About our Sangha

Alameda Sangha meets Sunday evenings from 7 to 8:30pm PT. We practice mindfulness meditation and discuss Buddhist teachings, primarily in the Theravada tradition. We are dedicated to making a space where all people can meditate and explore the dharma; you need not be Buddhist nor seeking to become Buddhist, to participate. 

​Everyone is welcome and there is no fee for attending. We follow the Buddhist tradition of generosity to support our teachers and ASL interpreters. All the work of running our Sangha is done by volunteers. We are deeply grateful to everyone who contributes. Our Sangha would not be possible without your generosity, dedication, and effort.

Our Sangha meets via Zoom. Email [email protected] to join our mailing list and receive weekly announcements with call-in details.

 

Generosity

Mindful generosity, or dana, is an important part of our Buddhist practice.  Rather than the Sangha charging fees, members express gratitude to teachers and ASL interpreters through dana, ​or generous giving. 

Mindful generosity involves connecting to feelings of compassion and warmth, as we open our hearts to give generously.
In this way we deepen our practice as we honor our teachers and ASL interpreters who generously offer us their time and deep knowledge.

Weekly Meetings

Our Sunday meetings run from 7pm to 8:30pm PT. The time is usually divided into three 30-minute segments: sitting meditation, a dharma talk, and general discussion. 

We hope everyone who joins us will feel a part of, and supported by, our community. 

Organizational Structure

Alameda Sangha has a Steering Committee composed of people who volunteer their time and skills.  Their generosity and goodwill keeps our Sangha running. We welcome new volunteers. If you want to help our Sangha thrive, email [email protected]

Guiding teachers Deb Kerr and Rebecca Dixon provide Alameda Sangha with spiritual direction and guidance. 

Remembering Pauletta

Pauletta M. Chanco was instrumental in founding Alameda Sangha and a beloved teacher for eight years. She passed away June 5, 2017 after four years with cancer. She shared her death journey with Alameda Sangha in many profound ways.

Pauletta was a practitioner of meditation in the Theravada Buddhist tradition since 1998. She was a volunteer in the Zen Hospice Project in San Francisco from 2011 – 2012 and completed the Buddhist Chaplaincy Training Program at the Sati Center for Buddhist Studies in 2013. Pauletta graduated from Spirit Rock's Community Dharma Leader Program in 2017. She led meditation workshops and daylong retreats for many years, sharing her insights on the Buddha's teachings. Pauletta was a wife, mother, and grandmother.

Pauletta was also a professional artist whose abstract paintings were inspired by her meditation and spiritual practice. You can see more of her work and hear recordings of some of her Dharma talks at www.paulettachanco.com. 

Listen to Sangha members reading Pauletta "The Flower Poem" on the day before her death.