April 29, 2026

Spring at Greenfield is always beautiful. Year after year, you can count on it. This year, however, is an exception.

This year spring is not just beautiful. It’s spectacularly beautiful—filled not just with colorful blossoms, birds, and butterflies, but with way more appreciative devotees.

This is, after all, the very first spring for our new Greenfield Chapel. More devotees walk the grounds, fill (often to the brim) chapel seats each week. And they pray, chant, mediate, continually adding to what was already sacred space.

Spring Awakens New Life

After a particularly rough winter (snow, ice and below freezing temperatures that lasted for weeks), spring finally arrived.

We’ve come to love the gardens’ annual displays—crocuses, followed by yellow daffodils and forsythias, followed by multi-colored tulips. Then redbud trees burst into bloom seemingly overnight; all the while lawns and then the surrounding forest blushes green and ever greener.

As the sun comes up earlier, ever earlier, the birds get in on the act, ratcheting up their morning chorus.  What’s not to love?

Awakening New Light

Decades of dedicated love and work have gone into creating Greenfield Retreat. Monastics and devotees alike have labored here to make this already sacred place what it is today. It is yours to enjoy. And also yours to support with your love and your prayerful presence. Visitors are welcome. Bring a friend.

Here is a video of early spring around the Greenfield grounds.

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February 13, 2026

What is winter like at Greenfield? Dazzling. Drab. Daunting. Delightful.

All of the above. Really, it just depends on the day…or the week.

Once the golden leaves of autumn hit the ground and lawns lose their green, the landscape is painted in shades of brown. Even on cloudy days Greenfield’s sacred silence prevails.

Snow and Freezing Rain

We never quite know when the first big snow will arrive, but when it does, it transforms everything. Who doesn’t like sunlight on snow? It’s beautiful. But it also means that driving in through the entrance lane and finding a parking spot can be daunting, or even impossible.

This year, the first big snow fall didn’t put in an appearance until late January. And it was an especially challenging one. About a foot of snow hit the ground. That’s problematic enough; but this particular snow fall was followed by freezing rain, layering a coat of ice on top of all those snow drifts. Then, over the next 2-plus weeks temperatures stayed well below freezing. Alas, that meant that services in our new chapel had to be cancelled.

Services and Seva

After a good deal of hard physical labor clearing lanes, pathways, and parking spaces…and the temperature finally rising above freezing…Greenfield Retreat Center resumed its routine.

We were all grateful to get back to meditating together in the physical presence of other members of Master’s family, and also to enjoying Greenfield’s grounds, which take on an ethereal beauty at this time of year—deer wandering through winter-bare trees; sunlight glimmering on snow; sweet, sacred silence.

 

Here is a video of the beauty of Greenfield in the snow.

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November 21, 2025

Finally! the long-awaited, blessed day arrived. On Sunday, November 9, the Greenfield grounds ablaze with autumn color, devotees from near and far gathered for the very first services in our new Greenfield Chapel It felt surreal.

The first services in our new Greenfield Chapel were held on Sunday, November 9. Brahmacharini Ann led the meditation service and Sister Brahmani the reading service. Sister opened the chapel and introduced the services, appropriately enough, with two sweet words: “Welcome home!”

Closing the Circle

It did feel like coming home. Since 2020 Greenfield’s Sunday services and most retreats have been held at offsite venues.

Actual construction on the chapel got underway just two short years ago. However, local and regional devotees have been hoping for, envisioning, and working towards building a new chapel quite literally for decades.

With the longed for end in sight, those two years felt like a long time. What’s more, that wait time was filled with construction noise; busy teams of workers, heavy equipment, and building supplies being delivered through narrow lanes; not to mention delays due to rain, mud, and inspections. Then came challenges dealing with basic things like storm water run-off and installing a new auto-visual system. Progress followed by delays, followed by more progress, followed by more waiting.

