Events
Events hosted by Buddhism & Mindfulness at All Souls
Currently, all programs are online.
No experience is necessary. Join us!
For information about the Zoom login and password,
please go to the All Souls NYC website calendar,
go to the Events page in All Souls Connext, our virtual community,
or consult the most recent email sent out by Pamela Patton.
If you aren’t on Pamela’s email list and would like to join,
please let her know via our Contact Us page.
Ongoing events
Mondays, 10:00am–11:30am
Meditation & Discussion led by Pamela Patton
Please join us!
Join us for a talk and a meditation followed by a discussion (you can choose whether you’d like to go to a breakout room or stay in the main room for a larger group conversation). The topics are different each week — some examples include destructive emotions and the Buddhist understanding of impermanence.
Recordings of these sessions
Alternating Tuesdays, 1:00pm–2:30pm
Dharma Study Group led by Harry Miller
Please join us!
This is a drop-in group — all are welcome to attend once or as many times as you like. We explore basic teachings of Buddhism using both a philosophical and, more importantly, a practical, approach. We study important Mahayana texts like the Heart Sutra and the Diamond Sutra. We perform a close reading of the texts, paragraph by paragraph and line by line when necessary. It is a very interactive class — what is most important is that everyone be comfortable with the material and make progress in their own way.
Harry Miller’s resources page
Thursdays, 10:00am–11:30am
Transforming Our Suffering led by Pamela Patton
Please join us!
Please join us for a discussion of A Fierce Heart: Finding Strength, Courage, and Wisdom in Any Moment by Spring Washam. You are most welcome to attend whether or not you’ve done the reading. We start with a short meditation; Pamela summarizes the chapter and shows a video to support the reading; Harry Miller reflects on the teachings, and then we have a discussion (you can choose whether you’d like to go to a breakout room or stay in the main room for a larger group conversation). Each session is standalone, so you can drop in whenever you wish.
About the book:
Spring Washam is a founding teacher of the East Bay Meditation Center, one of the most diverse and accessible meditation centers in the United States. In A Fierce Heart, Washam shares her contemporary, unique interpretation of the Buddha’s 2,500-year-old teachings with powerfully written chapters that get to the heart of mindfulness, wisdom, and compassion. Woven throughout the book are stories from the author’s life, family, and community, along with many soulful, heartfelt stories from all over the world. Washam’s teachings truly focus on strength, courage and wisdom, making the Dharma welcoming to as large and wide a community as possible. Anyone who has suffered will benefit from the life-saving teachings of this charismatic teacher. Her humor, enthusiasm, and energy are a balm.
About the author:
Spring Washam is a well-known meditation teacher, author and visionary leader based in California and Peru. Spring is considered a pioneer in bringing mindfulness-based healing practices to diverse communities. She is one of the founders and core teachers at the East Bay Meditation Center, located in downtown Oakland, CA. She received extensive training by Jack Kornfield, is a member of the teacher’s council at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in northern California, and has practiced and studied Buddhist philosophy in both the Theravada and Tibetan schools of Buddhism for the last 20 years. In addition to being a teacher, she is also a shamanic practitioner and has studied indigenous healing practices for over a decade. She is the founder of Lotus Vine Journeys, an organization that blends indigenous healing practices with Buddhist wisdom. Her writing and teachings have appeared in many online journals and publications such as Lions Roar, Tricycle, and Belief.net. She has been a guest on many popular podcasts and radio shows. She currently travels and teaches meditation retreats, workshops and classes worldwide.
Other books we’ve read include: When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chödrön, A Fearless Heart by Thupten Jinpa, Happiness by Matthieu Ricard and The Misleading Mind by Karuna Cayton.
Tea & Talk with Pamela Patton
Monthly on Thursdays Noon-1pm and Sundays 1-2pm, see calendar above for specific dates
Please join us!
No need to make an appointment; just drop in for friendly conversation, to discuss spiritual questions, and to connect with other members of our community. All are welcome.
