This program was supported by:
The Power of Community
- How are spiritual communities changing in the 21st century?
- What are some of the benefits and challenges of living in such a community?
- How do spiritually-based communities ignite or support positive societal change?
For decades, social scientists have observed and recorded the increasing isolation of people living in Western cultures, most notably in the U.S. Infamously, one sociologist named it “the pursuit of loneliness,” which has in many ways proved prophetic for our digital, virtual times. The more accomplished and ingenious we become in our solitary pursuits, the more separated we are, all giving rise to a certain distinct yearning for community. Through the perspectives of two community founders and two traditions, one Buddhist and one contemplative Christian, this program reveals two approaches to the pursuit and creation of community. Once inside the protective walls, viewers can experience the daily meditation and prayer and witness how the power of community life can reverse some of the corrosive effects of increased isolation in our high-tech world.
Program Guests
Roshi Joan Halifax, Ph.D.
Roshi Joan Halifax, Ph.D. is a Buddhist teacher, Zen priest, anthropologist, and pioneer in the field of end-of-life care. She is Founder, Abbot, and Head Teacher of Upaya Institute and Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She is Director of the Project on Being with Dying, and Founder of the Upaya Prison Project that develops programs on meditation for prisoners. She is also founder of the Nomads Clinic in Nepal. She studied for a decade with Zen Teacher Seung Sahnand in the Kwan Um Zen School. She received the Lamp Transmission from Thich Nhat Hanh, and was given Inka by Roshi Bernie Glassman.
Adam Bucko
Adam Bucko is an activist and spiritual director to many of New York City’s homeless youth. At age 17, Adam immigrated from Poland to America. He studied in monasteries in the US and India and was influenced by the teachings of Bede Griffiths and Father Thomas Keating. He then worked on the streets of various American cities with young people struggling against homelessness and prostitution. Adam co-founded The Reciprocity Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming the lives of New York City’s homeless youth. He also established HAB, an ecumenical and inter-spiritual “new monastic” fellowship for young people, which offers formation in radical spirituality and sacred activism.
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