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Home , Robert Thurman, Still Mind Zendo, The Tibet Center

A Sacred Architecturefor the SecularSpirit: An Instituefor Mind/BodyTraining in NewYork City by

DeborahY. Kim

B.A.Architecture ColumbiaUniversity, 1995

Submittedto the Departmentof Architecturein partialfullfillment of the for the degreeof Masterof Architectureat the MassachusettsInstitute of - February2001

@Deborah Y. Kim 2001. All RightsReserved. Theauthor hereby grants to MITpermission to reproduceand todistribute publicly paperand electronic copies of thisthesis document in wholeor in part.

Signatureof Author: ...... Departmentof Architecture January19, 2001 Certified by: ...... ShunKanda SeniorLecturer ThesisSupervisor

Accepted by:...... RoyStrickland PrincipalResearch Scientist in Architecture DepartmentalCommittee on GraduateStudents Chairman Readers:

William L. Porter NormanB. and MurielLeventhal Professor of Architectureand Planning

Paul Lukez AssistantProfessor of Architecture Contents:

Abstract 5

ThesisStatement 6

Concepts: 7 Meditation CulturalVariations on the Themeof Wisdom ScientificIntrospection

The City: 12 At the Crossroadsof Samsaraand Some DharmaCenters in Site Photosand Sketches

Process: 23 Study Modelsand Sketches ProgramDiagrams ElevationStudies

FinalModel/Resolution: 42 Drawings Philosophical Concepts: Sankara-HabitualPatterning Dualism-ApparentReality Interconnectedness-Realityas it is Program:The Practice- Experiencing Reality Body Speech Mind

Quotationsand Images 64

Illustrations& Bibliography 4 A SacredArchitecture fortheSecular Spirit: An Institute forMind/Body Training in NewYork City by

DeborahY. Kim

Submittedto the Departmentof Architectureon January 19,2001 in partial fullfillmentof the requirementsfor the degreeof Master of Architecture

Abstract

The goalof the projectis to designa non-sectarianmeditation center in the dense urbanarea of NewYork City. The designchallenge is to drawinspiration from an interpretationof ancient philosophiesof meditation, without simply importing cul- tural relicsfrom placesin whichthose philosophieshave flourished in the past. Moredifficult was thedecision to applymeditation philosophy not just to the de- sign,but to the processof designing.

Thefunctional purpose of the buildingis somewhatflexible. Peoplewho practice meditationmay or may not be involvedwith an organizedreligion. The current "Dharmascene" in Americais extremelydiverse. The purpose of the Centeris to facilitate theexploration of the mindand reality that goeson in meditation.It might serveas a meeting placefor variousgroups, and also as a center forthe studyand debate. Practitionersof differentschools might meet to comparenotes, or to attendconferences such as the Mind Scienceseminars held on a semi-annual basisby the DalaiLama and researchersin the cognitivesciences.

ThesisSupervisor: Shun Kanda Title:Senior Lecturer in Architecture ThesisProposal

This thesiswill explorethe resolutionof dualitieswithin a paradigmthat places moreemphasis on interconnectednessthan on separation.The development of a mind/bodytraining institute, a sortof urbanretreat center in Manhattan, willprovide the ideal programmaticvehicle for this inquiry.Part "sacred"space for spiritual development, part"profane" gym, this centerwill houseactivities such as yoga,tai chi, meditation,and otherpractices thatemphasize the concomitantdevelopment of mindand body.

Thisdialogue between separation and interconnectednessrelates to the mostba- sic purposeof architecture:to provideshelter by delineatinginside from outside. fig.1 Ratherthan attempting to completelyseal out theoutside environment and create an artificialenvironment within, the programshould be oneof interpenetrationwith site and surroundings.More than a merecontainer, the centershould strike a balancebetween publicand private space. The mind/body practices to betaught in the Institutecan provide inspiration.Many were formerly "esoteric," available only to an innercore of followers.Now they are beingtaught openly, and in a cross- traditionalsetting that furtherbreaks down concepts of "esoteric"and "exoteric." Withinthe practicesare concepts (such as thecirculation of vitalenergies) that can be exploredfor architecturalparallels.

