One brisk early Autumn day some years back, I set out for Karma Triyana Dharmachakra, nestled in the Catskill Mountains near Woodstock, New York. I was living in Ithaca, New York at the time and it made for a great morning road trip.
As the seat of the Karmapa (the head of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism) in the West, Karma Triyana Dharmachakra's history, presence (spiritual and physical) and dynamic schedule has served as a significant hub in the gradually expanding network of Vajrayana centers since the 1970's.
Many temples and Buddhist centers are set within a range of rich, meditative landscapes. KTD's surroundings are expansive, rolling and woodsy. As excited as I was to reach KTD, the journey there was an event in itself.
Inside shrine room
Photos by Annika Lundkvist
KTD was founded in the 1970's and construction of representative architecture here in the 1980's.
Mead's Mountain House, part of the KTD complex, was built in 1865, functioned for a period of time, historically, as a summer hotel.
When I visited, construction for the monastery was underway. Taking a look at their website, the news is that the monastery is complete.
