Allan Lokos
Allan Lokos is the founder and guiding teacher of the Community Meditation Center.
He began his study and practice of meditation with Thich Nhat Hanh in the nineties and his teachers have included Joseph Goldstein, Larry Rosenberg, Andrew Olendzki, Stephen Batchelor, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, and Tsoknyi Rinpoche, among others. He has attended retreats at Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA and classes and workshops at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies.
Allan has also attended a number of weeklong teachings with His Holiness, The Dalai Lama. Since 2002 Allan has enjoyed a treasured relationship with Sharon Salzberg, studying the dhamma and deepening his meditation practice.
He is the author of Pocket Peace: Effective Practices for Enlightened Living (Tarcher/Penguin), and Patience: The Art of Peaceful Living (Tarcher/Penguin, 12/2011.) His writing has appeared in Tricycle Magazine (for whom he also led a month long online retreat), Back Stage newspaper, and the anthology, Audacious Creativity.
Among the many places he has taught are New York Insight Meditation Center, The New York Open Center, Insight Meditation Community of Washington, Columbia University Teacher's College, Columbia University Buddhist Association, The Rubin Museum, and Marymount College.
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."
“Accepting the reality of change gives rise to equanimity.”
“We all have issues & we have usually come by them honestly.”
“That's why it's called a practice. We have to practice a practice if it is to be of value.”
“Thoughts, words, emotions & deeds not coming from love are likely coming from fear.”
“We train the mind so that we can enjoy greater peace, happiness, wisdom & equanimity.”
“Suffering usually relates to wanting things to be different from the way they are.”
“Don't believe everything you think. Thoughts are just that - thoughts.”
“To advance spiritually requires a method of practice & determination to carry it out.”
“The more we genuinely care about others the greater our own happiness & inner peace.”
“The practice of lovingkindness can uplift us & relieve sorrow & unhappiness.”
“We yearn for there to be meaning to our lives, balanced with a sense of inner peace & joy.”
“We need never be bound by the limitations of our previous or current thinking, nor are we ever locked into being the person we used to be, or think we are.”
“A modern definition of equanimity: cool. This refers to one whose mind remains stable & calm in all situations.”
“While meditating we are simply seeing what the mind has been doing all along.”
“Directing the mind to stay in the present can be a formidable task.”
“Observing your thoughts, feelings & sensations is the grist of the practice.”
“Observe & accept what ever arises & know that everything is as it needs to be.”
“When we are aware of our weaknesses or negative tendencies, we open the opportunity to work on them.”
“The erruption of feelings & emotions that follows a near-death exerience, or any event that causes us to stop & look deeply at the reality of our lives, is ripe with the potential for insight & clarity.”
“Loving others is the greatest gift we can give ourselves. Altruism that rewards one's self.”
“Our greatest happiness comes from the experience of love & compassion.”
“Patience is the direct antithesis of anger.”
“The essence of the Dharma (the teachings of the Buddha) is about identifying the cause of our suffering & alleviating it.”
“Being a senior doesn't automatically make one wise but the wise & foolish alike have things to teach us.”
“Support the type of thinking that leads you to feeling good, peaceful & happy.”
“Our work is not to become a better person, but to become present to the perfection we already are.”
“Patience is supported & nurtured by a quality of forgiveness.”
“Peace can be found within, no matter the external circumstances.”
“Patience has all the time it needs.”
“The experience of pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral is the consequences of perception.”
“You actions are your only true belongings.”
“To be mindful entails examining the path we are traveling & making choices that alleviate suffering & bring happiness to ourselves & those around us.”
“The virtues of free enterprise can become distorted by greed & delusion.”
“An open beginner's mind is a powerful tool for developing patience.”
“We cannot force the development of mindfulness.”
“So what is a good meditator? A good meditator meditates.”
“Remind yourself that your mental & emotional health are important.”
“Praise & esteem can feel good, which is fine, but don't look to them for inner peace & lasting happiness.”
“Our actions speak for us & they speak loudly.”
“We are all in this together. Our happiness inextricably is tied to that of all beings.”
“Patience is both the tool for and the result of, our efforts.”
“People in the midst of losing their patience are certainly experiencing as aspect of dukkha.”
“Inner Peace can be seen as the ultimate benefit of practicing patience.”
“Without the ability to be present we are missing much of what the adventure has to offer.”
“We must accept the reality that the causes of impatience travel a two-way street.”
“Any methodology for developing patience requires a multi-tiered approach.”
“Understanding the true nature of things, or seeing things as they really are, is the ground of wisdom.”
“One of the best ways to support the development of patience is to cultivate happiness with yourself.”
“Patience is a natural consequence of the cultivation of compassion & love, for ourselves and all beings.”
“The art of peaceful living comes down to living compassionately & wisely.”