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."
“When we teach a child patience we offer them the gift of a dignified life.”
“The venerable teachers, philosophers & spiritual practitioners throughout history have concluded that the greatest happiness we can experience comes from the development of an open, loving heart.”
“One doesn't have to be religious to lead a moral life or attain wisdom.”
“To forgive does not mean to forget.”
“To forgive does not mean to condone.”
“You honor yourself by acting with dignity and composure.”
“You cannot control the results, only your actions.”
“The most important step in developing skillful speech is to think before speaking.”
“Honor your relationships by developing listening skills.”
“Compassion is not complete if it does not include oneself.”
“True patience is grounded in wisdom & compassion.”
“Patience requires a slowing down, a spaciousness, a sense of ease.”
“Technology offers us a unique opportunity, though rarely welcome, to practice patience.”
“One who is patient glows with an inner radiance.”
“There is no illness that is not exacerbated by stress.”
“No one looks or feels attractive when angry.”
“Do not speak about anyone who is not physically present.”