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The Three Jewels Community Center operates as an Outreach Mission to provide and encourage access to the Dharma Teachings while providing a location for the practice of Buddhism's four types of giving:
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Giving Dharma - Buddhist library, ACI and language classes, prison outreach.
Meditation and yoga.
Giving Protection - Our Dharma lounge is a refuge for those in need.
Giving Material Things - Help locating charitable services.
Giving Love - friendship, social and spiritual counseling
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The founder and staff of the Three Jewels Outreach Center & Bookstore are all students of the Gelukpa order of Tibetan Buddhism, which began about 500 years ago, and is the tradition of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. We have received extensive training in the sacred books of Buddhism from Khen Rinoche Geshe Lobsang Tharchin, who is the former abbot of Sera Mey Tibetan Monastery, one of the largest in the world. We are all enrolled in the courses of the Asian Classics Institute of New York, a training institute for teachers and translators of Tibetan Buddhism.
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Geshe Michael Roach and Ani Thupten provided the coneptual framework for the original The Three Jewels. Established in 1996 at 211 East 5th Street, amidst the youthful and vibrant backdrop of New York's East Village, The Three Jewels functioned as a "drop-in" Dharma Center where one could get a cup of coffee, surf the web, borrow or purchase precious texts, meditate, escape the "noise" of daily life for a few hours, and discuss spiritual or psersonal matters of importance to themselves and others. The original storefront closed its doors in July of 2004 to make way for the more spacious multipurpose loft, located at 61 Fourth Ave.,Third Floor, which currently houses The Three Jewels.
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The Three Jewels is administered by a Board consisting of senior Asian Classics Institute students and managed by younger ACI students. In addition to continuing its past traditions of offereing Dharma, Meditation, Outreach, a Lending Library, and Bookstore We are now able to offer Tibetan Philosophy and Practice teachings, Yoga teachings and Instruction from Tibetan and other Traditions, Teaching space for Yoga Instructors, Formal Study classes, Special Events and Rentals for Private Groups. We have also expanded our Store to include yoga and practice accessories at fair prices.
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The Three Jewels works with other Worldview organizations, including the Asian Classics Institute, which holds classes at The Three Jewels and the Asian Classics Input Project, which shares space with ACI for scanning ancient texts into digital format, and Godstow Retreat Center.
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Last year, The Three Jewels engaged in a number of new partnerships with other community groups and organizations, including The 4th Street Food, the Distribution of Opportunity Network (a downtown small business alliance) and World in Balance, (in conjunction with the UN World Summit on sustainable development) and NYU Students for a Free Tibet.
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