Nalanda West — Seattle, United States

A contemplative Buddhist center on the Fremont–Wallingford line, Seattle

Nalanda West sits at 3902 Woodland Park Avenue North in Seattle, on the border of the Fremont and Wallingford neighborhoods. It describes itself as a contemplative center dedicated to the cultivation of 21st century Buddhism, a place to ask big questions with compassion and curiosity. Through meditation, the idea goes, people come to know their own minds well enough to be kinder, more balanced, and better able to meet the challenges of these times. Nalandabodhi Seattle is the sangha in residence. Nalandabodhi is an international community under the direction of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, and its Seattle group offers open meditation, dharma talks, meditation instruction and Buddhist study courses. Acharya Lhakpa Tshering, born in Bhutan and trained at Rumtek Monastery's Karma Shri Nalanda Institute in Sikkim, moved to Nalanda West in 2006 and continues there as a resident teacher. The building has three principal rooms. The Mahabodhi Shrine Room is a vaulted second-floor space for 220 people, with large windows on its north and south walls, a stage, a foyer, and an in-house AV system with professional recording and webcasting. The Vajra Spot is a smaller, well-lit carpeted room for 50, with a sink and staging area for tea. On the first floor, the Community Room holds 120 and opens onto a full kitchen with a commercial dishwasher, which caterers can use for banquets. The webcasting equipment has had a practical use. When the coronavirus arrived in March 2020, most regular classes and practices continued online, including Sunday and Tuesday open meditations, a Friday Tara practice and weekly sangha support sessions. Today the center's pages list Dharma Nights, Wednesday evenings from 6 to 7, a drop-in series of meditation, discussion and listening for people curious about the Buddhist path. The rooms are also rented for workshops, banquets, weddings, commitment ceremonies and memorial services.

Traditions: Tibetan Buddhism (Nyingma and Kagyu), Meditation, Mahamudra, Tara Practice, Medicine Buddha Practice, Path of Mindful Activity

Programs: Open Meditation, Dharma Nights, Hinayana course, Tara Practice, Open Heart Practice, Sangha Support, Fresh Minds Book Group, Venue rentals for weddings, memorials and workshops