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Anchorage Buddhism Meetup Group for Beginners

Anchorage, AK, US

263 members · Public group

Organized by Yuichi and 2 others

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What we’re about

Anyone looking for studying Buddhism in a systematic way, from A to Z and meeting other like-minded friends will benefit from our online group sessions. We also offer one on one sessions if you have a schedule conflict or have special needs. We will go over the teachings of the Buddha (the Dharma), and have discussions at the end, followed by daily practices we can all engage in to improve.

Upcoming events (4+)

Tue, Aug 19, 2025, 3:00 AM UTCRight View Lab: the 1st step & also the ultimate goal of our spiritual journey
Link visible for attendees
Hello everyone.
Welcome to the gateway to Buddhism 101 for all. The Zoom passcode is 426646. We have a strong aspiration to reach out to those who need help. That's one reason we hold online events.
First of all, we'd like to ask the participants to follow these rules:

Please use the same name as your Meetup account when logging in to the Zoom meeting room.

Please remember the name of this group, Anchorage Buddhism Meetup Group for Beginners, especially when you're not from Anchorage, because we will ask you the name of the group when we don't find your RSVP.

Especially when you RSVP at the last minute, if you can drop a note to yuichi@coolbuddhism.com and write the name of this group, then we can easily find your RSVP and as a result you can enter the meeting room quickly.

In regards to how we view life, it's beneficial to remind ourselves that our minds are like an iceberg. There's some of it poking through above the water level, and there's a vast amount of it below which is unseen. Let me give an example of how a young couple moves into an apartment building. Each Saturday the wife would shout to her husband, "Look at our neighbors laundry hanging over there. It looks so dirty! They must be using the wrong detergent!" This went on each week for quite some time. Then one Saturday, the wife woke up and said, "Today they look beautiful and clean." Then the husband said, "I woke up early this morning and cleaned the window."
We all have this "window" in our mind through which we look at the world. When it comes to examining ourselves in particular, it is impossible to take off the tinted glasses of partiality and self seeking. Egoism clouds our vision.
In general all of us have poor memories and are forgetful. If we are aware of this, we can write ourselves a note or become better organized and that way we can avoid spending an extra 150 hours a year just looking for lost items.
One of Buddha's disciples, Cudapanthaka once asked the Buddha why he was born so stupid. Buddha's answer to him was telling him to cheer up and know that being aware of his foolishness is next to being enlightened. After dusting and cleaning in the monastery for 20 years, he had become an arhat and attained a high stage of enlightenment.
It is not always easy to know one's own shortcomings or unknowingness. Many are suffering because of their own misunderstanding. If I always think I'm right, this mindset can damage my relationships. Holding resentments and being overly proud can do the same thing. Because of these 'dragons' some people can find it difficult to ask for help. Some can be merciless to others if we think they are in the wrong. This shows how our minds are complex like an iceberg and that we might not have access to all the information we need, or may be influenced by our own biases and may be unaware of their grip on our perceptions. Having these illusions of always being right and our pride in not asking for help or holding resentments towards others can cause many problems in the world. Maintaining a right view means to be aware of our misperceptions as much as possible. Overall, we only know the tip of the iceberg.
By listening to Buddhism, we can understand ourselves better. It's also beneficial to be able to apologize when we need to and not always try to maintain the upper hand. Having humility is just as important.
We can deepen our understanding of Dharma by belonging to a sangha and listening to Buddha's wisdom. These are the three gems to value in this world; the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. When we work on ourselves with each other we are better able to choose good conditions and practice wisdom. Also, the more we practice, the more we are able to act in ways that bring harmony and compassion into our lives and our world.
Our classes are free for the first 5-10 sessions. After those sessions, if you see value in joining, please consider offering a contribution.
Our classes & sangha are sustained completely by the dana gratitude contributions of people like you!
Dana gratitude donations for our classes are gratefully accepted on Venmo @Bita-Enayati If you don't have Venmo, please email me at bitadharma22@gmail.com
so you can offer your contribution through PayPal or Zelle
Suggested donation for the event is $5 - $20.
Also please note that we're going to livestream this zoom session on YouTube for later access by our premium members. There will be an announcement from the Zoom app when it starts.
Bita and Yuichi Asakura
3 attendees
Wed, Aug 20, 2025, 12:00 AM UTCBook Club: Radical Acceptance, Embracing Your Life With the Heart of A Buddha
Link visible for attendees
Hello our Dharma friends,
Hope this message finds you well. As one of the most active Buddhism groups online, we often get so many questions such as the following:
How to be accepting of our fate specially when bad things happen?
How to surrender to our fate? Or do I need to constantly strive to change it?
I'm trying to be kind to myself but why is it not easy?
I suffer feeling I’m constantly struggling; why do we live life?
Compassion in Buddhism means removing suffering and enabling joyfulness. When Siddhartha Gautama reached the enlightenment of a Buddha, he taught us the 4 Noble Truths, the first of which is life is suffering. But he also taught the second Noble Truth, which is there is a cause to suffering. And the third Noble Truth: the cessation of suffering & the 4th Noble Truth: the way to the cessation of suffering.
To the extent we understand the root cause of our sufferings, we can gain confidence in living life and supporting others as well. That adds to our joyfulness and vitality in life!
In our meetups, we talk about the 4 Noble Truths and in this book club gathering, we'd like to go over how karmic seeds we knowingly and unknowingly plant, which cause our sufferings. Then a way to resolve those karmic entanglements come to our view: we move from a state of resistance to a state of embracement.
We're going to read Tara Brach's book Radical Acceptance, Embracing Your Life with a Heart of a Buddha and have discussions about it. From page 9, "When I touched genuine peace and openheartedness, my inner critic continued to assess my level of purity. I mistrusted myself for the ways I tried to be positive when underneath I felt lonely or afraid."
We're planning to read about 2 chapters per month. I'd like for us to share one point each how we got moved by a point or two in the book, why that point or theme is changing our lives, and how we can explain it in a way that MOVES OTHERS' HEARTS as well. My goal for all our meetups is to learn the Dharma and share with others to spread light and love in this world.
Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha https://a.co/d/7zgKXe6
How does self-judgement, fear of inadequacy, or rejection impact your experiences?
Radical Acceptance offers a pathway to inner freedom through personal stories and case histories along with a fresh interpretation of Buddhist tales.
March 2025: Pages 1-48 Awakening from the Trance of unworthiness & mindfulness practice of awakening from the trance

