Grafton Peace Pagoda [PHOTOS]

I had the idea for this post saved from last year because honestly, I didn’t really know what to write about it besides “Hey, this is a cool place, go to here!”

Now that the weather is getting nicer and I find myself looking for more and more things to do outside, I figured this was a perfect opportunity. Around this time last year, I went to Grafton State Park (194 Shaver Pond Rd. Grafton) for the first time in a while. That alone is a really great place to spend a beautiful day. You have a beach on a lake, the ability to rent space to have cookouts, rentals for kayaks/canoes, a walking path to go on a mini hike, and though I couldn’t find much about it, I did see the opportunity to ride horses or bikes as well. After spending some time on the beach, in the sun, we decided to go on a bit of an adventure to the Grafton Peace Pagoda.

A pagoda, according to the dictionary, is a Hindu or Buddhist temple or sacred building. Though obviously you must be respectful, it is open to the public and it’s beautiful. In 1978, Native Americans organized “The Longest Walk”, where participants walked cross-country from San Francisco, California to Washington, DC. According to their website, “Accompanying them on their walk, was a Japanese Buddhist Nun from the Nipponzan Myohoji order. Since then, Jun Yasuda has crossed the country four more times on foot and logged in several thousand additional miles for the cause of peace. She walks beating her drum while chanting a prayer for peace Na-Mu-Myo-Ho-Ren-Ge-Kyo.” She also was known to fast sometimes on the steps of the NYS Capitol and was offered this piece of land for a “Monument of Peace.” In October 1985, work began on the structure soon & 8 years later in 1993, the Pagoda was completed and dedicated.

What I like about the Peace Pagoda is the general feeling of peace you feel while there, it’s honestly a change in energy that you don’t experience anywhere else and almost never want to leave. Regardless of your religion or political background, one thing we can all agree on is the want for peace and this pagoda is a symbol of just that. If you’re interested in taking part in any of their upcoming events or peace walks, be sure to keep up with them on their website. So if you’re looking for a piece of sanity or happened to be in the area and want to take a peaceful walk, take a quick drive to the Grafton Peace Pagoda.