...a welcoming spiritual community

Great Pond Sangha

We study the mind because we want the harmony of peace to prevail,
because we need the joy of love in our hearts,
because we care about the quality of life our children will inherit...
To be attentive requires tremendous love of living.

     ~ Vimala Thakar, a living Indian sage

Tibetan Buddhist Meditation

at North Parish

3 Great Pond Road, North Andover

Old Center Hall, upstairs

Meditation, Dharma Talks, Study Group, Yoga, Discussion, quarterly intergenerational gatherings including children's activities

We come together to practice Mindfulness, Love and Compassion, Self-Inquiry, Innate Wisdom and Natural Awareness (Dzogchen). As we learn to "see things as they are" and let be, we are able to experience our lives with immense joy and peace.

Beginners/Newcomers are welcome. Activities are open to all Merrimack Valley residents. Children of all ages may attend the quarterly Intergenerational Gatherings.

In addition to our regular schedule, Great Pond Sangha

• Offers Practice Days/Mini Retreats twice a year at Old Center Hall
• Coordinates Buddhist/Unitarian Universalist services at North Parish.
• Maintains an email list to keep members up to date on Sangha activities and other events of interest in the greater Boston area.
• Coordinates monthly “Field Trips” to Cambridge for Dharma talks and meditation with Lama Willa Miller and other authorized teachers at Natural Dharma Fellowship
• Hosts Movie Nights and other social activities
• Provides opportunities for Seva (sacred service) and social action.

Laura and Brad Howell have been practicing meditation since the late 1980's when they began attending retreats led by Baba Ram Dass. They've had the great fortune to receive teachings from other extraordinary teachers as well, including Nyoshul Khenpo Rinpoche, Pema Chodron, and Thich Nhat Hanh. Since 1993 Laura has been studying and practicing Dzogchen as a student of Lama Surya Das and, more recently, Lama Willa Miller (Choying Palmo), both authorized teachers in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Laura and Brad co-founded Great Pond Sangha in 1994. Laura is also a meditation teacher with Natural Dharma Fellowship. 

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Great Pond Sangha

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Welcoming Congregation

North Parish is a Welcoming Congregation, consistent with the guidelines of the Unitarian Universalist Association. We actively welcome lesbian, gay. bisexual, transgender, and intersex people as full participants in the life of the church. For more information, see our Welcoming Congregation page.