Stan Madson, Co-Founder of the Bodhi Tree
Bookstore
The
Bodhi Tree Bookstore has grown into a flourishing
landmark with its roots strongly grounded
in the spiritual community.
In
1970 Melrose Avenue was a quiet, shady street
lined with small, low-key businesses. In June
of that year, three aerospace engineers left
their careers to merge their mutual passion
for books, metaphysics and mysticism into
a bookstore. Of the founding members, only
Fran and Stan Madson, and Elsa and Phil Thompson
remain, but the spirit which gave birth to
the Bodhi Tree Bookstore years ago still moves
it today. In metaphysical lore, the bodhi
tree is the "tree of enlightenment"
under which Gautama sat in meditation before
he achieved the state of grace that made him
the Buddha. The original bodhi tree grew on
the banks of a tributary of the Ganges and
legend has it that all Buddhas became enlightened
under its branches. Stan and Phil placed a
young bodhi tree plant in a pot in the front
window of the store in the early days of their
business. There this graceful plant with heart
shaped leaves flourished for several years,
until it grew so large that they had to plant
it. Today, at nearly three stories high, it
provides shade for the bookstore's back yard,
where the staff members gather to talk, read
or recuperate during their breaks.
As
the bodhi tree grew into glorious maturity,
so did the Bodhi Tree Bookstore. At a quarter
of a century, this metaphysical mecca is one
of the best known and busiest philosophical
bookstores in the Los Angeles area, with an
extensive selection of books on everything
and anything that deals with spiritual wisdom
and knowledge.
