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He is the author of Pocket Peace: Effective Practices for Enlightened Living (Tarcher/Penguin), spiritual practices based on a Buddhist teaching called the Paramis (Perfections). His writing has appeared in Tricycle magazine, Back Stage newspaper, and the anthology, Audacious Creativity. Allan is an ordained Interfaith minister and officiates a limited number of weddings and other life-cycle ceremonies each year. He teaches regularly at New York Insight Meditation Center.
Earlier in this life Allan was a professional singer appearing in the original Broadway productions of Oliver! and Pickwick, as well as the Stratford Festival/Broadway production of The Pirates of Penzance. Allan was selected as one of "50 Inspiring Religous Leaders You Should follow on Twitter." |
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 Stephen Batchelor is one of the world's leading scholars, authors, and teachers of Buddhist thought. He was a monk in the Tibetan and Zen traditions for ten years. Known for his agnostic and secular approach to the Dhamma, he has authored several books, including the bestselling Buddhism Without Beliefs and Living With The Devil. He lives in France with his wife Martine and teaches seminars and leads meditation retreats worldwide. His book Confession of a Buddhist Atheist was published in March 2010. |
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 Charmaine Henderson has practiced vipassana meditation since 1994. She is a graduate of the Spirit Rock Community Dharma Leaders program and teaches insight meditation retreats in a variety of settings as well as courses on integrating the Dhamma into daily life. Charmaine is a member of the Teachers Council and the Board of Directors of the New York Insight Meditation Center. She has served on the Board of Diamond Metta, an organization of lesbian and gay practitioners. |
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 Andrew Olendzki, Ph.D., was trained in Buddhist Studies at Lancaster University in England, as well as at Harvard and the University of Sri Lanka. The former executive director of Insight Meditation Society, he is currently the executive director and senior scholar at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies in Barre, MS, and is editor of the Insight Journal. He has had published an enormous selection of essays, articles, studies, and poetry. A collection of Dharma Essays has just been published by Wisdom Publications. |
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 Sharon Salzberg is one of America's leading spiritual teachers and authors. She is cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Barre, MA and has played a crucial role in bringing Asian meditation practices to the West. The ancient Buddhist practices of vipassana (mindfulness) and metta (lovingkindness) are the foundations of her work. She is the author of numerous books including Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness, Faith: Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience, and The Force of Kindness: Change Your Life with Love and Compassion. |
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Mu Soeng is the BCBS program director and resident scholar. He trained in the (Korean) Zen tradition and was a monk for eleven years. He is the author of The Heart of the Universe: Exploring the Heart Sutra,Thousand Peaks: Korean Zen (Tradition and Teachers); The Diamond Sutra: Transforming the Way We Perceive the World; and Trust in Mind: The Rebellion of Chinese Zen. |
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Allan Lokos is the founder and guiding teacher of the Community Meditation Center. He began his study and practice of meditation with Thây Thich Nhat Hanh in the nineties. He then began attending retreats at Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA and studying at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. His teachers have included Joseph Goldstein, Larry Rosenberg, Andrew Olendzki, Stephen Batchelor, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, and Tsoknyi Rinpoche, among others. Allan has also attended a number of weeklong teachings with His Holiness, The Dalai Lama. Since 2003 Allan has enjoyed a treasured relationship with Sharon Salzberg, studying the dhamma and deepening his meditation practice.