Information about this center is no longer updated. This data was last updated on 1 August 2018.

Phone: 617-491-8857
Website: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cambridge-Buddhist-Association/13256513344...
[flickr_set id="72157621814585321"] History Dr. Shinichi Hisamatsu, D. T. Suzuki, Stewart Holmes, and John and Elsie Mitchell founded the Cambridge Buddhist Association in 1957 as a non-denominational group for Buddhists in the Boston area. With a number of the original founders as professors at Harvard University, the Cambridge Buddhist Association (CBA) first served as a meeting point between practice and scholarship. The Association purchased the current location on Sparks Street in 1980. Prior to this, the group met in private homes. CBA’s house on Sparks Street is open for use by Buddhist groups in the Boston area. All groups wishing to use the space must be approved by and make arrangements with the board of trustees. Throughout the years, a number of Buddhist groups have met at the Cambridge Buddhist Association: Tibetan groups, a Sri Lankan Theravada group, Zen groups, The Sakya Institute, Buddhist Peace Fellowship and Boston Old Path Sangha in the tradition of Thich Nhat Han among others. Description In a quiet, residential area of Cambridge, the large house provides a space for Buddhist groups to meet. Beyond the front entrance of the three-story house, there is a small room to the right of the hallway for visitors to leave their shoes, and a bulletin board with pamphlets and schedules of the groups who meet at CBA. To the left of the front hallway is the main meditation hall. Sparsely decorated with a small altar in front of a fireplace, meditation cushions line each side of the room. A room connected to the back of the meditation hall and front hallway allows one to practice walking meditation through both rooms. While the back porch and kitchen on the first floor are less utilized on a regular basis, during non-residential retreats they provide more space for contemplation and refreshments. From the back porch, one finds the fenced-in backyard of the house. The staircase from the front hallway leads up to a number of smaller, carpeted rooms on the second floor. There is a small room used for personal interviews, a room with cushions for small groups to meet and an extensive library room. Since Buddhist scholar/practitioners founded CBA, the library houses an impressive collection of books on Buddhist traditions and practices. The third floor of the house is not open to the public, and is the residence of the caretaker of the building. Temple Leadership A board of directors comprised of three to four members manages the Cambridge Buddhist Association. The spiritual director and primary point of contact is Kyôon Dokurô Osho, founder and abbot of the Dharma Cloud Hermitage—a Zen group that meets at the Cambridge Buddhist Association. Activities and Schedule The Cambridge Buddhist Association offers a wide variety of activities dependent on the groups meeting at Sparks Street. From regular weekly Zen meetings directed by the Dharma Cloud Hermitage, to monthly non-residential retreats, CBA provides space for a number of Buddhist groups to practice in a quiet setting. CBA also offers special private ceremonies including weddings, memorial services, chanting services and child dedications.