Suchpractices embody a philosophicalparadigm of the interconnectednessof in- dividualwith natureand cosmosthat is at variancewith the view of humansas yogaand meditation session in New YorkCity somehowseparate, or abovenature. After centuries founded on analysisthrough fig.2 separation,Western science and philosophy are recognizinginterpenetration from the quantumto ecologicallevels. 6 The selectionof an urbansite for practicestraditionally associated with pastoral surroundingsbrings evokes the dualismof city and country. Once, cities were walledoff fromdangerous countryside's rife with banditry.Now, city dwellersfeel the needto importnature in the formof parksand community gardens. The prac- ticesof yoga,tai-chi, and othermind/body disciplines are extremelypopular in cit- ies likeNew York, and many centers of instructionare filled beyond capacity. In the midstof rushingthrough their days, more and more urbanites seek periods of slow time in such centers. They providea venuefor relaxationin a generallytense environment;an opportunityto explorethe natureof self beneaththe masksthat are wornin varioussocial interactions. Intensely personal, private explorations of at 5thStreet and AvenueB workshop mindand bodyare conductedin the publicsetting of a classor group.The resolu- communitygarden in New YorkCity tion of all thesedualistic modes is soughtin an urbanretreat center, and so itsvery structureand form should reflect the questfor synthesis. Introduction Meditation

Differentforms of meditationhave been practiced by in manycultures throughout history. My understand- ing of meditation can be traced primarily to the Buddha'steachings, known as the .The Bud- dha was not a god but a humanbeing, a princeborn abouttwenty-five hundred years ago, who renounced hisvast inheritance to findthe causeand cure for suf- fig.3 fering. He is called"Buddha," which means"Awak- enedOne," because he is saidto havereached a state of totalenlightenment. Any human being with sufficientmotivation and practice canbecome a Buddha.Developing higher levels of awarenessand wisdom through meditationis a majorpart of this processof spiritualevolution.

The goal of meditationis to observethe natureof the mind,to develophigher levelsof awarenessand equanimity,and rootout all the addictivehabit patterns that keepone caughtin the cycleof suffering.The meditator'sintentions are at leastas importantas the particularpractice that is employed.Single-pointed con- centrationis a very importantpractice, but it is one usedby huntersas well as meditators.The difference,according to the Buddha,is intent. The intentto kill doesnot lead to liberation,but the intentto benefitall beingsdoes. When wisdom is cultivated,the pathto compassionateaction becomes clear. CulturalVariations on the Themeof Wisdom

Whereverthe Dharmahas gonein the world,it has mergedsomewhat with the localculture. The coreof mostBuddhist societies is the monasticsystem, but many culturesseem to aknowledgethat lay teachersand practitionerscan be just as highlyrealized as monks.The degree to whichBuddhism is an"organized re- ligion"varies greatly from place to place in differenttimes.

Thetransmission of the Dharmato the Westhas been underway for a fewhun- dredyears, but has accelerated rapidly in the pasttwenty-five. There are sev- eral monasteriesin America,most of thembased in a particulartradition im- portedfrom another country- Japanese andTibetan sects of Buddhismare ex- tremelypopular. Many universities have departmentsof BuddhistStudies and thereis a highdegree of interestamong peoplewho are eithernot religiousor considerthemselves members of reli- gions otherthan Scientific Introspection

In themodern global culture of placeslike NewYork City, the scientific-materialistic paradigmis dominant,and blindfaith is highlysuspect. The increasedinterest in Buddhismmay stem from the Buddha'sinsistence that peopleexperience reality for themselves,not just accepthis wordsas truth. Manypeople today are inter- estedin the Buddha'steaching less as a religionand moreas a vehiclefor under- standing.

"WhenI beganto learn...meditation, I becameconvinced that Buddha wasa not a founderof religion,he wasa super-scientist...The whole process[of meditation]is one of total realization,the processof self- realization,truth pertaining to oneself,by oneself,within oneself. It is not an intellectualgame. It is not an emotionalor devotionalgame. It is purescience. I mustunderstand what's happening within me, what'sthe truthwithin me."

S.N. Goenka,Tricyle, Winter 2000 fig. 6 In this scientificinvestigation, the only instrumentis awareness,and the field of observationis realitywithin the frameworkof one'sown bodyand mind.This pro- cessof observationis notjust intellectualself-analysis; it involvesactually observ- ingsensations and ideas as theyarise and passaway, leading to an understanding of the impermanentnature of all phenomenon.

