A new Buddhist monastery offering meditation classes, retreats and special events in Boulder is gearing up for its opening event in October.

The monastery invites all members of the public to come and visit.

“We want people to feel welcome and the kindness we provide here,” Abbot XingJing said.

The Great Dharma Chan Monastery is a large Buddhist monastery that sits on 35 acres in east Boulder. Its main monastery is in Taiwan, and Boulder’s location is the newest of nine branches in the United States.

The project started in 2019 and opened to the public in 2022. The monastery will hold its official opening ceremony from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Oct 27 at 6417 S. Boulder Road. The abbot from the main monastery in Taiwan will be there and a free lunch will be provided.

“It’s a celebration for us,” XingJing said. “We have been established here for a while but haven’t had our grand opening ceremony yet.”

The monastery offers free meditation classes, retreats, special events and programs for children. The goal is to teach people about meditation and help people purify their minds and understand themselves.

It’s not just meditation for relaxation, but a practice to help people see things clearly and be mindful throughout the day.

“We say that wisdom is actually not something that is given to you, but it is something you discover by yourself,” XingJing said. “And this is what we try to bring to the public here, to try to discover what we have already within us.”

The monastery is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily and invites people to stop by anytime they’re open. Shifu Jian Yong said anyone is welcome, regardless of sexual orientation, religion, age, ability or religion.

“The comment I heard (from people who come here) is that they feel they’re not being judged,” Yong said, adding, “This environment is very open, open to culture and open to religion.”

Wein-Pin Yeh was part of the group that helped bring the monastery to Boulder. She wanted to have a place that allowed more people to benefit from Buddhist teachings.

“I think this place really enhances the well-being in the community by promoting mindfulness, learning and healing,” Yeh said. “I think everyone everywhere in this country and even in this world needs that regardless of your religious background.”

Kay MacDonald has been attending classes at the monastery for about a year. She decided to stop and visit one day after driving by it.

“I came and just liked everything about it,” she said.

MacDonald has participated in sitting and walking meditation, which she’d never done before. She said there’s a wide variety of people who take the meditation classes, including scientists, professors, retirees and mothers.

“Part of what a student enjoys is the camaraderie with the fellow classmates, and I think we have a great class and it’s really diverse,” MacDonald said.

She views meditation as an opportunity for self-improvement and gaining awareness.

“We are constantly reminded to integrate what we are learning into our daily lives, and that is such a good reminder to me,” MacDonald said.

Yeh encourages people to stop by and give it a chance, even if they’ve never had any experience with meditation and Buddhism.

“If someone feels intimidated, I would tell them personally to give yourself, your family and this community a chance,” Yeh said. “Come in, there will be a friendly face waiting for you.”

For more information, visit greatdharmachanmonastery.org.