Upcoming Events

Sunday, April 20: Second Annual Wildflower Walk for World Peace Fundraiser. 11:00am at Joe Wheeler State Park in Rogersville, AL at Pavilion #4 (Day Use Area). Our goal is to raise money to help Dharma flourish in Northern Alabama. In particular, this year part of our fundraiser proceeds will go towards the expenses of our first-ever meditation retreat in Northern Alabama, led by our Resident Teacher, American Buddhist monk Gen Kelsang Mondrub.

Everyone is welcome to join us! Experience a Shoals area natural treasure. Walk the trails, enjoy the beautiful spring wildflowers and wonderful view of Joe Wheeler Lake. Please also bring trash bags and we can help clean this beautiful park for others to enjoy. The walk will be about an hour before returning to the picnic area. Please wear good hiking shoes, pack drinking water and snacks, sunscreen and bug repellent. After the hike we will enjoy a vegetarian potluck picnic feast at Pavilion #4. There is a 50 cent entrance fee per vehicle.Event t-shirts are $15 or FREE with a $30+ donation! Order by April 13 to receive it on April 20.

May 30 - June 1: Establishing the Foundation - Stages of the Path Retreat at Joe Wheeler State Park in Rogersville, Alabama. The retreat will conclude with a very special traditional Mahayana Refuge Vow Ceremony at 11am Sunday, June 1.


Classes in The Shoals

Every Sunday "Coffee Talk":
12:30 - 1:30pm: Book Study, Meditation and Discussion Class

Books-a-Million in Florence
302 Cox Creek Parkway
Florence, Alabama 35630
Next to the Customer Service Desk or cafe

Every Wednesday at Unitarian Universalist Church**:
6:00pm - 7:00pm: Guided Meditation and Paired Discussion based on the previous Sunday's topic
** Every 3rd Wednesday Puja and Potluck

Unitarian Universalist Church
1332 Pine Street
Florence, Alabama 35630
3.5 blocks West of Wood Avenge
See Map Below.

Suggested donation of $7/class or $5/students and seniors. No one is turned away dur to a lack of funds.

"All living beings have the same basic wish to be happy and avoid suffering, but very few people understand the real causes of happiness and suffering. We generally believe that external conditions such as food, friends, cars, and money are the real causes of happiness, and as a result we devote nearly all our time and energy to acquiring these. Superficially it seems that these things make us happy, but if we look more deeply we shall see that they also bring us a lot of suffering and problems. "Why is this? Happiness and suffering are states of mind, and so their main causes cannot be found outside the mind. The real source of happiness is inner peace. If our mind is peaceful, we shall be happy all the time, regardless of external conditions, but if it is disturbed or troubled in any way, we shall never be happy, no matter how good our external conditions may be. We can understand this through our own experience." - Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso in Transform Your Life

Remember to check back for upcoming events and additional classes.