The Peace Garden at Spirit Rock
The Peace Garden was initiated at Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s 2000 Family Retreat. Elements included 50 children creating hand mandalas to express “Loving Kindness" (Metta) toward themselves and the world.
Adults and children also painted their visions for world Peace on round river stones. Luminous paints symbolically expressed the feeling of bringing Light into the world.
The retreat culminated with a tree planting ceremony on the anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, co-facilitated by singer/songwriter Betsy Rose, master gardener and Green Gulch dharma teacher Wendy Johnson, and senior dharma teacher Achan Amaro along with Noah Levine and Julie Wester. Offerings of Peace were made through song, prayer and the stones, which were placed around a cutting of a Polonia tree (the only tree to survive the Bomb).
We also made Peace Cranes (Japanese origami) honoring those who have died, sending Compassion and Loving-Kindness on their wings into the world.
For more community projects, click here.
Adults and children also painted their visions for world Peace on round river stones. Luminous paints symbolically expressed the feeling of bringing Light into the world.
The retreat culminated with a tree planting ceremony on the anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, co-facilitated by singer/songwriter Betsy Rose, master gardener and Green Gulch dharma teacher Wendy Johnson, and senior dharma teacher Achan Amaro along with Noah Levine and Julie Wester. Offerings of Peace were made through song, prayer and the stones, which were placed around a cutting of a Polonia tree (the only tree to survive the Bomb).
We also made Peace Cranes (Japanese origami) honoring those who have died, sending Compassion and Loving-Kindness on their wings into the world.
For more community projects, click here.