Theeventual forms of practiceand studythat arisefrom this periodremain to be seen,but one function of this urbanmeditation center is to facilitatethe exchange of ideasfrom many sources, to becomea syncreticrepository of wisdom. TheCity - At the Crossroadsof Samsaraand Nirvana

NewYork City is probablyone of the most diverseand internationalcities in the world.Home to the UNand the powerful financial markets, it isalso a famoushome to immigrantsfrom around the globe. It'sa goodbet that at leastone person from everycountry lives in NewYork City. It is an incrediblecrossroads, a placebrim- mingwith creativityand terrible destruction.

The Buddhistidea of samsara,the cycleof sufferingpropelled by desire,greed, andhatred, is in full forcein NewYork. But there is also greatwisdom to be foundin this city,which is hometo teachersfrom many lineages of meditativepractices. It TimesSquare is a wonderfulplace to observethe paradoxicalteach- ing thatsamsara is notseparate from nirvana; nirvana, thefreedom from suffering, is a stateof awarenessfree fromclinging, not some remote heaven accessible only throughmountain caves.

Despitethe stereotype that contemplative practices can onlytake place in secludedretreats, many city-dwellers practicemeditation on a regularbasis, and NewYork is fullof "Dharma Centers." Many of them are locatedin AstorPlace/East Village lowerManhattan or Brooklyn,not far from the site. SomeDharma Centers in Manhattan:

1. ColumbiaUniversity Center for 14. VillageZendo RobertA.F. Thurman, Chairman 15 Washington Place

2. PaldenSakya 15. StillMind Zendo 4-10West 101 Street, Apt. 63 120Washington Place (at 6th. Ave.) 3. NitarthaInternational (trans. of Tib. ) 16. OrdinaryMind Zendo 250West 99th Street 33Greenwich Ave. #4A

4. NewYork City KarmaThegsum Choling 17.The Studies Society 412West End Avenue, #5N 223East 67th Street 5. NewYork Buddhist Church 18. NewYork Zendo Shobo-ji 331-332Riverside Drive 233E. 67th St. 6. ManhattanWon 19. ChogyeInternational Zen Center 431East 57th St. 400East 14th Street #2E 7. PatriarchalZen Society 20. AsianClassics Instistitute 43West 33rdStreet 321East 6thStreet

8. TheTibet Center 21. ThreeJewels Bookshop & MeditationCenter 107E. 31 St.,5th Fl. 211East 5th Street 9. NewYork Shambhala Center 22. PalyulChangchub Dargyeling 118West 23rdStreet, 6th Floor 1993rdStreet nearAvenue B

10. PalyulLing 23. SohoZendo 101W. 23rd Street, 2336 464West Broadway

11.Zen Center of NewYork City:Fire Lotus Zendo 24. Friendsof theWestern Buddhist Order 119West 23rdStreet, Room 1009 SufiBooks 225 West Broadway.

12. NYShambhala Center 25. UsaShaolin Temple 118West 22nd Street, 6th Floor 637Broadway 3rd. floor (south of houston)

13. House New York 26. Tricycle:The BuddhistReview 22West 15th Street 92Vandam Street sitemodel Site

The site itself is at a crossroads.The numbered,orderly streets of Manhattan beginat 1ststreet, but southof Houston- on the otherside of the site, the chaos of old lowerManhattan begins. The grid pattern is sustained,but it soonwarps and thestreets have names, not numbers.The site is itselfa crossroadsbetween these two partsof Manhatten,old andnew. Pedestrianscan passthrough from 1stAve to HoustonStreet, continuing across the streetto RooseveltPark that runsdown intoChinatown. It is alsoa crossroadson anotherlevel: people can passthrough, rushingalong on whateversamsaric errand they're about, or they can stop and ascendthe spiralramp, potentiallydiscovering new states of mind. view down1st Street from 1stAvenue to 2ndAvenue close-upview of existingsite void on 1stStreet

viewof sitefrom RooseveltPark across Houston Street

close-upview of sitefrom Houston Street subway/busstops emptylot + two tenementbuildings /It

ic corrido

initialsketch diagram of site

Thissite is on an axis with RooseveltPark and the F trainsubway. This area is heavilytrafficked by both pedestriansand cars. RooseveltPark and the F train subwaystop markthe pointor 'gateway'at whichthe LowerEast Side neighbor- hoodbegins as onewalks along Houston Street......

