"Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." --Martin Luther King, Jr. "Hatred never ends through hatred. By non-hatred alone does it end. This is an ancient truth."--the Buddha
Larry Yang is trained as a psychotherapist, consults in cultural diversity, and has been developing contemplative approaches to exploring multiculturalism and oppression. Larry is most interested in creating access to the Dharma for communities who have felt the experience of exclusion or difference. He is in teacher-training with Jack Kornfield, and has practiced extensively in Myanmar and Thailand. Larry has spent six months in Thailand ordaining and practicing as a monk in the Theravadin lineage under meditation master, Ajahn Tong. For information about Larry, please visit the website of the PBS show, "Boomers: Redefining Life after Fifty,": http://www.boomerstv.com/episodes_episode.php?epid=31
Larry's teaching schedule (subject to Impermanence!)
The East Bay Meditation Center opened on January 20, 2007 with its location at 2147 Broadway at 22nd Street in downtown Oakland, California (near the 19th Street BART). The vision of EBMC is to serve the very diverse communities of Oakland and the East Bay. We have the intention to keep the Center sustained on an all-Dana (or voluntary donations) model, which means that there will be no fee charged for any events except fund-raisers, and practitioners will be offered the chance to practice Generosity at the end of the event. We invite everyone to practice here and find their spiritual home. For more information about EBMC and events, please email
admin@eastbaymeditation.org or visit our website at www.eastbaymeditation.org
EBMC Mission Statement Founded in a celebration of diversity, the East Bay Meditation Center welcomes everyone seeking to end suffering and cultivate happiness. Our mission is to foster liberation, personal and interpersonal healing, social action, and inclusive community building. We offermindfulness practices and teachings on wisdom and compassion from Buddhist and other spiritual traditions. Rooted in our commitment to diversity, we operate with transparent democratic governance, generosity-based economics, and environmental sustainability.
The altar at the East Bay Meditation Center
2009 events
Tuesday evenings, Jan 6 thru Feb 24, 6:30pm to 8:30pm - 8 week class series:
"Transformation of the Heart: Practices in Generosity, Kindness,
Compassion, Forgiveness, Joy, Equanimity, and Gratitude" at East Bay
Meditation Center, 2147 Broadway, Oakland. www.eastbaymeditation.org
Thursday evenings, Jan 8 thru Feb 26, 7:15pm to 9:15pm - 8 week class series:
"Transformation of the Heart: Practices in Generosity, Kindness,
Compassion, Forgiveness, Joy, Equanimity, and Gratitude" at Spirit Rock
Meditation Center, 5000 Sir Francis Drake, Woodacre, CA. www.spiritrock.org
Wed, Jan 7, 7pm - LGBTQ sitting group at East Bay Meditation
Center, 2147 Broadway, Oakland. www.eastbaymeditation.org
Sun, Jan 25 - "Coming Home" LGBTQ-Same Gender Loving Sangha daylong
at East Bay Meditation Center, 2147 Broadway, Oakland. www.eastbaymeditation.org
Sun, Feb 8 - "Equanimity: the Path towards Peace" with Larry Yang and
Gloria Gostnell at East Bay Meditation Center, 2147 Broadway, Oakland. www.eastbaymeditation.org
Tues, Feb 9, 6:30 to 9:00pm - Beginning of Commit2Dharma
Program - year long dharma study program. New applications will be invited in
2010.
