Higashi Tendai Sangha
Great Barrington, MA

Higashi Sangha, formed in 1998 and led by Sansho Tamarack Garlow, offers a weekly meditation service, Dharma discussion and friendship for the South Berkshire community. The discussions, led by Sansho or a Sangha member, cover Buddhist history, philosophy, teachings and practice emphasis on their application to daily life. The meditation service consists of chanting in English, Japanese and Sanskrit, and two periods of meditation: shamatha (calming the mind) and vipasyana (discerning the real). After the service, we share a cup of tea and informal conversation. Instruction is available and both newcomers and experienced practitioners of all traditions are welcome.

The weekly meeting is held every Monday evening beginning at 6:30 p.m., except Memorial Day, Labor Day and the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. From April through December the service is held at East Mountain Retreat Center, 8 Lake Buel Road, Great Barrington, MA. From January through March we meet at South Berkshire Friends Meeting House, Route 23 (just west of Butternut Ski Area), Great Barrington, MA.

Periodically, one-day retreats are held, generally on a Saturday. Past retreat topics have included ‘compassion as a response to war’, ‘art as a Dharma practice’, and ‘the Four Noble Truths.’

Higashi Sangha is active in the South Berkshires interfaith community and participates in several interfaith events including the Annual Interfaith Dinner and Interfaith Thanksgiving Service.

For more information please call 413-229-3263.To submit a question on any Tendai-related topic please click here.