Statues of Buddha meditating

Meditation in Westchester

Vajra Light Kadampa Buddhist Center is a non-profit Buddhist meditation center in Westchester, NY. We offer instruction in meditation and Buddhist spiritual practice through meditation classes, retreats and special events. Taught by qualified Western teachers, Vajra Light's meditation classes are very easy to understand and apply to our daily lives. The classes are suitable for both beginners and more advanced meditation practitioners. Everyone welcome!

Where to Start

All of the classes listed below are a great place to start for both beginners and experienced meditators.

Classes are especially designed to help busy, modern people find more inner peace and happiness. No prior experience with Buddhism or meditation is necessary. Everyone is welcome! Please follow the links to individual class pages for more details about the current topics and pricing.


Sunday Mornings
10:30am -12:00pm

Stop Suffering, Start Living

With Kadam Donna Campanelli

Even in our best efforts to experience happiness, it seems that at present, we find ourselves constantly encountering one difficulty after another, consuming much of our time and energy. The first step towards attaining authentic lasting happiness is to develop the actual wish to do so, which means we need to discover how our current approach to life keeps binding us tightly to suffering.

In this series we will continue our journey through Buddha’s ‘stages of the path to enlightenment’ by looking at the meditations concerning Buddha’s Four Noble Truths, Buddha’s very first teachings.

Everyone welcome; suitable for both beginners and experienced meditators.


Wednesday Evenings
7:00pm - 8:30pm

Awakening Our Spiritual Potential

WITH Kadam Donna Campanelli

If you could, wouldn’t you want to increase your inner strength, your love, and your happiness? Not to mention your resilience, compassion, confidence, and wisdom? At times we may possess some of these qualities, yet we also continue to experience unhappiness, anger, anxiety, insecurity, etc.

According to Buddha, these positive qualities are actually natural to our mind. They are part of our spiritual potential that we have the power to cultivate to their fullest potential.

Everyone welcome; suitable for both beginners and experienced meditators.


Friday Mornings in Nyack
10:30 - 11:45am

We Can Heal the Past

WITH HEATHER CHERNACK

NYACK LIBRARY
59 S. BROADWAY
NYACK, NY 10960

IN THE COMMUNITY MEETING ROOM

Our struggles with mental health all have their roots in the past. We feel ourselves trapped in unhappy states and behaviors, and in some cases traumatized and stuck there, due to situations now long gone.

And because we see the past as something that definitely has happened – that is locked in – we feel there is nothing we can do about it. Our various coping mechanisms such as our distractions and compulsions, do not solve the underlying problems, and sometimes make things worse, both for ourselves and those we are close to.


Special Events


2024 Northeast Dharma Celebration

Wisdom, Compassion & Spiritual Power
Blessing Empowerment of Je Tsongkhapa & Teachings on the Migtsema Prayer

April 26 - 28
with Kadam Morten clausen, Eastern US National Spiritual Director

Kadampa Meditation Center
47 Sweeney Rd
Glen Spey, NY 12737

What are the essential qualities of an enlightened being’s mind Wisdom, compassion and spiritual power. 

Do we have the potential to develop these wonderful and beneficial qualities within our own minds? Yes, most definitely. 

The key practice that Kadampa Buddhist practitioners have been using for centuries to accomplish these is reliance upon the Wisdom Buddha Je Tsongkhapa and the recitation of his legendary mantra, known as the Migtsema Prayer. 

Kadam Morten Clausen

Kadam Donna Campanelli & Gen Kelsang Chogyop


SAVE THE DATE!

The Source of Happiness & Goodness
Weekend Retreat at Kadampa Meditation Center New York

WITH KADAM DONNA CAMPANELLI & GEN CHOGYOP

FRIDAY, JUNE 7 – SUNDAY, JUNE 9

Kadampa Meditation Center New York
47 Sweeney Rd
Glen Spey, NY 12737

Join us for our first ever community weekend retreat, a collaborative effort by Vajra Light, Menlha KMC and Dharmachakra Centers. This event not only provides the chance to receive teachings and engage in meditation but also offers the opportunity to connect with fellow practitioners from Vajra Light and the surrounding region. This retereat will be led by Kadam Donna and Gen Chogyp, the resident teacher at Menlha KMC and Dharmachakra KBC.


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