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On the Big Fat Upcoming Buddhist Conference

On the Big Fat Upcoming Buddhist Conference

Last updated on: November 1, 2011 at 3:02 pm by James Ford

On the Big Fat Upcoming Buddhist Conference 2011-11-01T15:02:05-07:00 James Ford

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Tomorrow I drive down to Garrison in upstate New York for a big Buddhist teacher confab.

This event has recently come to the attention of the Buddhist community writ large, and for some among the Western Buddhist commentariate this event is not particularly welcome. Elitist is a popular term near the top of the list of reasons why it isn’t a good idea. For a larger explication of concerns, including dragging me over the coals a bit for being indifferent to these concerns, go here.

I suppose it is elite.

I’m less clear why it’s a problem that an “elite,” in this case Buddhist teachers and writers gathering can be anything but good. How good depends on many differing factors.

And it is true I don’t see the big deal. The concerns. The fears…

I say let there be conferences.

Tons. Let the Buddhist geeks gather. Let the practitioners gather. Let practitioners of color gather. Let women practitioners gather. Let women teachers gather. Let traditional Dharma people gather. Let convert Buddhists gather. Let the hate all teachers gather.

And publish opinions and thoughts…

And not expect any one group or gathering or whatever to mean very much by itself.

What I can say with certainty, is nothing is coming out of this conference that will legislate anything. (As if…) It’s meet and greet and maybe learning a thing or two about each other, and possibly, just possibly, addressing some of the rising concerns within our convert community.

Truthfully when invited I hadn’t given this event lots of thought other than dropping it into my calendar and then when the time rolled around noticing that it is mildly inconvenient. Looking at the schedule I see I’m going to miss the big picture taking moment, probably the most important thing scheduled. So it goes…

I was invited ages ago. I don’t know for sure, maybe two years, maybe only a year. I’m not very good with time. The other two Boundless Way transmitted teachers were invited a bit later. Then two of our senior students, including Josh Bartok, who will be beginning formal Dharma transmission next month were invited as “younger” teachers. As it stands one of our teachers will be in Sweden, but the rest including our two senior students will be there. At least for part of the event…

I don’t know who put this thing together. I was sold on the thought of meeting other Dharma folk, particularly people outside the Zen world. Maybe I should have cared more. But I didn’t.

Should I have cared enough to pursue it further before accepting. Maybe? But, frankly it didn’t feel that important in the larger scheme of things.

Still doesn’t.

No offense to those going. I look forward to seeing you…

As I’ve been given a list of those who have said at one time or another they’re coming as well as an agenda and no one said it was supposed to be a secret, I copy them both here. I’m certain that not all who said they’re coming, are not. Also, I was a bit taken aback when a friend pointed out there are no Kwan Um teachers present. (Correction: one Kwan Um teacher just informed me he is attending.) A rather surprising omission considering they’re arguably the largest Zen lineage in the West when our relatively small potatoes sangha is fully represented. (Of course, while small, we’re pretty feisty…)

Clearly not the best thought through invite list ever composed.

That said…

2011 Buddhist Teacher Participant List

Allione

Costanzo

Armstrong

Guy

Arnold

Shugen

Aronson

Harvey

Auclair

Pascal

Aylward

Martin

Baker

Richard

Baraz

James

Bartok

Josh

Batchelor

Stephen

Batchelor

Martine

Bays

Chosen (Jan)

Bays

Hogen

Beatty

Robert

Besilly

Lily

Bobrow

Joe

Bodhi

Bhikkhu

Boorstein

Sylvia

Braza

Jerry

Brazier

David (Dharmavidya)

Brensilver

Mathew

Bridge

Harry

Brunet

Annik

Brunnholzl

Karl

Bumbacher

Irene

Burrows

Paul

Bush

Mirabai

Caine Barrett

Myokei Shonin

Callahan

Elizabeth

Carlson

Kyogen

Cash

Eugene

Chayat

Roko

Chen

Viveka

Child

Simon

Chindaporn

Kathryn

Chodron

Thubten

Clough Armstrong

Sally

Coleman

Mark

Coriat

Christopher

Coriat

Daniela

Dahl

Cortland

Das

Pablo

Denison

Ruth

Dondrup (Grant)

Lama (Jennifer Diane)

Dorje

Tulku Sherap

Douglas

Anna

Ellis

Patricia

Ernst

Lisa

Ferguson

Gaylon

Fernandopulle

Anushka

Ferraro

Vinny

Fischer

Norman

Forall (Teal)