existingconditions: aerialview of site. tenementbuildings existingvoid lot line

Houston Streeet

RooseveltPark ......

existing sitecondition view

proposedsite conditionview: appropriating 3 tenementlots

19 Sitesketch notes...

FirstStreet elevation : -repetitivetenement typology -opaquemasonry materiality

importanceof existingvoid in block/potentialofvoid as a"throughway"

"public"alley proposal currentdominant circulation(HoustonSt.) &

planview lot 1,lot 2, lot 3(empty) ......

f~fi~I71 '1(Z If ~ I#~~ /

'~. UJm~Lr?

lot size:25'W x 85'L

building:25'W x 52'Lx 55'H

initialarchitectural gestures:

lightconstruction suspendedvolumes

transparentinfrastructure-a'host' elementclinging to neighboring buildings

FirstStreet elevation Ii~IIIVlj 9mu

-14- te-. floating volumes L significanceof partywalls as a residue 7r preserve existingvoid openframes and grids ~vhAT zl

W Wt-14 5;TP,rllo r' - Process

Sketches,models, and diagramswere all tools in the processof tryingto grapple withan architecturalmanifestation of the philosophyand ideasin Buddhism.The mostdifficult challenge involved manifesting philsophical ideas into physical realities. Ratherthan simply accomodatingspaces for practices such as yogaand meditation, the inititalinvestigation pondered more abstractideas such as the meaningof interconnectedness,reality as it is, andother philosophies.

Mostof thestudies in the processdealt directly with the meaningof the site itselfin form and urbancontext. This processof findingmeaning in the sitewas itselfa generatorof a formalvocabulary, an architecturalexpression and a spatialprogram- maticdefinition.

Animportant conclusion of thesestudies was that it wasnot an entirelyevolutionary process.The various outcomes were at timesindependent of eachother. Not having a predeterminedgoal, allowing forms to arisein an intuitivemanner, left the door openfor resultsthat were often at oddswith each other.

Becomingoverly attached to someof theseearly forms led to confusion,and it was oftennecessary to let themgo in orderto makeroom for new formswith greater clarity. Mergingmeditation philosophy with practice in thisway was not exactlyan efficientmethod, but it allowedfor an organicgrowth into unpredictableand often interestingdirections. Dq

Ajj10

,It

cm Thisearly stage study model spatially diagrams the boundariesof the lotsmaking up thesite. It acknowledgesthe resonanceof theexisting party walls, makingaparent the dominantlongitudinal quality of thesite. Wlth a windinghairpin ramp along a partywall this model begins to suggestthe significance of circulationas a prominant entity.It alsogestures at thecirculation along Houston Street and offers a facadeto RooseveltPark across the street.Its materialityand spareness suggests a qualityof lightnessand ephemerality. t::~ t~ r ~ 4-p4 A~E2

MIIIos i(L P 1 t ~Ai4~1~ '~)

sketchesdepicting program elements and their placements in elevation ProgramSketches

These'program' sketches represent early attempts to workouta spatialelevational placementof programaticentities. From the outset,program was never a fixed vari- able. It was determinedto be a highlyflexible factor. It was integralto the thesis investigationto challengethe idea of what acenter shouldbe basedon contemporary andhistoric precedents.

Thus,it was important not to beattached to preconceivednotions of hierarchy.Beacuse the centeris supposedto welcomepeople of all skill levelsinthe practiceof mind/ bodytraining, creating an elevationalhierarchy based on'experience'was found to be extremelylimited in meaningand unsatisfying.Similarly, simply allocatingand accomadatingspace for various functions was also found to be lackingin meaning.

In the endit was the mostbasic diagram from an earlysketch that provedto be of mostvalue. It addressedthe mind/bodyduality breakdown but also couldbe broken downinto three pieces of program.Three areas of trainingoften stressed on the'path' are:correct speech, correct action and correct thought. These are often referred to as Body,Speech and Mind. Thus of thebody/mind duality, the mindarea can be split intotwo areas of training:meditation and study. I Thismodel initiates a gropingfor volumetric definition in the site.Starting with three largeprogramatic pieces stacked atop each other, it takesthe inverseapproach of the existingbuildings on thesite. Ratherthan beginning with a volumetricenvelope, it seeksdefinitionthrough the negativespace that surroundsthe programaticvol- umes.This model also attemps to makemore significant its publicfacade interface withHouston Street, and suggests a seriesof layersor filtersas one weavesinto the buildingfrom HoustonStreet. The visual variability and transparency of this model spuna variationof sketches. Theseelevation/program sketches suggest floating volumes of programwithin a light grid framework. These etherealexpressions are not mere diagramsthey are intentionalymeant to expressan architecture of lightconstruction. The stackedvolumes implied by these sketches represent programatic assignmments.Generated by a studymodel, the possibility of combinationsand orderare in a senseinfinite.

