World Peace Garden

An urban garden dedicated to world peace

A 1.75-acre urban garden dedicated to world peace has been developed in the Baltimore City neighborhood of Chinquapin Park on the site of the Kadampa Meditation Center Maryland Temple for World Peace.

It is a unique community collaboration between Kadampa Meditation Center Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay Trust, Parks & People, Baltimore Orchard Project, Civic Works, Blue Water Baltimore, Grow Landscape Design, Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake, and other community partners. We believe that investing in our local community and environment creates a strong and vibrant city for everyone to enjoy.

Woman meditating in nature

Meditation Garden

On the upper lawn under the large tree, we have created a meditation garden with large rocks, 2 Japanese maples, and a granite bench due to help from Civic Works and Americorps partners, and a $1000 grant from the Parks and People Foundation.

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Rain Gardens

In late Aug 2015, the work began on installing three rain gardens, which were funded by a $30,000 grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust. Then in September, a variety of native plants were planted due to help from HBI, a federal Job Corps training partner. These gardens are improving the health of the environment and create a more lush and beautiful atmosphere at the temple.

Man and woman gardening

Volunteer Opportunities

We are always happy to have volunteer gardeners! We do group gardening days on most Sunday afternoons, but there are also opportunities during the week. You can even adopt an area of our gardens to take care of, including our vegetable garden. Please email director@meditationmd.org for more information or to sign up.

Winner of the Best of Baltimore 2017 contest for the Best Urban Garden.

  • MICA Professor Hugh Pocock comments:

    “The students learn about the many issues surrounding food production and then apply them to their art and design practice. They also learn about food production on a global and national level and then scale down to look at Baltimore and how these issues impact our city… We are very pleased to be working with Kadampa Meditation Center Maryland this Spring, the development of the food forest/garden is a very unique opportunity for the students to be involved in.”

  • MICA Professor Hugh Pocock comments:

    “The students learn about the many issues surrounding food production and then apply them to their art and design practice. They also learn about food production on a global and national level and then scale down to look at Baltimore and how these issues impact our city… We are very pleased to be working with Kadampa Meditation Center Maryland this Spring, the development of the food forest/garden is a very unique opportunity for the students to be involved in.”

  • Nina Beth Cardin, Founder and Executive Director of the Baltimore Orchard Project, says:

    “Kadampa’s World Peace Garden will nourish the body and soul. Designed in harmony with the contours of its land, in partnership with neighbors, and in a “guild” of plants in its Food Forest, the Temple structurally, visually and practically speaks, ‘Peace!’ ”

  • Joyce Johnson, President of the Chinquapin Park Improvement Association, is thrilled with the project:

    “An urban garden dedicated to world peace is a concrete display of a concept of the mind that starts within our homes, then our neighborhoods, our communities, and so on! The Chinquapin Park Community is striving to encourage the engagement of its diverse cultures of people so that we are able to maintain a certain quality of life here. The friendly interaction between neighbors is definitely a good start! We look forward to working with the Kadampa Meditation Center Maryland in this effort.”

KMC Maryland is delighted to be working with its community partners to create a place of peace and reflection to serve the residents of the greater Baltimore area. The garden is an integral part of the Buddhist Temple for World Peace and serves to extend the experience of peace that can be created through meditation.  The World Peace Garden is a way in which we can share this experience with everyone, irrespective of belief systems, and increase the quality of life for everyone.

We welcome families and people of all backgrounds to partake of what we offer.