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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW String of car break-ins reported in Ashland ... Should president nominate a Supreme Court justice? ... Wild Side: Cold fine for polar bears, but others like it hot ... String of car break-ins reported in Ashland ... Should president nominate a Supreme Court justice? ... Wild Side: Cold fine for polar bears, but others like it hot ... FAITH New altar completes Meditation Center Comment By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Feb. 11, 2016 at 7:58 PM Updated Feb 12, 2016 at 12:13 PM By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Feb. 11, 2016 at 7:58 PM Updated Feb 12, 2016 at 12:13 PM » Social News On the Tibetan New Year last Sunday, Kagyu Sukha Chöling in Ashland unveiled its stunning 13-foot cherry wood altar, crafted by Ashlander Michaeldavid Uri and dedicated in this Year of the Fire Monkey to clearing obstacles of the past and making room for an energetic future with much plenty. KSC opened its Meditation Center in 2010 but still had to raise enough pledges to build the altar. It was built over the last 10 months, said Lama Yeshe Parke, who is a resident teacher with Lama Pema Clark. The altar is the focal point of the meditation room, as KSC members “look upon the statues, which were made in Tibet, and meditate, holding kindness, compassion and wisdom,” says Clark. Mounted atop the altar is a statue of Buddha in his traditional meditation pose. Below him are female deities: Green Tara, who expresses compassion as fearlessness, with her left foot forward, ready to spring into action, she notes; then, in the center, Sukhasiddhi, embodying ultimate wisdom, held in a proportionate and beautiful way; and, on the right, White Tara, the provider of all that’s needed to walk the path of peace and realization. The 30-year old cherry wood for the altar was harvested on the East Coast in a sustainable fashion and anchored to the building in a seismically safe way, says Uri of Lucid Designs, who was also the designer of the KSC Temple. Architects were Carlos Delgado and Joyce Ward. The altar is more than 8 feet high and was crafted locally and assembled at KSC last December, says Parke, adding, “I’d seen the drawings but I lacked the capacity to turn it to three-dimensional in my mind. When it was assembled, I just felt a tremendous amount of joy, just unbelievable.” When it was fully installed with its sacred statues, Parke says the reaction of members was, “they were in tears, speechless. Some said it looked like it had been here for ages.” Tibetans are not afraid of color and Uri accented it in many places with red, with empress green marble strips, seeking, he said, to create a welcome home for the Tibetan-made icons. High up in a central spot are symbolic circular icons representing “wrathful compassion,” which, Clark said, could be thought of as “toughlove informed by lots of compassion” for especially hard problems. The altar was dedicated with feasting, using pullout leafs to provide support. KSC is at 109 Clear Creek Drive. The website at kscashland.org lists services. John Darling is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected]. By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Feb. 11, 2016 at 7:58 PM Updated Feb 12, 2016 at 12:13 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501