Scott Soryu

Ford

James

Frizell

Bridgid (Ji Hyang Padma)

Fronsdal

Gil

Fulder

Stephen

Garling

Wendy

Gimian

James

Godwin

Gaelyn

Goldfield

Ari

Goldstein

Joseph

Gross

Rita

Hai

Thay Phap

Halifax

Joan

Haller

Paul

Handrick

Don

Harper

JoAnna

Hayashi

Arawana

Hayward

Jeremy

Thay Phap

Hollander

Esteban

Hookham

Lama Shenpen

Huy

Chu Chan

Ikeda-Nash

Mushim

Irene

Lama (Dorje Drolma)

Jamdron

Ani (Susan Skolnick)

Jurs

Cynthia

Kabat-Zinn

Jon

Kabat-Zinn

Will

Kalff

Sabine Hayoz

Kim

Youngju

Kim

Sumi Loundon

Kitzes

Jeff

Klein

Anne

Kornfield

Jack

Korrigan

Kyira

Kramer

Greg

Kuwahara

Kiyonobu

La-Rosa

Nina

Leighton

Taigen

Levine

Noah

Lhamo

Lama Tashi

Lief

Judy

Little

Eko

Lobel

Adam

Makransky

John

Mannschatz

Marie

Marc-Weber

Akincano

Mattis Namgyal

Elizabeth

Matyi

Philis

Maull

Fleet

McLeod

Ken

Merz

Andrew

Miksic

Paula

Miller

Connie

Miller (Baker)

Willa (Lama Palmo)

Mocine

Mary

Moffitt

Phillip

Monson

Elizabeth Louise

Mumford

George

Murphy

Jason

Nghiem

Sister Chau

Nghiem

Dang

Nisker

Wes

O’Hara

Pat-Enkyo

Olesky

Kathleen

Orr

Mary

Palden

Lama

Palmo

Tenzin

Parami

Dharmacharini Anagarika

Peterssen

Aryadeva

Ratner

Mitchell

Ray

Reggie

Reed

Caitriona

Regan

Julie

Ribush

Nick

Rinpoche

Lama Denys

Rinpoche

Khenpo Gawang

Rinpoche

Khachab

Rogell

Sharda

Rome

David

Ross

Adrianne

Roth

Isa-Sabine

Rothberg

Donald

Rynick

David

Salzberg

Sharon

Santorelli

Saki

Schettini

Stephen

Schireson

Grace

Schmidt

Katharina

Seifarth

Renata

Shagoury

Dharmacharini Dayalocana (Ranah)

Shaheen

James

Sharpe

Gina

Siff

Jason

Simmer-Brown

Judith

Smith

Rodney

Smith

Tempel

Snyder O’Neal

Joen

Stancavage

Mary

Steele

Ralph

Sundara

Ajahn

Sundberg

Heather

Sure

Heng

Surya-Das

Lama

Tarrant

John

Taylor

Rose

Thurman

Robert

Travis

John

Treace

Bonnie

Tri

Phap

von Almen

Fred

Waddell

Dhammarati

Wall

Justin (Lama karma)

Washam

Spring

Weik

Jay

Weinberg

Kittisaro

Weinberg

Thanissara Linda Mary

Weisman

Arinna

Weiss Ekstrom

Leah

Wetzel

Sylvia

Williams

Angel Kyodo Christian

Willis

Jan

Wilson

Carol

Winston

Diana

Yang

Larry

Yoo

Rev.Dosung

Young

Shinzen

zalichin

Mattew

Zimmerman

Michael

2011 Buddhist Teacher Council

DAILY SCHEDULE

June 8

3-6pm Registration

6-7:30pm Dinner

7:30-9pm Opening Program beginning in the Auditorium then moving to the Meditation Hall

June 9 – 10

7-8am Yoga in the Auditorium

Meditation in the Meditation Hall

7:30-9am Breakfast (First 20 minutes in silence)

9-10:30am Morning Session I

10:30-10:50am Tea break

10:50-12pm Morning Session II

12-1:30pm Lunch (First 20 minutes in silence)

1:30-2pm Break

2-3:30 Afternoon Session I

3:30-4pm Tea break

4-5:30pm Afternoon Session II

5:30-6pm Break

6-7:30 Dinner

7:30-9pm Evening Session

June 11

7-8am Yoga in the Auditorium

Meditation

7:30-9am Breakfast (First 20 minutes in silence)

9-10:30am Morning Session I

10:30-10:50am Break

10:50-11:30pm Morning Session II

11:30-12pm Group photo

12-1:30pm Lunch

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