Yesterday Tahn’s Pamutto and Santi took part in a variety of activities in NYC, including an almsround and meal in Union Square Park and co-leading an afternoon practice session nearby at the Still Mind Zendo.
These activities were the meeting point of a number of social networks. The almsround brought together monks from a number of Theravāda temples in NYC and their respective (mostly Thai) communities. The monastics traded numbers and invitations to visit elders, join communal meals, and do prayer walks abroad.
The afternoon session was hosted by the Buddhist Friends group. Originally started years ago with Buddhist Insights organizing and hosting gatherings and dhamma study sessions in different parts of the city, this group has been independently active for the last year: showing it is possible for even a few people to get together and make practice opportunities happen. That was much the scene at the Zendo itself, where a number of different smaller (and even large and long-standing) groups are sharing the space to nurture their respective communities. One such group, www.dharma-gates.org, came after and is centered around supporting young adults in finding their way to meditation.