Series
The Skillful Means and Perfections When We Need Them Most with Pilar Jennings
Monthly on Mondays from October 2022 to March 2023, 7-8:30pm
In Buddhist teachings, the Skillful Means (upaya) are a colorful invitation for teachers to reflect on how best to offer the healing methods and insights in the Buddhist tradition given the needs of a particular group. In this six-class series, we will explore what it means to practice the Buddhist ethics of loving-kindness and compassion during times of acute duress. We will consider the ways in which we might best practice this tradition in a world informed by social media, polarization, and the ripple effects of a pandemic. As a template for this conversation, we’ll reflect on the six Paramitas (perfections), those qualities thought to nurture a clear mind and open heart, as we think through how to develop these qualities as we navigate the continued challenges of our time.
10/17 – Skillful Means in 2022: What does Buddhism look like in the West? What might it become?
11/14 – Generosity in a time of individualism
12/12 – Ethics & Patience: How to tolerate suffering with equanimity.
01/09 – Joyous Effort: How to celebrate the happiness of others.
02/06 – Meditation: Calm Abiding – How to help the mind find a place of stability and rest.
03/06 – Wisdom: Seeing clearly, working with reality.
Registration details will be available in September.
Monthly on Mondays from October 2022 to March 2023, 7-8:30pm
In Buddhist teachings, the Skillful Means (upaya) are a colorful invitation for teachers to reflect on how best to offer the healing methods and insights in the Buddhist tradition given the needs of a particular group. In this six-class series, we will explore what it means to practice the Buddhist ethics of loving-kindness and compassion during times of acute duress. We will consider the ways in which we might best practice this tradition in a world informed by social media, polarization, and the ripple effects of a pandemic. As a template for this conversation, we’ll reflect on the six Paramitas (perfections), those qualities thought to nurture a clear mind and open heart, as we think through how to develop these qualities as we navigate the continued challenges of our time.
10/17 – Skillful Means in 2022: What does Buddhism look like in the West? What might it become?
11/14 – Generosity in a time of individualism
12/12 – Ethics & Patience: How to tolerate suffering with equanimity.
01/09 – Joyous Effort: How to celebrate the happiness of others.
02/06 – Meditation: Calm Abiding – How to help the mind find a place of stability and rest.
03/06 – Wisdom: Seeing clearly, working with reality.
Registration details will be available in September.
One-time-only events
Conversation with Rev. Kim Crawford Harvie, Rev. Galen Guengerich, and Pamela Patton
Sunday, May 15 at 1pm
Join Rev. Kim from Arlington Street Church and Rev. Galen from All Souls to discuss why many Unitarian Universalists connect with Buddhism. The Unitarian Universalist Association describes the connection this way:
Unitarian Universalist experience with Buddhism is rich and varied. We find inspiration in stories from Buddhist traditions, Buddhist meditation practices, and contemporary teachers...Many congregations have Buddhist meditation groups; we have over 100 local UU sanghas.
Buddhism and Unitarian Universalism both honor the beliefs people hold based on their own experiences and understandings. In neither tradition will anyone tell you what you ought to believe.Lama Surya Das writes about our shared values in Buddhist Voices in Unitarian Universalism:
Buddhism and Unitarian Universalism value many of the same things, including experiential practice, study and self-inquiry, mindful awareness cultivation, insightful wisdom development, and loving-kindness, combined with active compassion in the world. This is the heart of sacred activism—empowering, educating, edifying, elevating, transforming, and liberating.
The Reverend Ms. Kim K. Crawford Harvie was raised in Concord, Massachusetts and graduated with honors from Middlebury College (Vermont) and Harvard Divinity School. Ordained into the Unitarian Universalist ministry in 1984, she spent the following year as an intern at First Parish in Brewster, Massachusetts. In 1985, she was called to the Universalist Meeting House in Provincetown, Massachusetts, which she served until 1989. In 1987, she received the Maximilian Kolbe Award for Community Service and, in 1988, she was named Provincetown Citizen of the Year. In 1989, she was called to Arlington Street Church in Boston, Massachusetts, where she continues to serve as Senior Minister.
