About 50 dharma teachers from the US, Canada, Mexico, the UK, and France gathered June 6-10 at Dharma Drum Chan Monastery in Pine Bush, New York, for the second Gen X Dharma Teachers Conference, where they discussed the issues they face as teachers and the future development of Buddhism in the West.
The conference (which applied the term “Gen X” to all attendees born between 1960 and 1980) brought together teachers from across traditions and training backgrounds, with representatives from Zen, the Insight community, Against the Stream, Triratna, Won Buddhism, and a number of Tibetan lineages. Topics of discussion ranged from the practical (utilizing online teaching resources, developing communities, and navigating the Buddhist publishing world) to the philosophical (the relationship of Buddhism and mindfulness, the role of form and ritual in modern practice, and different understandings of renunciation).
The next Gen X Dharma Teachers Conference will be held in 2017.