No wonder those opening services felt so special! Every single seat in house was taken and then some. (The building does have an overflow room with screen and audio.) It’s not surprising that the chapel was full. So many members of Master’s family wanted to be here for this special day. Devotees drove in from Washington DC, from New York, from Maryland.

Bringing in the Light

There’s a lot to love about the new chapel—way too much to deal with in a single Greenfield’s Journey entry. You’ll simply need to come see for yourself. It will take multiple visits to absorb the blessings that this new spiritual space will give to each of us.

However, we can answer one question: What was the outstanding impression of that first day of services, that gathering of Master’s beautiful family in a beautiful new chapel? What stands out the most? The LIGHT! And with it, the potential for spreading the Light.

Sister Brahmani put it so well in her recent email message: “May you all continue to be blessed channels for the Light and Love of God to spread in this community and in the world.”

To see a video of the chapel opening, click here

And here is a playlist of all construction-related videos

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October 4, 2025

New porch railings, freshly painted, give our new Greenfield Chapel a finished look. Brand new sidewalks seem to send a silent message: “Welcome! Come on in.” However,  we’ll have to resist that call until the building is ready!

As the exterior of our new building starts to take on that awake and ready look, one can’t help but wonder. When? Soon?

Yes! Coming Soon

Interior finishes are almost done. A few necessary projects— HVAC, plumbing, and electrical work—are nearing completion.  Carpets are scheduled for installation on the 30th. (A lovely birthday present for Lahiri Mahasaya.)

And on the exterior, there’s really good news.

The septic/drain field, which presented so many challenges, has finally been completed and (get this!) passed its required inspection.

Gutters on the building are nearing completion. If weather permits, concrete and exterior grading should be completed within the next week or so. Final inspections should follow close behind, likely in mid-October.

So, what’s next?

As Sister Brahmani says in her recent email to devotees: “As the reality of having a beautiful new chapel comes closer, we feel the joy of God and Guruji, whose presence is already tangible in this new space.  We lovingly look forward to sharing it with you all, and appreciate your ongoing prayers.”

There is no video for this post, but you can view all the previous construction videos here.

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September 4, 2025

It’s here. Finally!

Greenfield Retreat Center’s brand new altar arrived last week and installation is now well underway.

Long anticipated, this is welcome news, indeed. The altar IS here. It sounds  so simple.  However, it’s anything but simple.

A tremendous amount of planning, sheer physical effort, and teamwork went into making all this happen. And behind-the-scenes, a labor of love that will last for years went into creating this altar. It’s quite a saga. But for now, let’s focus on how the altar was built and its recent arrival.

How to Build (and Rebuild) an Altar

Construction of the altar got underway late last year when monks at Lake Shrine took on the project. Of course, you know what happened at Lake Shrine some eight months ago when a massive fire destroyed the neighborhood surrounding the sacred property.

Alas, the fire also burned the buildings housing the monks’ quarters. And it reduced to ashes initial work on Greenfield’s altar, including the beautiful lotus columns. The monks working on the altar were displaced to Encinitas. Now what?

At this point a lay member who had helped with other projects offered space in his garage to set up a workshop, allowing the monks to once again take up their work on Greenfield’s altar. They also found a local 3D printing company and successfully used 3D printing to reproduce the columns.  As time went on, the monks were able to get back to their shop at Lake Shrine and use their CNC machine that miraculously survived the fire, so the jali window screens on either side of the altar were then produced back at Lake Shrine.

Joyous Teamwork

As components of the altar were completed, they were transported for storage at Hidden Valley. Components? Yes! The altar was actually built as multiple separate intricate pieces that fit together, kind of like a giant, heavy jigsaw puzzle.

Once complete, the obvious next steps were transporting the altar from California to Virginia and installing it in the new chapel.

On Janmashtami (August 16) monks and lay members loaded the altar onto a rented truck. A lay member volunteered to make the drive across the country, where he was joined by three monks and two other lay members who also made their way to Greenfield from California and Boston, where several years ago, they had installed an identical altar for the Boston Meditation Center. And, of course, several local devotees who regularly serve at Greenfield also got in on the action.

