by Carianne Noga, Programs and Gallery Assistant

Over the past few months, I have had the pleasure and fortune of becoming acquainted with many members of the Buddhist Council of Greater St. Louis. They have generously and enthusiastically shared their time and energy with the Pulitzer in developing and facilitating many aspects of the diverse programming for Reflections of the Buddha. In particular, I have been working with several local Buddhist groups affiliated with the Council, to coordinate the Pulitzer’s phenomenally successful meditation series.

Not knowing how incredibly popular this series would turn out to be, each week has brought its own set of challenges. The first week was very exciting for all of us planning it, and we did everything we could think of to be prepared for hosting the 50-60 people we expected. It was a particularly funny thing we didn’t think of though–what do you do with the castoff shoes of 50 meditators? Oops! We did not plan for the piles of footwear, but by the second week we had assembled shelving to further eliminate what could have been a potential fire hazard. Now, if only we could count on everyone to actually use the cubbies! Of course, we continue to do our duty to keep the space safe and comfortable, but this requires a certain amount of finesse and thinking on the fly.

That’s another funny thing about planning large, extended events like this, and why it’s especially valuable to me that I have the opportunity to work with such gracious and magnanimous people as those I have. I very gratefully acknowledge this is one of those serendipitous learning opportunities life hands us every so often. Not only do I get to learn the many complex nuances of public programming and event planning, but I have the added blessing of working with some of the kindest, most patient people. And considering that one of the key notions underpinning most Buddhist thought is that all things are in a constant state of change, impermanence is the nature of things, we are also dealing with experts in how to be flexible and open-minded.

A kind of inside joke I keep throwing into internal conversations around the Pulitzer is, “Well, at least we’re working with Buddhists, right?” By that I mean, “Could we ask for anyone nicer or more understanding?” It’s true! While our galleries are open to the public only two days out of the week, there is constant activity behind the scenes to ensure our best efforts go to promoting the visitor experience. Though as with any other large undertaking, the reality is there are challenges, struggles, and even at times unfulfilled expectations. The best laid plans sometimes end up getting thrown out the window!

Fortunately, in the case with the meditation series, the unanticipated popularity has only brought out the best in people. Though some interested parties have had to be wait-listed, and some who made reservations have had to cancel for illness, injury, or inconvenient schedule changes, I can honestly say that I’m blown away with everyone’s patience and understanding with the ongoing evolution of this program. From the dedicated practitioners, to my incredibly supportive and helpful coworkers, to the many attending participants, everyone has shown such grace and loveliness to myself and each other. It has been such a wholly positive–dare I say enlightening–experience to interact with so many people who dedicate their time, their energy, and some of them their whole lives, to bettering themselves, their minds, their lives, and the world around them.

I cannot even begin to describe all of the inspiring activities and conversations I have been allowed to participate in over the last few months for this project. I have even been kindly invited to their monthly Council meetings. They hold their meetings at various affiliated temples, so this has given me opportunities to visit several local groups in person. It is always with a warm reception and usually tea and cookies, that I have been so welcomed. About a month and a half ago, my colleague Sevda Safarova and I were treated to an array of interesting and unfamiliar tasty foods at the monthly Thai Food Fair at the St. Louis Thai Temple. Our generous host, Dr. Kongsak Tanphaitchitr, Secretary of the temple and Chairman of the Buddhist Council of Greater St. Louis, showed us around their lovely grounds and invited us to join their festivities. He and Naronk Hompleum, a fellow member of the Wat Phrasriratanaram Thai Temple, will be leading the two meditation sessions this Saturday at the Pulitzer.

We can look forward to the next three weekends rounding out what has been a very full and generally fulfilling seven-week series. Since each of the past four Saturday morning mediation sessions at the Pulitzer have been so well-attended, we are now going to be offering additional afternoon sessions for the upcoming three Saturdays: October 29, and November 5 and 12. While it appears that these sessions will soon, if not already, be full for pre-registration. We continue to encourage folks to contact meditations@pulitzerarts.org in order to receive the most up-to-date information.