Jerry Cluney's

Buddhist Fellowship Page

This web page is the creation and responsibility of Jerry Cluney. It is unofficial and reflects the opinions and preferences of Jerry Cluney.

Introduction

Since the introduction of the first Buddhist texts to America in the mid-nineteenth century, Buddhism has been as extremely influential force among Unitarians and, over the last thirty years, Unitarian Universalists. Early Unitarians, such as Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, and Ralph Waldo Emerson responded with great enthusiasm to Buddhism's emphasis on individual experience, rather than appeal to scriptures or belief in miraculous events, as the basis for authority in spiritual matters.

In recent years, Unitarian Universalists have increasingly been drawn to explore Buddhist religious practices, especially seated meditation, in order to ground the "free and responsible search for truth and meaning" that is one of the guiding principles of the UU tradition. Meditation invites a direct and immediate experience of reality and provides a balance to purely intellectual inquiry.

From the announcement in the World of a UU-Zen retreat with Rev. James Ishmael Ford, March '96

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One doesn't need to belong to a particular school of Buddhism to be a UU Buddhist. At the current time it seems most UU Buddhists are interested or active in Zen and Vipassana. However, many UU Buddhists are interested in the Vajrayana schools and others in the Lotus Sutra schools. Just as there are no creedal tests for being a Unitarian Universalist, there are no tests for being a UU Buddhist. Anyone is welcome to join us in meditation and discussion whether they are Buddhist or not. Should a person feel affinity with both Unitarian Universalism and Buddhism, they may consider themselves a Unitarian Universalist Buddhist.

Membership in the National Unitarian Universalist Buddhist. Membership is handled by Rev. Sam Trumbore, Editor of the UU Sangha and Treasurer of the UUBF. Membership is available for a minimum $20 contribution (currently not tax-deductible--sorry!) to the UUBF. Membership includes a subscription to the newsletter of the UUBF, UU Sangha, published three times a year. Send membership requests to Rev. Trumbore at C/O UU Fellowship, 1532 Forest Nelson Blvd, Port Charlotte, FL 33952-2124.

Links to UU, UUBF and Buddhist resources:

UU Buddhist Fellowship: Home page of the Unitarian Universalist Buddhist Fellowship. The UUBF is affiliated with the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations.

Smiling Meditation

Unitarian Universalist Association : The webpage for the UUA.

DharmaNet International :An online clearinghouse for Buddhist study and practice resources

Dharma : A wide range of sites and links regarding mindfulness meditation.

Mindfulness Tapes : Jon Kabat-Zinn's Mindfulness Meditation Tapes.

Parallax Press : Publishes and sells most of Thigh Nhat Hanh's books, tapes and videos. They are connected with the Bay Area Mindfulness Community.

Plum Village : Thigh Nhat Hanh's retreat and home in France.

Spirit Rock : Meditation retreat information in Northern California

Swami Beyondananda : Once in many lifetimes comes a being who is so evolved, so enlightened, so pure that the entire world is transformed. Well, we don't seem to have anyone like that around these days. But we do have Swami Beyondananda, whose favorite yoga postures are tongue-in-cheek and foot-in-mouth. The Swami, who has been called the Guru of Ho-Ho-Holy Hee-Hee-Healing, believes that life is duck soup -- and we are the laughingstock. And he has taken on the mission of helping us all make a hearty laughingstock out of our own ingredients.

East West Bookshop : A good source for books and tapes on all spiritual subjects. Buddhism, Thigh Nhat Hahn and meditation are well represented. Videotapes can be rented.

First Unitarian Church of San Jose