It was a good thing to have so many strong arms at the ready, because some of those “jigsaw puzzle” pieces were heavy. Very heavy. Some of those pieces needed the muscle power of ten men to carry them from the truck and maneuver them through the chapel door with only inches to spare.

Heavy Work, Light Hearts

For a full picture of what that labor of love was like, check out the pictures and watch the time-lapse video. You’ll see local men, volunteers from other states, and monks joyously working together in the sunshine. (Note the perfect weather for such sweaty work.) Harmony, team work, muscle power, and precision all come together to get those puzzle pieces through the door.

Then watch the altar coming together, piece by piece. Clearly, these guys know what they’re doing—up the ladder, down the ladder, giant pieces and little pieces, electrical wiring and sublime altar pictures all coming together to make one beautiful altar. Finally!

Of course, at this point we’re all eagerly anticipating the next big step, holding services in our beautiful new Greenfield Retreat Chapel. Coming soon! Not quite yet. There are just a few more finishing touches that need to be done before the building is complete and opening date can be set.

To see a video of the altar installation, click here

And here is a playlist of all construction videos

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August 22, 2025

How about that new Greenfield Chapel? What’s happening?

We’re all feeling like kids on a long car trip asking again and again: “Are we there yet?”

And the answer keeps being the same: “Almost.”

Finishing Touches Underway

Really, we ARE almost there. Let’s take a look at what’s happened just in the last few weeks:

Paving. Greenfield’s entrance way has just been repaved. (Remember, back at the the beginning of construction final paving was delayed in anticipation of so much heavy construction equipment traffic up and down the lane all summer. (Boy, was that a good call!)

Exterior concrete work. Delayed due to a super rainy summer, work on things like exterior terraces is now underway and will last another month or so.

Interior painting. The final coats should be applied as early as this week.

Flooring. Wood flooring has been installed. Carpet comes next.

Audio-visual. The projection screen has been delivered. That should be installed in the next few weeks.

Finishing touches. Lots of smaller tasks are either done or underway, including cabinetry, wood trim, doors, and door hardware.

What’s Next?

Final connections for the water line could happen as soon as this week. And exterior lighting should be installed over the next few weeks.

What about the altar?

Almost here. (There’s that word again.) Seriously, the altar is coming soon and will be the subject of a future Greenfield’s Journey story all its own.

To see a video of the latest construction progress, click here

And here is a playlist of all construction videos

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July 31, 2025

It may look the same on the outside, like nothing is happening, but don’t let that fool you.

Progress on our beautiful new Greenfield Chapel construction continues to move forward toward completion. Now that the building is up, the roof on, the utilities installed, builders’ attention is currently focused on all the beautiful details.

Painting and Finishing, Inside and Out

Over the past few weeks, workers finished hanging drywall and prepping interior rooms for painting. In fact, interior painting should be completed sometime this week.

Doors and trim have already been installed. Over the next couple months workers will install lighting, cabinets, door hardware, flooring etc. The HVAC system should be completed in August.

In other words, the interior of the chapel is coming together nicely. Quite nicely.

Outdoor Challenges

Meanwhile, with recent severe storms dumping inches of rain on an almost daily basis, work on the exterior comes with its own set of challenges.

The weather continues to delay pouring concrete for the pathways, terraces and required parking spaces for people with disabilities.

The underground stormwater management system is substantially complete and site grading is ongoing.

Next Steps? Oh yes! The Altar

The altar is currently scheduled to be installed sometime around the end of August or early September.

As of now, the chapel is still on schedule for completion sometime this fall. The final date is yet to be determined and very much depends on the weather.

Please continue to pray for the safe and successful completion of this project, which, after all, is just one beautiful next step in ongoing plans for Greenfield’s service to Master’s ever-growing world-wide family. And, if  you are able, please do consider making a financial contribution to Greenfield’s building fund.

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