Quick Guide to the Buddhist Center

We invite you to take part in whatever we have to offer, in whatever way you like, and as often as you like. Here’s a short guide to the various activities and offerings of the Buddhist Center.

What do we do?

There are three ‘legs’ to our community and to the spiritual life in general:
1) study, 2) meditation practice, and 3) community life.

  1. We read, listen to and contemplate the teachings in order to orient our understanding of ourselves and the world that we perceive in a way that is clear and accurate. Such a clear understanding is conducive to a peaceful life and one that is deeply affectionate and appreciative of others.

  2. We practice meditation so that this understanding can take root in a clear and stable mind.

  3. We gather in community to share and celebrate the spiritual journey. Friends along the path support us, inspire us and can act as a mirror so we can more clearly see ourselves. We contribute to the larger community through action and our Karuna Fund.

How to get started

Learn to Meditate
Watch this ‘Intro to Meditation’ with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche (free when you sign in) - 

Listen to this talk given at the Library, -  ‘Taming the Mind - Finding Freedom’ - 1:20 min.

And this public talk given at the Library, - ‘A Stable Heart in Turbulent Times’ - 1:13 min.

Learning curriculum - In this website, there are two study series complete with talks, and recommended readings.  It is suggested that you work you way through one, or both of them, in order to get a good understanding of the nature of the path, and what needs to be understood in order to make meditation practice effective.

The ‘Arc of the Path’ 
The Buddhist Center Study Curriculum 

Join in

The Buddhist Center invites anyone interested in learning to meditate in general, or about Buddhism altogether. The Buddhist Center is open to anyone, of any faith, at any level of experience. Many of our active members are also participate in other faith traditions.

Each of our Monday night gatherings are oriented such that both new people and the ‘old hands’ can be enriched. In the beginning, it’s common to feel a bit intimidated, or confused as you hear new terms, or engage in new activities. In fact, the concept of ‘beginner’s mind’ is celebrated in Buddhism as the quality of experience that is already close to the ‘heart of the matter’.  The most important thing is to be patient, and ask a lot of questions. Any type of donation is appreciated. No one will ever be turned away due to lack of funds.

Monday nights – feel free to join us for our Monday night gatherings (online and in-person) to meditate together, listen to and discuss the teachings. Everyone is welcome!

Weekend retreats – from time to time we present weekend programs in order to explore some
aspect of the spiritual path.

Teacher visits – we have long and deep relationships with many of the most gifted teachers from the Tibetan tradition.  We’re fortunate to be able to host them here in Steamboat from time to time.

Social action – locally, we support the larger Steamboat community with our food drive in support of the Lift-Up Food Bank in July. We encourage remote members to support causes in their local communities. We also support a member-chosen, nationwide charity once a year matching funds from our members with our Karuna Fund.

Community gatherings – join us for social gatherings locally, such as our periodic pot-luck dinners. Our remote communities are encouraged to get together when able.

Resources

Please take the time to explore this website. The website is a great resource with pages for:

  • Learning about our history and tradition - here

  • Our monthly calendar - here

  • Recordings of Monday night talks - here

  • Reading lists - here

  • An interactive curriculum of study - here

  • Great articles, podcasts and videos - here

  • The various ways we donate to the Steamboat community and beyond - here

  • A guide to practice and study resources on the internet - here

  • How to contact us and how to become a member of the community - here

  • Read from the Buddhist press especially Shambhala Sun, and Tricycle magazines

  • Read any of the wonderful books available about meditation and Buddhism. You might want to start with one of these:

    The Joy of Living- Mingyur Rinpoche
    Open Heart, Open Mind - Tsoknyi Rinpoche
    Happiness - Matthieu Ricard
    Why Meditate - Matthieu Ricard
    What Makes You Not a Buddhist - Dzongsar Khyentse
    The Myth of Freedom - Chogyam Trungpa
    The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying - Sogyal Rinpoche
    The Buddha and His Teachings - Bercholz/Kohn
    Joyful Wisdom - Mingyur Rinpoche
    Books by Pema Chodron:
    Taking the Leap
    When Things Fall Apart
    The Wisdom of No Escape
    Start Where You Are

Stay in touch

There are three ways to stay in touch with us:

1. Keep up with us through the website

2. Sign up for our weekly emails

3. Join our BCSS community Google Group by emailing our secretary Phil at philcastillo@mac.com