The Life & Times of an Extraordinary Bookseller

At one time, a bookstore brought to mind a vision of shelves packed floor-to-ceiling with books; some new, some old, some dusty. And behind the counter was a bibliophile eager to help. Needless to say, times have changed. Very few bookstores are able to keep the doors open simply because the bookseller “loves books.” With independent bookstores starting to see new life again, they must look beyond the task of just offering books. When the founders of the Bodhi Tree Bookstore of Los Angeles first opened in 1970, they not only knew that valuable lesson—they also created an inspired community that would go on to join together to illuminate the world.

Author and Bodhi Tree co-owner, Stan Madson, shares his personal account of how a small group of like-minded friends opened and operated an independent bookstore with nothing more than a yearning to provide books for other spiritual seekers in humble surroundings. With no bookselling experience, Stan, Phil Thompson and their Bodhi Tree partners, opened a unique bookshop in a converted house on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles where people of all faiths and philosophies could browse, sip tea, learn, and grow together.

World consciousness erupted in the 1970s with people questioning how religion often ignited fear and violence. The Bodhi Tree Bookstore did not endorse one teaching or theology over another. Instead, they offered a vast selection of spiritual doctrine to compare and consider. Their strategy worked!

For 40 years the bookstore grew tremendously thanks to word-of-mouth, worldwide publicity, best-selling author events, and a very fortunate moment influenced by Oscar-winning actress Shirley MacLaine. But life was not what Stan & Phil had dreamed it would be, despite their success. The realities of managing a retail business and thousands of diverse employees was challenging. And as online booksellers chipped away at their niche market, Stan & Phil could no longer keep the beloved bookstore’s doors open, closing in 2011. With the landmark structure now razed and rebuilt as a boutique, The Bodhi Tree Bookstore may be gone, but the loving and enlightened community it created forever lives on.