By Carol Rubin
SnowFlower Sangha is a community of people from many backgrounds that is dedicated to practicing Buddhist mindfulness and meditation in the tradition of our teacher and Zen master, Thich Nhat Hanh. SnowFlower was established in 1991 and has grown from one weekly gathering of about 15 people to six weekly meditation gatherings that are held either on Zoom, in person, or in hybrid sessions. On Tuesdays and Fridays, members usually meet in person at the Friends Meeting House on Roberts Court, right off Monroe Street. Snowflower also offers days of mindfulness, weekend retreats, Kalyama Mitta (spiritual friends) groups of eight that meet monthly, and potlucks.
SnowFlower participants come from many faiths and cultures. Longtime practitioners practice mindfulness meditation alongside beginners, and everyone can enjoy brief dharma talks after meditation. The only requirement for participation is a willingness to be curious, to learn, and to step away from daily life for 1½ hours, or, as Thich Nhat Hanh wrote, “to stop our thinking and talking and go back to ourselves, with a smile and breathing.” Participants sit on chairs or on cushions.
The sangha (a community practicing together) is one of the core principles of Buddhism and also one of its core activities. Thich Nhat Hanh (often called Thây, or teacher, in Vietnamese) has said that everyone needs a sangha to practice with in peace and joy, to help each other through difficult moments, and to be nourished and supported in the practice of meditation. Thây is remembered as one of the rare Buddhist leaders to invite his followers to engage in deep social justice activism, not just meditation. “A Sangha is also a community of resistance,” he wrote, “resisting the speed, violence and unwholesome ways of living that are prevalent in our society.” Martin Luther King Jr. nominated Thich Nhat Hanh for the Nobel Peace Prize, in honor of his efforts to resolve the Vietnam War. It is in this spirit of social activism that SnowFlower was among the first five congregations to join MOSES 14 years ago.
While SnowFlower follows the Mahayana Buddhist tradition, people of all faiths are welcome, and many continue to follow their original faith traditions as well as Buddhism.