In Boston, Rev. Crawford Harvie co-founded two non-profit organizations: In the Best Interests of the Children, dedicated to providing educational and material assistance to young people and families affected by pediatric HIV/AIDS; and The Shared Heart, a traveling exhibition and book of photographs (released in 1997 by William Morrow) of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender teenagers with accompanying text in their own words, designed to support the Massachusetts Safe Schools Initiative.
In 1992, Rev. Crawford Harvie was the recipient of Harvard Divinity School's First Decade Award. In the same year, Rev. Crawford Harvie also received distinguished alumnae awards from Middlebury College and Concord Carlisle High School. In 1996, the Legacy Foundation named Rev. Crawford Harvie Uncommon Woman of the Year. In 1999, Rev. Crawford Harvie was named one of ten delegates from the United States to Women Waging Peace, an international women's peacemaking initiative. In 2002, the Women's Educational and Industrial Union of Boston honored her as one of 100 outstanding women in the Commonwealth. In 2004, Rev. Crawford Harvie performed the first same-sex wedding in a church in the United States.
Having raised three daughters (the younger two adopted in Peru) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Kim and her wife, Kem Morehead, a math teacher at Concord Academy, now serve as houseparents for 27 teenagers.
Please join us!
Learning the Sacred Art of Forgetting the World to Remember Your Truth with Gay Doherty
Monday, May 16 at 10am ET on Zoom
Each of us wear many hats and serve various roles as friend, parent, employee, and neighbor. In this day and age, so many of us are walking around living a masked life on autopilot, disconnected from our innate creativity, our intuition, and who we truly are. We will explore how to stay close to our true self, and the obstacles that often get in our way.
Gay is a Psychotherapist (LCSW) and Transformational Coach in private practice in New York City. She supports individuals in navigating life transitions, relationship issues and life purpose exploration using the therapy model of AEDP (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy). This model stems from the belief that we are all hard-wired to heal, that it’s an innate capacity within each of us. Gay is passionate about helping others learn to live as their authentic or true self at any age. She has trained NYU masters and PhD students in psychodynamic psychotherapy and has worked as a psychotherapist at Washington Square Institute and the Karen Horney Clinic supporting individuals from underserved communities. Gay has also been a group facilitator for breast and metastatic cancer groups at SHARE (NYC) and at Good Grief (NJ). She has been a student of spirituality practices, including mindfulness and meditation for over 12 years and received a Certificate in Spirituality and Psychotherapy, at the Psychotherapy and Spirituality Institute (NYC). To learn more about Gay and her work, visit www.gaydoherty.com.
Please join us!
Join us for a program with Trish Muehsam, MD
Sunday, June 26 at 2pm
More information coming soon.
Please join us!
Sunday, May 15 at 1pm
Join Rev. Kim from Arlington Street Church and Rev. Galen from All Souls to discuss why many Unitarian Universalists connect with Buddhism. The Unitarian Universalist Association describes the connection this way:
Unitarian Universalist experience with Buddhism is rich and varied. We find inspiration in stories from Buddhist traditions, Buddhist meditation practices, and contemporary teachers...Many congregations have Buddhist meditation groups; we have over 100 local UU sanghas.
Buddhism and Unitarian Universalism both honor the beliefs people hold based on their own experiences and understandings. In neither tradition will anyone tell you what you ought to believe.Lama Surya Das writes about our shared values in Buddhist Voices in Unitarian Universalism:
Buddhism and Unitarian Universalism value many of the same things, including experiential practice, study and self-inquiry, mindful awareness cultivation, insightful wisdom development, and loving-kindness, combined with active compassion in the world. This is the heart of sacred activism—empowering, educating, edifying, elevating, transforming, and liberating.