April 2025: Pages 48-92 The Sacred Pause & Unconditional Friendliness

May 2025: NO BOOK CLUB GATHERING IN MAY

June 2025: Pages 93-160 Coming Home to Our Body & Radical Acceptance of Desire (discussions needed)

July 2025: Pages 161-221 Opening our Heart in the Face of Fear & Awakening Compassion for Ourselves

August 2025: Pages 221-282 Widening the Circles of Compassion

September 2025: Pages 283-330 Awakening Together: Practicing Radical Acceptance in Relationships

October 2025: NO BOOK CLUB GATHERING IN OCTOBER

Our classes are free for the first 5 sessions. After 5 sessions, if you see the value in joining, please consider offering a contribution.
Our classes & sangha are sustained completely by the dana gratitude contributions of people like you!
Dana gratitude donations for our classes are gratefully accepted on Venmo @Bita-Enayati
If you don't have Venmo, please email me at bitadharma22@gmail.com
so you can offer your contribution through PayPal or Zelle
Suggested donation for the event is $5 - $20.
For one on one sessions by offering a contribution, please email me a bit about your spiritual journey so far at bitadharma22@gmail.com
One on one sessions help us understand our karmic entanglements and move past the hurt of traumas. It does take time to see the big picture but good things come to people who wait.

Our zoom password is 426646

Also please be ON TIME and have YOUR CAMERA ON as soon as you enter my zoom room so you don't experience difficulty being admitted to the group. This group is about practicing the Dharma and not just learning theories. If you can't have your camera on or you are going to be late, it's better for you to make appointment for one on one sessions by offering a contribution.

