our community.