One year after fire, plans to rebuild
For some local Buddhists, the religion’s principle of impermanence became all too real a year ago when their temple burned to the ground.
Victims of a random act of violence, members of Columbus Karma Thegsum Choling have worked to move on from the tragedy and rebuild. One year later, plans are on track for a new, bigger temple and Buddhist principles have gotten the group through the tough time.
“A key in Buddhism is everything is impermanent,” said Kim Miracle, director of the center. “We’ve really had to work with this idea of impermanence this year, and learn to be flexible and grateful.”
A few weeks after the fire, the temple moved what was left of its shrine into the basement of Tifereth Israel, a synagogue on Broad Street on the Near East Side that opened its doors to the KTC members.
“There was a great deal of loss, a sense of grieving after the fire,” Miracle said. “We had that home for 25 years. For many of us that was our second home; it was sad to say goodbye.
“It helped us recognize we don’t need a building to practice or be a community.”
Since finding a temporary home with the Jewish community, KTC members have been working to raise money to build a new temple on its old site at 231 S. Grubb St. in Franklinton.
They were reminded of impermanence by the founder of Columbus KTC, Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche. After hearing of the fire, he advised them, “Don’t be sad, rebuild.”
“He gave us this pivot,” said Lama Kathy Wesley, religious leader at the temple. “Yes, sadness is natural, but turn your attention to rebuilding. He said, ‘Make it bigger than the last one.’”
The center has offered free meditation classes and sessions on Buddhism for years, and is hoping it will have room to host even more people in the future, said Darrell Peters, senior meditation instructor.
The new building will have a few accommodations that the
previous temple didn’t. Those will include a larger shrine with seating for about 110 people, a children’s play area, handicap access, a classroom and a larger library that can serve as a classroom, Wesley said.
The group must raise more than $1 million, much more than the $114,482 raised on a GoFundMe page started right after the fire, to build the new facility. Miracle is hoping the group will have the approval it needs by spring, and can start building this summer.
As for the arsonist, the community started praying for the person immediately after the fire, Wesley said.
Ronnie Lee Carroll II, 19, was arrested in December and charged with two counts of arson. Police say he admitted to starting a dumpster fire that spread to the temple. Carroll pleaded not guilty to a seven-count indictment, including six counts of arson, and is awaiting trial.
“The kind of anger that is trained outward into physical destruction is always bad for a person’s psyche,” Wesley said. “It’s another teaching of the Buddha that when you destroy something you destroy a little bit of yourself and make yourself a little more harsh.”