Thank you for reading until the end and hope to see you soon! Please don't be discouraged by the few RSVPs on this page as friends join us from other venues as well. Stay kind.
3 attendees
Thu, Aug 21, 2025, 12:00 AM UTCHow Can We Improve Our Karma for Our Spiritual Transformation?
Link visible for attendees
Hi, our Dharma friends!
Welcome to the gateway to Buddhism 101 for all! Our Karma Lab meeting is a friendly get-together of like-minded people to learn about karma in Buddhism.
Our weekly “intro to Buddhism” meetup group is open to all! No experience in Buddhism is necessary. Each week we prepare a Dharma presentation for you all on that week’s Buddhism topic, followed by Q&A. We kick off each meeting with some introductions and short ice-breaking so that you get to know the other members of our sangha community! We have a good mix of regulars and newbies each meeting.
The first 20 minutes I'd like to get to know who is joining our zoom session so please have your camera on. To ensure a smooth entrance to our zoom room, your camera must be on when you come in.
Our classes are free for the first 3 sessions . After 3 sessions, if you see the value in joining, please consider offering a contribution.
Our classes & sangha are sustained completely by the dana gratitude contributions of people like you!
Dana gratitude donations for our classes are gratefully accepted on Venmo @Bita-Enayati If you don't have Venmo, please email me at bitadharma22@gmail.com
so you can offer your contribution through PayPal or Zelle
Suggested donation for the event is $5 - $20.
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To better explain the philosophy behind Karma Lab (our weekly Wednesday events, focusing on Karma):
It is not unusual for people to ask themselves;

Why do bad things happen to me?

Or simply, "why me?"

Often these questions come up when things are not going well, or when they fall apart. In these moments we may feel like we're confined to a small bubble, and it feels like there's no solution to our problems.
Buddhism does not state that there's some supernatural being that causes bad things to happen or some ancestral curse that shapes it. Rather Buddhism says to practice good deeds and refrain from bad. This does seem like common sense but there's a difference there.
There are two reasons why this applies to our lives.
One reason is that karma has energy. Not only is it invisible, somewhat like a virus which can't be seen, but it also has strength, and it shapes our future. This strength or power has an influence on our daily lives. Buddha said: "Bad karma creates bad consequences and good karma creates good consequences."
Also, when bad things are happening to us, it's an opportunity for us to practice self-reflection and make extra effort to practice simple good deeds such as cleaning, showing a smile to people, and giving gifts to our friends and family.
It's human nature for most people to blame others at times for our unfavorable outcomes or difficulties in life. It's harder to stop and look more closely at ourselves.
So, it is therefore important to regulate our minds because they are the parent, our speech and actions being the children. That is why the Buddha taught us about the Six Paramitas – six types of daily practices.
With patience and practice of these teachings, we will undergo a complete transformation. In addition, our lives will improve. We are all encouraged to practice kindness and compassion, the act of which is always at the top of the list.
Stay well and let's go forward towards the light of unconditional goodness together! We have about 10-20 people join us each week, including the regulars, so hope you don't get discouraged by seeing the few RSVPs here on this page. See you soon too!!!
If you're interested in learning Buddhism but have a schedule conflict, please write to me for a one on one session!

Also please note that we're going to record this zoom session on zoom for later access by our premium members. There will be an announcement from the Zoom app when recording starts.

We would appreciate it if you use the same name as your Meetup account so that the host of the meeting will easily recognize the participants. Also please make sure your camera is on as soon as you come in for at least 5 minutes or until you get to introduce yourself briefly.

Please make sure you RSVP 30 minutes prior to the start of the meeting.

