Buddhist Meditation Group, Unitarian Universalist Church, Reading, MA

Buddhist Meditation Group, Unitarian Universalist Church, Reading, MA


Pillars & Foundations documents an exploration of communities, as well as faith through religious institutions. My intent is to share experiences, and spread the positivity that I observe. 



UUCR

About a year ago I had the pleasure of attending a Sunday service at UU Reading (read about it here). I found a welcoming community of diverse people, and eventually it was only natural that I would have to attend the Buddhist Meditation group held at 7:15 on Monday nights in their community room. I had managed to attend twice previously, but I had not written about the experience. Amidst my spiritual and community exploration over the past year I attended Kurukulla Center in Medford semi-continuously on Monday nights where courses are offered on Buddhist practice. On one occasion I had an off night and attended Andy Furst's Sangha in Reading. On another date I attended again and a substitute from UUCR aptly led the meditation. I enjoyed the experience and decided to return once I concluded a block of courses at Kurukulla.


Meditation Group @ UUCR


The best way to learn about the meditation which is approximately an hour long on Monday nights, is to check out the website/blog for the group. Better yet, join the group in practice if it suits you, as they are very welcoming.

While I have not found this Buddhist group overtly traditional or rigidly following the teachings, Andy does take time to educate the participants. I get the impression that participants tend to flow in and out, while there are a handful of regulars, because each of the three times I've been there have been "new" individuals. Perhaps unique to this meditation is some practice of Qigong, which is described as coordinated movement, breathing, coupled with meditation with the intent to "cultivate and balance qi (chi)." Chanting is also a large part of the practice at UUCR. 

I find it an interesting, rewarding experience, and there is much to be gained from Buddhist teachings, and enacting such practices for the benefit of all sentient beings. An excellent way to train ones self to be better. It is seemingly a no strings-attached, comfortable environment to be exposed to it and I highly recommend it.

One note, UUCR has limited cushions, and I've found people tend to gravitate towards chairs. My preference personally is to try to train myself to use the cushions, but of course comfort for concentration is key. If cushions are preferred, participants may want to bring their own as I think there are only 3-4 sets available.

Text and photographs by George Parks
Sources are embedded in links


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

First Congregational Church, UCC, Melrose, Massachusetts

Image
First Congregational Church, UCC, Melrose, MA Pillars & Foundations was started as an effort to explore my surrounding communities through their religious institutions, and to share my experiences at them with my neighbors and beyond. These organizations that are both social and spiritual, leave lasting impressions on the communities that they are in, and I find in my experiences that I've taken them for granted, and I suspect I'm not alone. What strikes me what all of these institutions strive to do is make a difference, and they do, regardless if it is one person looking for hope & community, or a with recipient of their charitable work. Building & History People who pass by the low profile octagonal church in Melrose should not be fooled by the contemporary campus. This organization has a long history ( information on FCCM website ) in the community dating back to 1848. The new building was constructed in 1970 following a fire tha
Read more

Saint Athanasius Parish, Reading, MA

Image
Saint Athanasius Parish, Reading, Massachusetts I intend to explore and experience the services of many different churches, predominantly near where I live in Massachusetts. Discovering all of these different faith communities builds my knowledge of the neighborhoods around me and the people who live there. These institutions are important, often overlooked and even misjudged centers of our communities that seek to make a positive impact on their participants, as well as others through their generosity and public service. It is possible that through this activity I may eventually consider a long term relationship with one of these pillars and foundations of the community, however I am eager to do a lot of exploring first. History & Building I was pleased to find that Saint Athanasius has an excellent write-up on their web page about their parish history. The parish is fairly new when compared to many I have visited, establishing in 1960, and their unusual, modern ch
Read more

Mount Hood (Slayton Memorial) Tower, Melrose, Massachusetts

Image
When talking about pillars and foundations maybe a tower, like the Slayton Memorial Tower truly encapsulates both. Truly a hidden gem that locals know about, but transplants like myself can easily miss. It took me years to learn about its existence and years more to finally dedicate the time to walk through the Mount Hood Park & Golf Course to see this incredibly unique structure, hidden away in the far corner of tiny Melrose.  My photographs do not do this view out to the Boston skyline and the Atlantic Ocean justice. There’s been a few write ups on the tower through the years, so my post is far from original, however I do think in the course of our busy lives we take for granted what is in our back yard, and that is true for me and Mt. Hood. I write this with a focus on the tower, but really the whole area is quite beautiful with its ponds, trails, and a golf course that you’d expect to be private country club with a quick glance, when in fact it is open to the public (while bei
Read more

Jacobs Family Cemetary, Peabody, MA

Image
Jacobs Family Cemetery, (Revolutionary War Cemetery) Peabody, MA My second posting of 2020 is another spontaneous, unplanned post, and only my second post entirely dedicated to a cemetery. I was walking on the Independence Greenway which connects Peabody to Middleton with two fantastic, long rail trails. On the eastern most portion, parallel to Lowell Street, I could barely make out this tiny gravesite in the woods. With a marsh in between the bike/walking path and the tiny overgrown lot, there is not an obvious pathway to access, and I'm divided on whether this is a good or a bad thing. I found a trail through the forest off of the rail-trail, followed it and found that ultimately it led far behind where the cemetery should be. Exasperated, I decided to take care of this winter day and head through the dead leaves and bramble, knowing that thankfully it would be too cold for ticks and that the poison ivy was dormant (and from the vines on the trees, there's plenty of it!)
Read more

First Lutheran Church, Malden, MA

Image
First Lutheran Church, Malden, MA As part of this blogging effort I intend to explore and experience the services of many different churches, predominantly near where I live in Massachusetts. These institutions are important, often overlooked and even misjudged centers of our communities that seek to make a positive impact on their participants as well as others through their generosity and public service. It is possible that through this activity I may eventually consider a long term relationship with one of these pillars and foundations of the community, however I am eager to do a lot of exploring first. The Building and History: First Lutheran Church of Malden is one of the oldest church structures still operating in Malden, Massachusetts. This congregation dates to the 1890s, with the structure being built in 1897 on the corner of Church and Waite St. in Malden. While some of the church’s original features have perhaps been covered in vinyl flooring and siding, b
Read more