Since 1986, a tiny house in Richmond, Virgina has been the home of Buddhist teachings. It began with Pure Land Buddhists, then Zen, then came Tibetan practitioners, then Vipassana. The Buddha’s teachings are given freely here, as the tradition has been for 2600 years. People come to this tiny house to sit quietly in meditation and to cultivate compassion for all beings, to find sacred in the ordinary, calm amid chaos, ways to experience greater peacefulness, to be kinder, to be more present.

A very important principle in Buddhist teachings is the concept of generosity. The teachings are given freely. Attendees may, and are encouraged, to offer donations to the teacher, to the organization with whom they participate and/or to the Ekoji, the building in which we all gather. There are no set fees for participation. The teachers and Ekoji rely completely on voluntary generosity.

While donations help to support our teachers, pay the utilities and buy supplies, it’s not nearly enough to fund updates to a one hundred year old house. That’s why we’ve started this GoFundMe campaign.

The Ekoji is an old row-house in the Fan District of Richmond, Virginia (see photos, videos). Old houses must be maintained and updated from time to time. The kitchen is 60 or more years old. Through the generous donations of our community, the roof and gutters are repaired and replaced, plumbing is fixed when needed, broken windows replaced, patching and painting of walls and ceilings, the garden is tended by dedicated members. But kitchens are much more expensive than repairs.

An updated kitchen will be a better and more economical use of space for tea ceremonies, celebrations and other community events. We are grateful for your contribution.