Bodhi Tree Bookstore
Independent bookstore in West Hollywood, California / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Bodhi Tree Bookstore, originally Bodhi Tree Book and Tea Shop, was an independent bookstore specializing in world religions, wisdom traditions, metaphysics, psychology, philosophy, and health. It was founded in 1970 in Los Angeles, California (now West Hollywood, California). According to Buddhist tradition, the Bodhi tree was the tree under which Siddhārtha Gautama sat in meditation until he attained enlightenment and became a Buddha.[1] The motto of the bookstore was: "Books to Illuminate the Heart and Mind".
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Company type | Independent bookstore |
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Founded | 1970 |
Founder | Stan and Fran Madson; Dan and Marj Morris; and Phil and Elsa Thompson |
Headquarters | 8585 Melrose Avenue, , United States |
The bookstore became widely known through the 1983 book Out On A Limb by Shirley MacLaine and the subsequent eponymous 1987 television series.[2] In her book, MacLaine declares that her "decision to visit an unusual bookstore [the Bodhi Tree Bookstore] was one of the most important decisions of my life".[3] The Bodhi Tree Bookstore was on Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood, near the Pacific Design Center. The bookstore closed its physical location on December 31, 2011 and continued under new ownership as an online bookstore thereafter.[4][5]
In May 1994, the bookstore and the co–owners received numerous commendations: the bookstore was named Business of the Year in 1994 by the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce;[6] the co–owners – Stan Madson and Phil Thompson – were both honored with Certificates of Recognition from the California State Senate – signed by California State Senator Tom Hayden – in recognition of their "extraordinary contribution of knowledge in art and spirituality and excellence in service to the city of West Hollywood and its citizens"; and the co–owners were named the 1994 Business Persons of the Year by the City of West Hollywood.[7] The bookstore served as a community center for information about events, teachers, practitioners, and places for the spiritual community at large. It had the reputation of being "the spiritual heart" of Los Angeles, "the spiritual superstore, the grand central station for New Agers,"[8] and "L.A.'s premier New Age shop".[9]