Sun, Feb 15, 10:30am to 12n - dharma talk at Gay Buddhist
Fellowship, 37 Bartlett Street, San Francisco. www.gaybuddhist.org
Wed, Feb 18, 7pm - LGBTQ sitting group at East Bay
Meditation Center, 2147 Broadway, Oakland. www.eastbaymeditation.org
Sun, Feb 22, 12n to 4pm - Commit2Dharma session #2: The
First Teaching: The Four Noble Truths
Wed, Mar 18, 7pm - LGBTQ sitting group at East Bay Meditation Center, 2147
Broadway, Oakland. www.eastbaymeditation.org
Fri, Apr 3 to Wed, Apr 8 - Annual Gay, Bisexual, Transgender
Men's retreat in Pacific Northwest, Seattle WA. Contact James at
dharma(at)wamail.net
Sat, Apr 11, 12:30 to 4:30pm - Men of Color Program: "Wise
Speech" with Lawrence Ellis and Larry Yang. www.eastbaymeditation.org
Sun, Apr 12, 12n to 4pm - Commit2Dharma
session #3: Freedom in Our Everyday Lives: The Eightfold Path
Wed, Apr 22, 7pm - LGBTQ sitting group at East Bay Meditation Center, 2147
Broadway, Oakland. www.eastbaymeditation.org
Thurs, Apr 23, 7pm - POC sitting group at East Bay
Meditation Center, 2147 Broadway, Oakland. www.eastbaymeditation.org
Fri, May 1 to Sun, May 10 - Annual Yucca Valley retreat with
Jack Kornfield, Carol Wilson, Howard Cohn, Larry Yang, Wes Nisker, and Trudy
Goodman. Registration is limited and opens Jan 5, 2009. http://spiritrock.org/calendar/display.asp?id=236R09
Fri, May 15, 6:30pm - Friday Open sitting group at East Bay Meditation Center,
2147 Broadway, Oakland. www.eastbaymeditation.org
Sat, May 16, 9:30am to 4:30pm - "The Nature of Feeling
Different" daylong retreat at East Bay Meditation Center, 2147 Broadway,
Oakland. www.eastbaymeditation.org
Tues, May 19, 6:30 to 9:00pm - Commit2Dharma session #4: Any Time is a Good Time for Practice: The Four Foundations of
Mindfulness
Wed, May 20, 7pm - LGBTQ sitting group at East Bay
Meditation Center, 2147 Broadway, Oakland. www.eastbaymeditation.org
May 23 to Jun 14 - in retreat practice
Tues, Jun 16 to Sun, Jun 21 -
Annual POC retreat at Insight Meditation Society, Barre, MA with Sharon
Salzberg, Larry Yang, and Bhante Buddharakkhita. www.dharma.org
Tues, Jun 30, 6:30 to 9:00pm - Commit2Dharma session #5: Opening to Your Life:
The Divine Abodes of the Heart - Lovingkindness, Compassion, Joy, Equanimity
Wed, Jul 1, 7pm - LGBTQ sitting group at East Bay Meditation
Center, 2147 Broadway, Oakland. www.eastbaymeditation.org
Thurs, Jul 2, 7pm - POC sitting group at East Bay Meditation
Center, 2147 Broadway, Oakland. www.eastbaymeditation.org
Tues, Jul 7, 6:00 to 9:00pm - Men of Color Program: "Wise
Action" with Brian Hill and Larry Yang. www.eastbaymeditation.org
Wed, Jul 8, 7pm - LGBTQ sitting group at East Bay Meditation
Center, 2147 Broadway, Oakland. www.eastbaymeditation.org
Fri, Jul 10 to Sun, Jul 12 - "Being Family, Being Love,
Being Community: A weekend of meditation, community, and spiritual practice for
Queer, Transgender, Bisexual, and Same-gender Loving communities" at the
hot springs of Tassajara Zen Mountain Retreat Center, Carmel Valley, CA.