4. Our classes are free for the first 3 sessions. After 3 sessions, if you see value in joining, please consider offering a contribution.
Our classes & sangha are sustained completely by the dana gratitude contributions of people like you!
Dana gratitude donations for our classes are gratefully accepted on Venmo @Bita-Enayati If you don't have Venmo, please email me at bitadharma22@gmail.com
so you can offer your contribution through PayPal or Zelle
Suggested donation for the event is $5 - $20.
Check out our YouTube channel at
https://www.youtube.com/@right-view-lab!
Last but not least– the Zoom passcode is 426646.
We’re looking forward to meeting you!
Bita and Yuichi Asakura
2 attendees
Fri, Aug 22, 2025, 10:00 PM UTCPurpose-Driven Lab: Having a CLEAR-CUT vision of the purpose of life is the key
Link visible for attendees
Hi, our Dharma friends!
This meeting is an online event. The passcode of the Zoom meeting is written at the bottom line.

First of all, we'd like to ask the participants to follow these rules:

Please use the same name as your Meetup account when logging in to the Zoom meeting room.

Please remember the name of this group Anchorage Buddhism Meetup Group for Beginners especially when you're not from Anchorage because we will ask you the name of the group when we don't find your RSVP.

Especially when you RSVP at the last minute, if you can drop a note to yuichi@coolbuddhism.com and write the name of this group, then we can easily find your RSVP and as a result you can enter the meeting room quickly.

This event is a friendly get-together of like-minded people starting with light-hearted ice-breaking for 10 minutes followed by a Dharma talk, which is more like a lecture for 40 minutes. During the last 10 minutes, we have a Q&A session. (The length of time varies according to time and circumstances)

The following is the review of our recent meeting. Main topic: Ours is a long-term mission.

We all have our purpose in life, which energizes us to move on.

Our ultimate goal is different from our short-term goals or mid-term goals in life, such as marriage, landing a job, forming a family, or retirement.

If we think about our mortality and impermanence of life, minor issues become less important, and we feel an urgency to accomplish our real purpose.

It is helpful to have friends and family members who can support us as we travel through this Saha world of suffering toward our destination.

Practicing compassion and kindness to such good people is important.

We all have shared imperfections, and sometimes we hurt each other because we are human and are fallible. Self-reflection can help us move through such troubled times. Remember, we’re all in this together, we are all struggling, and we are all suffering.

Buddha said the purpose of this journey is to find genuine happiness that overcomes life’s sufferings.

The eight universal sufferings taught by the Buddha are: birth ( life), aging, sickness, death, separation from the beloved, encountering the despised, and being of the flesh (our body). This last suffering contains all the other sufferings.

When we practice Six Paramitas (our daily practices), our good efforts will be rewarded. Good people will be drawn to us and be a source of support. It might take some time but no effort is wasted. Some seeds take time to bear fruit.

When we know our purpose – self transcendence – we can overcome our limitations, the obstacles in our way, and the pain we suffer on our journey.

Self transcendence is to forget the desire for instant gratification and remember those people who will benefit from our effort, and to be grateful for the people who have been supporting us.

If you don’t have such people please make an effort to find at least one such person. And of course, coming to this meet-up you will be a part of the community.

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We're able to continue bringing these Dharma sessions for you thanks to the generosity of those of you who support us. Let me take a moment to express our gratitude now. If you too are able to support our cause, you can offer your donations on PayPal or Venmo to Bita Enayati at bitae22@hotmail.com.

Thank you for your support and encouragement in helping us continue to bring quality teachings to you, day in, day out. It's not the amount that matters but your desire to be part of a cause greater than ourselves.
Stay well and let's go forward towards the light of unconditional goodness together! Please message me at bitae22@hotmail.com with your self-introduction if you'd like to get to know each other more and also to confirm your RSVP.

If you're interested in learning Buddhism but have a schedule conflict, please write to me for a one on one session. And we have about 10-18 people join us so hope you don't get discouraged by seeing the few RSVPs here on this page. See you soon too!!!

Last but not least, once you RSVP, you will see the link to the Zoom meeting room. When you click the link and your Zoom application starts, then you'll be required to type the passcode. The passcode is 426646.

Bita and Yuichi Asakura
3 attendees

Past events (866)

Sun, Aug 17, 2025, 2:00 PM UTCABCs of Buddhism for Newbies
This event has passed
3 attendees

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