World Religions Class Visits Kadampa Center

Rebekah Velazquez, instructor of religious and ethical studies, took her World Religions class to visit the Kadampa Center for the Practice of Tibetan Buddhism in Raleigh on Thursday, February 16.

The Kadampa Center was founded in 1991 by Don Brown for the practice and teaching of Tibetan Buddhism in the Gelugpa Tradition.

“We’ve been going to the Kadampa Center off and on since 2009,” said Velazquez. “We are fortunate to have a large and vibrant Buddhist community in close proximity to Meredith College. The outreach coordinator has generously worked to accommodate and welcome us semester after semester. I believe that site visits enhance our learning experience and add a dimension that can be difficult to achieve in the classroom alone.”

Upon their arrival at the center, the class was greeted by Elise Strevel who has served as the center’s outreach coordinator since 2004. Strevel proceeded to give the class a short tour of the Kadampa Center before giving a brief lecture covering the fundamentals of Buddhism as well as her own spiritual journey that led her to the Kadampa Center.

“It’s such a wonderful community,” Strevel said. “Over the past 13 years, I’ve seen incredible growth in my spiritual, mental, and social well-being.”

The Kadampa Center is open to the general public every weekday and encourages visitors from all faiths.

By Caroline Diorio, ’20