Investigating Some Local Centers

I began invistigating (via Google) the centers in my area (Pennsylvania) by a general suggestion I rememeber someone at some point making. I so far have found two, both of which had ties to Venerable Losang Samten, who does a lot of travel across the United States, between centers and Universities, making sand mandalas and giving teachings.

I recommend searching some close-by centers, simply to get a feel for what they might do and how they might opporate. This center, for example, based in Philidelphia had Sunday morning meditations, and Thursday evening Green Tara practice. Another in Fogelsville, PA was run by one of Losang Samten's students. Besides having a whole variety of spectrum classes, this rural center also offered different trips to Peru for week long pilgrimages to sacred Andean mountains.

It would be nice to visit these places if I get the chance, primarilly for my own edification of knowing what is already out there. However, I also don't want the ideas of other centers to get in the way of going forward. So much depends, for example, upon what we already have (a distinct vision), and upon the very specific things that we will have: a space suited to our purposes and the people that will make it come alive. Therefore, it's a reminder to myself to retain a creatively flexible attitude going foward, and not to feel like we have to do what has already been done.