Registration at http://www.sfzc.org/tassajara/display.asp?catid=4,19,130,240&pageid=811
Wed, Jul 15 to Tues, Jul 21 -
"Whole Thinking Retreat" at Center for Whole Communities, Fayston,
Vermont. www.wholecommunities.org
Thurs, Aug 13, 7pm - POC sitting group at East Bay Meditation
Center, 2147 Broadway, Oakland. www.eastbaymeditation.org
Sun, Aug 16, 12n to 4pm - Commit2Dharma session #6: Ripening the Fruit: The 10
Perfections of Virtue and Goodness - Generosity, Ethical Behavior, Renunciation,
Wisdom, Energy, Patience, Truthfulness, Determination, Lovingkindness,
Equanimity
Mon, Aug 17 to Sun Aug 23 - Meditation and Yoga retreat with
Anna Douglas, Howard Cohn, Larry Yang, Anne Cushman (yoga), Janice Gates (yoga)
at Spirit Rock, Woodacre, CA. www.spiritrock.org
Mon, Sept 7 to Sept 21, 6:30 to 8:30pm - "Jump Start Your Practice"
3-week class to invigorate your meditation practice at East Bay Meditation
Center, 2147 Broadway, Oakland. www.eastbaymeditation.org
Tues, Sept 15, 6:30 to 9:00pm - Commit2Dharma session #7: Allowing Awareness to Flow: The Seven Factors of
Awakening - Mindfulness, Investigation, Energy, Rapture, Tranquility,
Concentration, Equanimity
Sat, Sept 19, 9:30am to 4:30pm - "Holding Our Lives
with Kindness: The Practice of Gratitude" daylong retreat at East Bay
Meditation Center, 2147 Broadway, Oakland. www.eastbaymeditation.org
Sat, Sept 26, 9:30 to 4:30pm - "Return to Center: Compassion Practice for the Helping
Professions" daylong retreat with Larry Yang and Larry Stephen
Pickard, PhD for social workers, counselors, therapists,
nurses, psychologists, and others who work in programs of protective services,
health care, hospice, and mental health for adults, children and families, at East Bay
Meditation Center, 2147 Broadway, Oakland. www.eastbaymeditation.org
Thurs, Oct 22 to Sat Oct 31 - Fall Insight Meditation
Retreat at Spirit Rock with Sylvia Boorstein, Anna Douglas, Julie Wester, Larry
Yang, Spring Washam, and Konda Mason (yoga).
Sun, Nov 1st to Sat, Nov 7th - Intensive Practice Week at East Bay Meditation
Center, 2147 Broadway, Oakland. www.eastbaymeditation.org
Thurs, Nov 5, 7pm - POC sitting group at East Bay Meditation
Center, 2147 Broadway, Oakland. www.eastbaymeditation.org
Sat, Nov 7th, 9:30 to 4:30pm - Intensive practice daylong with Larry Yang and Lee Lipp East Bay Meditation
Center, 2147 Broadway, Oakland. www.eastbaymeditation.org
Sun, Nov 8, 9:30 to 5pm - "Return to Center: Compassion Practice for the Helping
Professions" daylong retreat with Larry Yang and Larry Stephen
Pickard, PhD for social workers, counselors, therapists,
nurses, psychologists, and others who work in programs of protective services,
health care, hospice, and mental health for adults, children and families. www.spiritrock.org
Mon, Nov 9 to Sun Nov 15 -
Awakening the Heart of Love and Wisdom: A Retreat for the Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, Transgendered, Queer Communities with Arinna Weisman, Larry Yang, and
Anushka Fernandopulle at Spirit Rock, Woodacre, CA. www.spiritrock.org
Sun, Nov 22, 12n to 4pm - Commit2Dharma session #8: The Most Difficult
Teachings: The Three Characteristics of Existence - Dukkha, Anicca, Anatta
(Suffering, Impermanence, Non-Self)
Sat, Dec 12, 9:30am to 4:30pm - Men of Color daylong retreat
with Lawrence Ellis, Brian Hill, Charlie Johnson, and Larry Yang at East Bay
Meditation Center, 2147 Broadway, Oakland. www.eastbaymeditation.org
Sun, Jan 10, 2010, 12n to 4pm - Commit2Dharma session #9: The Constant Inspiration: The Life of the Buddha
Fri to Tues, Feb 12-16, 2010 - Commit2Dharma
Closing: Diving into the Dharma - Bringing It All Together in a 4-night, 5-day
residential retreat to close the C2D Program
Sept 2010 - Beginning of two-year Spirit Rock's Community
Dharma Leaders Training Program (CDL)--coordinating teachers: Eugene Cash, Gina
Sharpe, Thanissara, and Larry Yang. See http://spiritrock.org/display.asp?pageid=652&catid=2
If you feel moved to practice Dana (the practice of Generosity) in order to support Larry to teach further, please click on the above "donate" button.
The Teachings of the Buddha are regarded as priceless, so Larry offers his experience with the Dharma, freely without cost in all of the above venues. The intention is to make the teachings as accessible as possible. Whatever you offer is so greatly appreciated as his livelihood is reliant solely on individual and community support of his life work. Your contributions will allow him to continue to provide access to the Teachings to diverse, multicultural communities, as well as do multicultural awareness and change work within sanghas, dharma communities, and spiritual institutions.
Many blessings and "Anumodana" (Sharing in the Joy of Your Goodness) for your offering.
