ABOUT THE PROJECT

Welcome to our virtual guide to Buddhism in Western Massachusetts! On this webpage, you will find information about a number of Buddhist organizations in the Pioneer Valley. Viewers can read about the organization’s history, Buddhist lineage, programs offered, cost, location, and hours; as well as a number of pictures of the institutions. We have also included an interactive map, in which the organizations are laid out geographically. The easy-to-use format allows users to click on color-coded points and read short descriptions of each institution while getting an idea of how they are dispersed throughout Western Massachusetts.

ABOUT US

This site was created by Constance Kassor’s 2015 “Buddhism in America” class. This small, semester-long course focused on what it means to be Buddhist in the United States, as well as discussed the US development of Buddhist thought and practices. Socially engaged Buddhism, the secularization and science of meditation, and Buddhism in prisons are just a few of the topics touched on in this discussion-based class. Through additional field trips, film screenings, and lectures, we delved into the facets of Buddhism in an American context.

This project is ongoing and will continue to be developed by future classes. If you have questions about this project, please email ckassor@smith.edu.

OUR GOALS

We hope that this website proves to be a useful tool for those looking to explore Buddhist options in the Pioneer Valley area. We’d like to provide a resource for those curious about Buddhism, and we hope that our site will be valuable in their search for information. By covering a variety of Buddhist practices and lineages, we aim to show the full spectrum of Buddhist organizations. We are also looking to promote local organizations, to foster support for the Western Massachusetts Buddhist community.