The Reverend Ms. Kim K. Crawford Harvie was raised in Concord, Massachusetts and graduated with honors from Middlebury College (Vermont) and Harvard Divinity School. Ordained into the Unitarian Universalist ministry in 1984, she spent the following year as an intern at First Parish in Brewster, Massachusetts. In 1985, she was called to the Universalist Meeting House in Provincetown, Massachusetts, which she served until 1989. In 1987, she received the Maximilian Kolbe Award for Community Service and, in 1988, she was named Provincetown Citizen of the Year. In 1989, she was called to Arlington Street Church in Boston, Massachusetts, where she continues to serve as Senior Minister.
In Boston, Rev. Crawford Harvie co-founded two non-profit organizations: In the Best Interests of the Children, dedicated to providing educational and material assistance to young people and families affected by pediatric HIV/AIDS; and The Shared Heart, a traveling exhibition and book of photographs (released in 1997 by William Morrow) of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender teenagers with accompanying text in their own words, designed to support the Massachusetts Safe Schools Initiative.
In 1992, Rev. Crawford Harvie was the recipient of Harvard Divinity School's First Decade Award. In the same year, Rev. Crawford Harvie also received distinguished alumnae awards from Middlebury College and Concord Carlisle High School. In 1996, the Legacy Foundation named Rev. Crawford Harvie Uncommon Woman of the Year. In 1999, Rev. Crawford Harvie was named one of ten delegates from the United States to Women Waging Peace, an international women's peacemaking initiative. In 2002, the Women's Educational and Industrial Union of Boston honored her as one of 100 outstanding women in the Commonwealth. In 2004, Rev. Crawford Harvie performed the first same-sex wedding in a church in the United States.
Having raised three daughters (the younger two adopted in Peru) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Kim and her wife, Kem Morehead, a math teacher at Concord Academy, now serve as houseparents for 27 teenagers.
Please join us!
Learning the Sacred Art of Forgetting the World to Remember Your Truth with Gay Doherty
Monday, May 16 at 10am ET on Zoom
Each of us wear many hats and serve various roles as friend, parent, employee, and neighbor. In this day and age, so many of us are walking around living a masked life on autopilot, disconnected from our innate creativity, our intuition, and who we truly are. We will explore how to stay close to our true self, and the obstacles that often get in our way.
Gay is a Psychotherapist (LCSW) and Transformational Coach in private practice in New York City. She supports individuals in navigating life transitions, relationship issues and life purpose exploration using the therapy model of AEDP (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy). This model stems from the belief that we are all hard-wired to heal, that it’s an innate capacity within each of us. Gay is passionate about helping others learn to live as their authentic or true self at any age. She has trained NYU masters and PhD students in psychodynamic psychotherapy and has worked as a psychotherapist at Washington Square Institute and the Karen Horney Clinic supporting individuals from underserved communities. Gay has also been a group facilitator for breast and metastatic cancer groups at SHARE (NYC) and at Good Grief (NJ). She has been a student of spirituality practices, including mindfulness and meditation for over 12 years and received a Certificate in Spirituality and Psychotherapy, at the Psychotherapy and Spirituality Institute (NYC). To learn more about Gay and her work, visit www.gaydoherty.com.
Please join us!
Join us for a program with Trish Muehsam, MD
Sunday, June 26 at 2pm
More information coming soon.
Please join us!
Events hosted by Shantideva Center
Our Dharma partner, Shantideva Center, offers Dharma courses, teachings and retreats, meditation for every level of practice from complete beginners to advanced practitioners, and courses for wellness and mindful living. Click here to go to the Shantideva Center calendar of events.
Other Events beyond All Souls
We have lots of suggestions for events happening beyond All Souls, and we’d like to hear your suggestions as well. Please visit All Souls Connext, our virtual community, and go to the Buddhism & Mindfulness Group to learn about recommended events and to add your own suggestions.