Thismodel attempts to realizespecific spatial qualities and dimensions. It attempts to be ahybrid between the existing row house typology and a newlydefined spatial definition.A majorspiraling circulation ramp begins to generatea dynamicspatial torquegiving rise to the significanceof the spatial void. Heightening the drama of the voidis a largesuspended box and a catawalk.Integral to this interplayis a central shaft. The shaftacts as a nodearound which the spiralmotion coils. Herethe groundis givennew consideration, it starts to be carvedout and notjust builtupon. II I I

aeriaiview Trom Houston Street This studymodel explores spatialdefinition through a multitudeof suspended,over- lappingand shifted planes. In someareas enclosure is readilydefined in othersit remainsambiguous. Located on the existinglot line,two variouslypunctured verti- cal planesreplace theformer party walls. A verticalshaft, an elementcarried over fromthe previousstudy model, generates its own system of referencearound itself. Thisshaft represents a significantnode stimulating a spiralingmotion of circulation. The overridingintention in this modelwas a spatial senseof interconnedtedness bothhorizontally and veritcally. I efrrvj~i'~A$~ ij I9~'

7 4, I

Lit IL~ 1Iai- 1 ~5~A,14 P)A

frI~A\4e~8

r

LU

sketch:program elements and circulation in section/elevation Thismodel sets into motiona clearer attempt to articulateplacement of programand circulation.It keepsone row house unit intact and uses the lotsof theremaining two to createa voidspace for a circulatingramp. The path of this rampis an entityunto itselflike the rowhouse and the floatingboxes. Three types of languageemerge: floatingvolume, adjoining row house (contextual), and spiraling ramp. The ramp en- gagesthe visitor within the void space and provides a counterpointto the staticele- ments.By its very nature, the rampitself in a senserepresents mind space, or the conceptof interpenetrationand interconnectedness. The simplification and reduc- tionismfrom the previousstudy model affords greater clarity in approachinga final- izedscheme. The next step followed with further rigour towards simplification, build- ingscale and materiality.

vi m HoustonStreet U" 39 closeup views:First Street, punctured party wall, floating volume This modelis the mainprecursor to the finalscheme. It representsa synthesisof variouselements and qualities distilledfrom the formerstudies. The meaningof a verticalnode here becomes a counterpointto the rootedtypology of the rowhouse unit. As such,this verticalnode emerges into an independentunit with foursides exposed.It is transparentand light in contrastto the opaqueand heavy quality of its context.Its smallerpartner, the elevatorshaft, is alsotransparent. The dominant verticalnode also serves to enhancethe readingof the spiralingmotion of a publicly accesibleexterior ramp, as in the previousscheme. This is wherethe contextualism endsand the self-referentialsystem of thecenter begins. This hybridapproach to designingthe center/institutehas emergedon the onehand from a sharpenedper- spectiveof thevarious results from the studymodels but atthe same timeis com- pletelyin line withthe philosophicalconcepts that serveas an inspirationfor the project.

vW fron First Street threeviews of finaloutcome of the thesisproject: 1st Street, Houston Street,and aerial view FinalModel/Resolution

Thefinal built resolution to thisthesis project culminated as a resultof a processof emergentinvestigation. Creating a vocabularyof forms,layers and spaces and re- spondingas a resultof the outcome.The constant re-reading of studymodels af- fordedthe ability to seerelationships and ideas that were unconsciously embedded in previousmodels. By allowing them to takeshape and then discarding them, the underlyingideas grew and developed. Becoming overly attached to specificforms or programmaticconcepts tended to leadinto dead ends; the final resultcame about in an organicway.

As in meditation,forms arose and passed away, and an intuitiveunderstanding of certainprinciples clarified. Abstract philosophical ideas solidified through the expe- rience,in particularthe followingconcepts:

Habitualpatterning Dualism Interconnectedness(non-duality).

