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On Conferences: A New Spirit at Spirit Rock

A gathering of African-American buddhists.

Jan Willis

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© Ralph Steele, Karen Gutowski

The spirit of jazz and gospel kept rhythm with Buddhist mantras, chants, and dharma teachings in the first-ever African American Dharma Retreat and Conference, held in August at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California. For five days, African American Buddhists shared in a unique spiritual celebration that drew from and blended Buddhist tradition and African American culture. Led by and devoted solely to African American Buddhist practitioners, the conference was the inspiration of Black psychologist and Vipassana teacher Ralph Steele, who garnered the support of Jack Kornfield, founder of Spirit Rock.

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