Important Information re: KMC NYC Classes
Dear Sangha,
ANNOUNCING NEW LIVESTREAMING GUIDELINES
In early 2020, when Covid-19 started to spread throughout the world, we were granted temporary permission by the Education Council of the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT) to stream all of our classes online. Now that the world is returning to more normalcy, our temporary permission to livestream classes is coming to a close.
Beginning September 1, our General Program classes, Saturday Courses/Retreats, Empowerments, 30-Minute Meditations, and Prayers (Pujas) will no longer be offered via livestream. Anyone wishing to continue to enjoy these classes specifically will need to attend them in person at our Center in Chelsea.
One of the main reasons for this discontinuation is to encourage in person attendance again. Experiencing Dharma in direct participation with other practitioners (Sangha) is one of the principal causes of making real inner progress. There is really no better way to connect to Buddha's teachings than to be surrounded by other practitioners who have the same goal of personal growth and transformation in mind. If you have not attended our Center in person before, we encourage you to do so.
OPTIONS FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T ATTEND IN PERSON
Our Foundation and Teacher Training Programs will continue to be offered in person and online and therefore are an excellent option for those who are unable to attend in person. Further, we will be introducing a third Foundation Program with Kadam Morten, which will also be offered in person and online. This class will take place on Thursday evenings beginning September 8 and will replace our Thursday General Program.
Below is an outline of how each of our classes is impacted by the new livestreaming guidelines:
30-Minute Meditations
Beginning Thursday September 1, our Lunchtime and After-Work meditations will be offered in person only. The 7:30am Morning Meditation is on hold for now, however, if there is enough interest from our community we will introduce this in person.
Sunday 11:00am General Program class
Beginning September 4, this class will be offered in person only (it will no longer be available via livestream). The Sunday 7:00pm replay of this class will be discontinued.
Please note: our Sunday brunch will continue to be offered after Sunday morning GP.
Our Kids Class is Back!
We are very happy to announce that our Kids Class will be returning at 11:00am in our downstairs Gompa for kids aged 4-11 years beginning September 11, enabling parents to attend the regular GP with Kadam Morten upstairs.
Monday 7:00pm General Program class
Beginning September 5, this class will be in person only. It will not be available via livestream. The Tuesday 11:15am replay of this class will be discontinued.
Tuesday 11:15am General Program class
Beginning September 13, this class will return to its pre-Covid-19 format - Kadam Morten will teach this class in person. It will not be available via livestream.
Tuesday 7:00pm General Program class
Beginning September 6, this class will be in person only. It will not be available via livestream.
Wednesday 7:00pm General Program class
Beginning September 7, we will be reintroducing our Wednesday evening GP class, in person. This will not be available via livestream.
Thursday 7:00pm General Program class
Our Thursday GP (and the Friday morning replay of this class) will be discontinued after September 1. As stated above, in their place, we will be introducing a new Foundation Program with Kadam Morten, both online and in person. This class will begin September 8. To learn more, visit: meditationinnewyork.
Friday 5:30pm General Program class
Beginning September 2, this class will be in person only. It will not be available via livestream.
Friday 10:00pm General Program class
Our Dharma for Night Owls class is now discontinued.
Saturday Courses and Retreats
Beginning September 10, weekend Courses and Retreats will be offered in person only (no longer via livestream). This means our annual Country Retreat which will take place from September 2-5 will be available in person and via livestream with replays also offered. Learn more and register at: meditationinnewyork.org/
Branch Classes Will Continue
We are currently offering branch classes in Long Island City, Jersey City, Riverdale and in Williamsburg (please note: our Williamsburg Center is also subject to the same livestreaming guidelines as outlined here - GPs and Courses and Retreats will no longer be offered via livestream). Beginning September we will also be introducing a weekly class in Harlem, and we hope to continue expanding to more locations soon. If you would like to see a branch class in your area and could volunteer to help coordinate it in some way, please contact us at [email protected]
Thank you for reading this long and detailed explanation of all of our changes to our schedule. This is an exciting time at KMC NYC and we look forward to flourishing our Center once again.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out and ask!
With our best wishes,
Kadam Morten, France, Tamara and Simone