Protecting these buildings means protecting a place of practice, a living lineage, and a home for future generations.
With the generous support of the sangha, we’ve already raised and invested $170,000 in the first two phases of the project — completing the engineering, site preparation, and installation of a 47,000-gallon fire reserve.
One step remains: sprinklers on the buildings. Everything else is in place — this last step decides whether the project succeeds.
The system we can install depends on funding. At minimum, $90,000 gets us a self-built system. With more support, we could install a safer, satellite-driven system with fire-fighting foam and a manufacturer warranty.
Please help us take this last, essential step.
Every building on the campus protected by a system we build ourselves. Someone must manually turn it on.
Adds: the system watches for fire and turns itself on, seven miles out. Firefighting foam and full warranty on the four principal buildings.
Adds: the same professional standard on all thirteen buildings. Nothing self-built.
Stock and securities. We can receive gifts of appreciated securities. Write to cmzc@dharmasangha.org for the transfer details.
Questions about giving. Our office will get you in touch with Paul Rosenblum or Nicole Baden. Please write to cmzc@dharmasangha.org or call +1 (719) 256-0285.
CMZC has never faced a more imminent wildfire threat. This summer, the Hooper fire came close enough that we packed to evacuate before the wind turned, and a separate fire started along our own stream. The forest around Crestone hasn't burned in over 130 years, against a historical interval of roughly ten — and insurers have now withdrawn coverage for every home in Crestone.
One gravel road leads up to the Center. Fire runs uphill — it comes from below, from the only access road. The buildings themselves have to be defensible.
Move across the campus map to see what each building holds, and click to give toward it — or toward a specific object inside it. Every gift counts toward the same fund. Building values roughly reflect the actual cost of protecting each one (on Path B, the professional and automated system). Object values are our own emotional valuations — how painful it would be to lose them, and whether or not they could be replaced. We hope you enjoy the tour through the campus!
Originally built as a teahouse, this thatch-roofed structure sits in the middle of a beautifully sculpted garden - a perfect place to sit quietly, have lunch, and listen to the trickle of the fountain.
These cozy rooms are in a dormitory style building, equipped with a bed, desk, tea kettle and tea selection, and are fully carpeted.
This house is Baker Roshi's abode. The house sits above the center of the monastery, surrounded by trees, and overlooking the vast San Luis Valley.
This adobe colored building has 5 spacious rooms, with sleeping space on the ground floor and in a loft. Each room includes dressers, a large closet, and a desk.
Our meditation hall, the central location of our practice, built with traditional wood joinery; many priceless statues, practice instruments and other works of art live here.
Hundreds of books, read, worked through, with notes in them. This is meant to be a resource for the future. There are four sections to his library - Please help us preserve one of them!
This white Mahakala is quite special and always noticed by our Tibetan guests. It's a powerful protector and gives a great atmosphere to the Kannon-do.
Vajradhara, crossing bell and vajra. An emanation of Samantabhadra.
In terms of cultural heritage, the Kannon statue, sister to the one in the Hiroshima Peace Park is the single most important piece of art on campus. Visitors come specifically to see this statue. To preserve it is one of the major purposes of this campaign. It's priceless - and we can protect it for less than $25,000. This needs to be done.
This guardian emphasizes the alertness in the sense of hearing. Baker Roshi decided to use it as a guardian, right at the student entrance of the Zendo. It has protected our practice space for more than 30 years.
This guardian emphasizes the alertness in the sense of seeing. Baker Roshi decided to use it as a guardian right at the student entrance of the Zendo. It has protected our practice space for more than 30 years.
It was a gift to a samurai family for a war, in which they helped someone. Jizo Bosatsu is an Orpheus-like figure, so Baker Roshi thinks it was probably given to purify the family of the guilt. It has a very special box made for it. In the box is the description of the samurai family and the gift. It was originally priced at $25,000.
18 Chinese Arhats that Baker Roshi found in a shop in New York. He had always wanted to have The Arhats as part of our visual treasure, because of how they represent lay practice. They represent wild, shamanic lay persons.
This incense burner was given to Baker Roshi by his father Harold. We have been offering incense to Suzuki Roshi every morning, ever since the Meditation Hall was opened.
.jpg)
A museum piece: Big bronze incense burner with a lion on the legs and on the lid.
.jpg)
Nine out of ten buildings lost to wildfire are not burned by the fire front. They're ignited by windborne embers, which can travel seven miles or more ahead of it. The defense is to soak the buildings before the embers arrive: water and firefighting foam make the structures too wet to burn. Every option below puts sprinklers on all thirteen of CMZC's buildings. What differs is additional firefighting foam and automation to ensure the response comes in time.
Every building gets water sprinklers. The system must be turned on manually.
An automated system, connected to satellite data, watches for fire and activates before danger arrives. Firefighting foam provides significant additional protection.
The same protection everywhere, to the same high standard.
The manufacturer reports that in the 2025 Los Angeles fires, 59 of 61 protected properties with activated systems survived.
Your gift helps bring fire protection to all thirteen buildings at Crestone Mountain Zen Center — protecting the places where we live, practice, and carry this tradition forward.