Thesephilosophies were an undercurrentof theentire process, but were not applied in anysort of rigidmethodology. Indeed, the scope and breadth of philosophyrelat- ingto meditationis vast. Thesethree areas were emphasized because they seemed mostpertinent to thearchitectural challenges at hand.Only in thefinal phases of the projectdid philosophyand design come together at last,two abstractand intuitive processesof discoverymanifesting in physicalform. roof garden

library practicerooms

spiralingramp

garden main entry

meditation/assemblyhall

axonometricviews 45 basement groundfloor secondfloor

(AI0 510 20 50ft thirdfloor fourthfloor fifth floor/roofgarden

key: 1.practice room 2. sunkengarden 3. reception 4. cafe 5. library/readingroom 6. meditation/assemblyhall 7. roofgarden (open air) 47 S*

48 Sankara- Habitual Patterning

Accordingto BuddhistPhilosphy, the mind is deeplyingrained with habitualpat- terns. Reactionsof cravingor aversionreinforce these patterns, conditioning be- havior.By observingthe interactionbetween body and mind,these patterns be- comeapparent. Interrupting them or not reactingto themleads to liberationfrom conditionedresponse.

Movingfrom Eastto West,the buildingat first adoptsthe patternsof the surround- ing tenements.The sameheaviness of materialis repeated,and the line of the neighboringfacades does not breakdown at first. Then, pointsof open space interruptthis pattern, changesin perspectiveset in. The spiralingramp and the luminouslibrary area moreradical disruptionof the establishedpat- terns, sitting at oddswith the line glass lrary of the tenement to the West,pos- ing the question: doesit haveto be this way?

exstng nstdv Left and Right: site model viewsAa

Wr

Dualism - Apparent Reality

In orderto makesense of the worldand our actions,we think in dualisticterms. Thesubject acts uponthe object, I do this to you, this is separatefrom that. This kind of thinking,necessary to functionin the physicalworld, can becomeoverly rigid. We think of the mind and the body as two distinctentities, of outsideas clearlydistinct from inside, of studyas somethingdifferent from practice.

Thereare manyapparent dualisms in the Center.The row houseunit(for practice) is heavy,solid, more rooted in the earth and its surroundings,while the glass librarytower(for study) is light,airy, and almost appears to float abovethe sunken garden. One side is madefrom very densematerials, while the other is lighter, translucent.One couldequate these two perceivedvolumes to the dualisticcon- ceptionof bodyand mind.

Left: HoustonStreeet view Right:study modelviews

Interconnectedness- Reality as it is

"Formis Emptinessand Emptinessis Form" -TheHeart

Modern science seems to have confirmed the Buddha'sassertion that all thingsare intrinsically interconnected,that there is no real separation. Einsteinproved that evenmatter and energyare interchangeable.At thesubatomic level, boundaries betweenobjects are not so clearlydefined as they appearto be from our limitedperspective. No ac- tioncan be saidto occurin isolation,no personcan be saidto betotally separate from the world in which we all live. Wheredoes your food end and your bodybegin? Where does the air I breatheend and yoursbegin? In meditation,it becomesclear that body and mind act upon each other,and cannot reallybe separated.

In thecenter, many apparent dualisms dissolve upon closer inspection. Initial ques- tions regarding internal and external, private and public led to a sense of interconnectednesswith the surroundings.The structurereveals and exposes manyinternal elements. The landscape carves down from the HoustonStreet side Left:close up meditation/assembly hall andscoops down towards First Street inviting the publicinto the complexand sug- Right:view through First Street window gestingitself as a throughway. In this sunkengarden a glasstower roots itself and risesin perceivedcontrast to the opaquemasonry row houseunit, but heavyand light materialsinterpenetrate betweenthe two apparentvolumes. Whatappears to be a programof two distinct spacesis in fact a programof threeinter-related volumes dedicated to differentbut connectedperspectives on the practice. The group meditationhall, suspended betweenthe twovolumes, is a connection:meditation as the bridgebetween body and mind.

Thespiraling ramp defies the boundaryof indoorand outdoor,weaving in and out of theenclosed spaces. It wrapsaround the libraryand puncturesthe row house butthen continues to wind itsway up andaround to thetop ofthe houseunit. The personengaged on the rampis affordedprivileged views of boththe complexand the city butat thesame time he/she is equallyexposed to publicview. The physical hardshipof the ramp representsboth literally and symbolically the persistenceand struggleof followinga path.

