Radiant Mind Retreat Center
The inspiration for a retreat center came from our resident teacher, Geshe Dakpa Topgyal. After years of Charleston Tibetan Society's sustained growth and stability, he saw that a retreat facility was needed, not only for our ongoing retreat schedule, but in order to provide a positive and peaceful place for the larger community to pursue inner understanding and growth.
In 2005, CTS purchased 28 acres of highly suitable land located in a quiet rural area of upper Dorchester County, about half-way between Charleston and Columbia, and close to both I-26 and I-95. The property is mostly wooded and includes a pond, an open field and a serenely beautiful Carolina bay, a geological feature unique to the southeastern US.
A Master Plan for the Radiant Mind Retreat Center (RMRC) has been prepared by landscape architects Wertimer and Associates. The traditional Tibetan entry gate, which is pictured above, was dedicated in August of 2008 in a ceremony that included a gracious welcome from the mayor of St. George, Ann Johnston. The gate stands at the front of the property and will welcome all who pass through it to an experience of inner contemplation and learning in a peaceful and compassionate environment.
The buildings, to be designed by the award-winning firm of McKellar and Associates, will be arranged around the Carolina bay. All Construction will honor the site and its function by being simple, aesthetically pleasing, sensitive to the environment and as low as possible in energy consumption.
RMRC will fulfill many diverse needs for individuals, groups and the wider community. It will be a sanctuary for those who need time away from their busy and often stressful lives to focus on their own inner world. It will provide a supportive environment for conferences and teachings focused on topics such as, but not limited to, spirituality, meditation, peace and yoga.
Charleston Tibetan Society is blessed with this wonderful opportunity to provide an optimal environment for these pursuits. Individual improvement is a necessary precursor for personal happiness and for a more peaceful, compassionate and just world. With the world facing extraordinary problems, a facility such as the Radiant Mind Retreat Center can offer a place to seek the wisdom and understanding needed to find answers.
Much has been accomplished, but now it is time to seek support from individuals and groups who share our mission. Would you please consider the potential benefits for yourself and for others and donate to the limits of your ability to this meritorious project. Please make a donation now or contact us to begin monthly, quarterly or annual contributions. Underwriting one of the structures listed below (in part or entire) is another possibility.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY
List of structures: Multipurpose Hall, Meditation Hall, Stupa, Canopy, Dormitory, Retreat Cabins, Bathhouse, Teachers Cabin, Gardens, Boardwalk)