Kadampa Meditation Center DC - Washington, District of Columbia

Darlene Nelson

Wonderful place to go. It is very welcoming, and there is also a small book & gift shop downstairs. I'd call it come-as-you-are: grab a seat and get comfortable. Greatly enjoyed the time I spent here.

Cris Maffazioli

Amazing experience and great reception of the Group. If you are visiting Washington and is interested in meditation, it is a wonderful place to be!

Maya

The Kadampa Meditation Center is accessible to people with mobility needs. They have a functional elevator with a note posted with a phone number to call to get staff from inside to bring the elevator down to you. Inside the meditation room, they have removeable chairs and floor seats.

The main accessibility concern I have is that online classes are only offered to members even if someone with a disability requests it. This means that people who cannot physically get to the Center safely or who need closed captioning have a paywall that can functionally prevent access.

There are no ASL or non-English interpreting provided during classes.

I appreciate that they also have a financial hardship option for all class fees with no questions asked. This really helps improve access without there being a stigma. Also, anyone's first class is FREE!

Gen Demo is a fantastic teacher! She is approachable and humble, but also wise and peaceful. She uses really human real-life examples in her teachings along with passages from books that she explains in more depth. She provides caveats to situations the teachings would not apply to dispel misinterpretations before they happen. For example, that befriending our mind and understanding how it works is not an invitation to judge or shame ourselves. She doesn't kid herself or her students into believing that these teachings are an instant fix, universally applicable, or are easy to practice, yet you still walk away feeling more seen and capable. It is also a "take what helps and leave the rest mentality." You aren't expected to believe everything that is taught unconditionally. You can talk with her after each class to process further what you learned or just get to know each other, which is always such a joy.

You definitely don't have to identify as Buddhist to take classes here. Nobody asks if you're Buddhist or judges you if you aren't. Everyone is welcome! I'd definitely recommending giving it a try.

Michael Young (quietD)

I recommend this place to anyone. I started going here a year, ago. I greatly enjoy the meditations and I also love the people there. I started going here because I started my healing journey. There are plenty classes to choose from and I would recommend them all.

michael jason buchinger

I think this is a great place to learn about Buddhism and just to advocate if you are interested it is a good place in finding out more about yourself in that relationship.

B SK

This place is so calming. It even smells nice. And the instruction from Gen Kelsang Demo is really good. And people are nice if you go to the Thursday evening sessions and stay to chat afterwards. It's a totally low stress, low pressure vibe. You dont need to be Buddhist. No one cares either way, though the Buddhists are happy to talk to you about Buddhism if you're interested.

Rodrigo Nascente Schmitt

Well organized center, if you are interested in Buddhism it is definitely worth a visit!

Sara Blackburn

I went on a weekend retreat to KMC DC and it was wonderful. It was worth the drive down from Philadelphia. The temple is beautiful and easy to access. It is a very open place with welcoming people. The teachings and meditations were uplifting and contemporary. I was able to take what was taught and apply it to my life. It is a good place to go to heal and grow.