Progam:The Practice - ExperiencingReality

"Whatis formlessform? Thoseare contradictoryterms. It's aparadox. The phrasedoesn't make sense. It is an intuitiveand intimaterealization; that's whyyou can't explain it to somebody.That's why practice is so important.Each personneeds to see it for themselves."

JohnDaido Loori Roshi, Tricycle, Winter 1999

Thereare many, many types of meditationpractice, and the Centerwill be opento a greatvariety of teachersand students. It is not designedto supporta particular sector practice,but is dividedinto three volumes dedicated to generalareas based on the Buddha'sassertion that human action - and thereforedevelopment - takes placein threeareas: body, speech, and mind. Differentpractices seem to empha- size developmentin one or the otherof theseareas, though of coursethey are all inter-related. HoustonStreet facade

aerial view of roof garden

58 Body

Thephysical form, the humanbody. Equatedwith the manifestationof Buddha- naturein physicalform - solid,most easily understood.

Practices:various types of yoga,dance, tai-chi, other physical practices.

Speech 7A

7Wnivtha! omeawe gate paragae parsamgate badIhi sidA

The verbalizing,conceptualizing faculty, not just the wordsthemselves. Equated with the manifestationof Buddha-naturein energetic,or imaginativeform, more difficultto perceiveand understand.

Practices:study, debate, conferences, lectures.

Mind I Thequality of awareness.The natural mind, deeper than the conceptuallevel; that which experiences.Equated with the ultimatemanifestation of Buddha-nature, whichpervades all realitybut is emptyand clear. Omni-present,but the most difficultto perceive.

Practices:meditation - singlepointed, vipassana, meditation on space,etc. ...youmust decide that thebody and mindare neitherthe same,nor different.Conventionally they are likesomething that supportsand the thingsupported, but ultimatelythey are nottwo inherentlyexisting objectssharing sucha relation."

- 9th ,p.71 65 "...investigate exhaustively and continuously until you realizeyour self beforeyou wereborn, before form and void came to be, reachingthepoint where there is no formor descriptionat all, seeingwhere there is absolutelynothing outside, whereyou cannotgrasp the elementsof bodyor mindeven if you gropeforever."

- Keizan,p.197

"Whenthe mindis settledit is a clearresplendence in a non-conceptualstate. Whenit is movingwith thoughts,the natureof thesethoughts themselves is a clear,void brilliance.It is nothingmore than that."

- 9th Karmapa,p.89 - m "Ifyou wantto revealthe void,do not coverit up. Thoroughlyempty, pure and peaceful,it is originallyclear"

- Zen Master Keizan, p.107

"... the Buddhasare free from both the sacredand the profane; they have shed both mind and body alike. They are like space,without outsideor inside,like the waterof the ocean."

- Zen Master Keizan, p. 23

"Finally,there is the extremely subtlebody-mind, where the body-mindduality itself is abandoned.This is the indestruc- tible drop,called "the energy-mindindivisible of clearlight transparency."Very hard to describeor understand,and notto be misconstruedas a rigid,fixed identity, this subtlest,most essential state of an individualbeing is beyond body-mindduality; it consistsof the finest,most sensitive, alive, and intelligentenergy in the universe. It is a being'sdeepest state of puresoul, where the beingis intelligentlight, aliveand singular,continuous yet changing,aware of its infiniteinterconnection with everythingelse."

- Thurman, TibetanBook of the Dead p.40 .1* CO "WhenI am involvedin deepcontemplation I can still hearthe noiseof the flycrawling up the windowpane."

-AlanUnterman, from Besserman p.31 78 Illustrations

Figure1 Photo.Source: http://www.jivamuktiyoga.com. Modified by author.

Figure2 Photo.Source: http://www.kcl.shambhala.org/index.htm. Modified by author.

Figure3 Photo. Source:http://www.tibet.com/Buddhism/3jewels.html. Modified byauthor.

Figure4 Photo.Source: world wide web(unknwown).Modified by author.

Figure5 Photo.Source:http://www.mro.org/zcnyc/firelotus.shtml. Modified by author.

Figure6 Feurstein,Georg. The Shambhala Guide to Yoga.Boston: ,Inc., 1996, p. 76.

Allother images and photosare producedby the author. Bibliography

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