Community Resources

“The roots of a lasting relationship are mindfulness, deep listening, and loving speech, and a strong community to support you.”

-Thich Nhat Hanh

Sangha Care Program

In the spirit of mutual support and kalyana mitta (spiritual friendship), volunteers with the Dharma Center offer extra hands for members of the sangha who could use a little help here and there. Volunteers are happy to support fellow practitioners who are housebound (or limited in any way) by running assorted errands, such as grocery shopping, dog walking, and picking up supplies or necessities. We also hope to offer meal preparation, light household chores, and transportation to and from the Dharma Center for programs and retreats. Our intention is to support our sangha members who could use some assistance from a friend from time to time.

If you would like to request assistance, please click here.

For those who are willing to volunteer in this way, please click here.

Compassionate Listeners Program

For those who are going through a challenging time and would benefit from peer support, we offer a compassionate listener program. This group of listeners includes Vic Lopez, Lynne Sholler, Judy Gerhardt, Susan McGinness, Alena George, Ross Park, Myah Lee and Ginger St. Ours. If you feel it would be supportive simply to chat with a compassionate peer listener during a time of difficulty, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Kristin Burnett ( or 970-426-8983), our operations manager, who can connect you directly. It’s important to note that this is not therapy or a professional service but rather a mutual exchange of open-hearted presence.

Deepening Dharma: Peer-Led Dharma Study & Book Clubs

Many of you have expressed the wish to deepen into practice in the form of small study groups. We have made it happen! If you are interested in joining a group of 6-8 fellow dharma practitioners to study together between 1-3 times each month, we invite you to reach out to Kristin, our operations manager, at . We form groups based on your stated needs and desires regarding timing, meeting frequency, the means by which you meet (online or in person), and compatibility in terms of practice history.

Each group is collectively peer-led (not teacher-led) and decides together what book they would like to study, whether it’s Phillip Moffitt’s Dancing with Life on the Four Noble Truths, Larry Yang’s Awakening Together: The Spiritual Practice of Inclusivity and Community, or another book.

We will periodically form new groups as often as needed, so please feel free to reach out to express interest at any time.

“Don’t go searching for the Dhamma outside, for it lies within. Peace lies within, but we have to contemplate so that we’re aware all around—subtly, deep down.”

-Upasika Nanayon

BEYOND THE DHARMA CENTER

The Dharma Center is part of an informal community of Buddhist centers across the country. There are numerous resources for practitioners wishing to deepen their understanding, from retreat centers to books and audio resources. Here we share just a few resources to support your practice beyond the center:

Anti-Racist Resources

Our commitment to dharma practice asks us to uncover the roots of suffering both individually and collectively. These anti-racist resources were compiled by InsightLA, and are shared here with permission, along with a few additions. This is a starting point for us to deepen our understanding of racial oppression and seamlessly integrate the movement for racial justice into our practices both on and off the cushion. 

Articles to read:

Videos to watch:

Podcasts to subscribe to:

Books to read:

Films and TV series to watch:

  • 13th (Ava DuVernay) — Netflix
  • American Son (Kenny Leon) — Netflix
  • Black Power Mixtape: 1967-1975 — Available to rent
  • Clemency (Chinonye Chukwu) — Available to rent
  • Dear White People (Justin Simien) — Netflix
  • Fruitvale Station (Ryan Coogler) — Available to rent
  • I Am Not Your Negro (James Baldwin doc) — Available to rent or on Kanopy
  • If Beale Street Could Talk (Barry Jenkins) — Hulu
  • Just Mercy (Destin Daniel Cretton) — Available to rent
  • King In The Wilderness  — HBO
  • See You Yesterday (Stefon Bristol) — Netflix
  • Selma (Ava DuVernay) — Available to rent
  • The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution — Available to rent
  • The Hate U Give (George Tillman Jr.) — Hulu with Cinemax
  • When They See Us (Ava DuVernay) — Netflix

Organizations that Help White Folx Undo Whiteness

Organizations to follow on social media:

More anti-racism resources to check out:

Resources for white parents to raise anti-racist children:

For those who wish to explore other recovery resources, here are a number of options:

Pali was the language in which the Buddha taught. From time to time, we use Pali words in dharma talks and on our website. Click here for a glossary of Pali terms.

Please visit DharmaSeed.org for access to hundreds of dharma talks.

The teacher Jack Kornfield offers a podcast, Heart Wisdom.

The teacher Tara Brach offers a podcast.

The teacher Sharon Salzberg offers podcasts, videos and blog posts.

Ajahn Sucitto, a senior monk and teacher, offers audio resources and articles on his website.

Lion’s Roar is a website and magazine that publishes articles on Buddhist topics.