The Shanti Vun Meditation Garden (or Peace Forest) is a lovely, tranquil spot established at Landis Arboretum in 2019. Thanks to support from Landis friend Vijaya Luxmi and the efforts of dedicated volunteers, the Garden took shape during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021 and continues to be developed.
Vijaya Luxmi wanted to create Shanti Vun in memory of her father, Darshan Lal, and mother, Kamla Devi. The various trees honor the memories of her close friends and relatives, all now dancing in the winds of Landis Arboretum and Shanti Vun Meditation Garden.
Visitors can enjoy the musical notes of the waterfall in the garden pond or sit at a picnic table in the covered Pavilion for lunch or just to relax and enjoy the view. The existing meditation labyrinth has been renewed, and in a few short years, the newly installed birch grove will be mature.
Already, visitors are finding the garden a joyful place to be.
During fine weather, the Garden becomes home to Shanti Vun Drum Circles at 7:00 PM each first and third Thursday of the month.
When you come to enjoy this peaceful spot, please refrain from dropping anything into the pond; do not feed the fish (it isn’t healthy for them) or toss pebbles into the water. For your own safety and for the structural integrity of the pond, do not climb on the rocks surrounding the pond or the waterfall.
If you visit with your well-behaved, leashed dog, remember to clean up and dispose of any “gifts” they may leave so the area remains pleasant for everyone. If you visit to have lunch, remember the Scout rule: “Take nothing, leave nothing”. There are trash and recycling bins in the Welcome Center.
Enjoy the photographs below to see the garden before you visit.
