Back to Birken’s Beginnings:
Building a Buddhist Monastery in a British Columbia Forest

May 4th, 3-5pm – Community Presentation in Kamloops by SFU historians Karen Ferguson and Luke Clossey

Ever wonder about Birken’s beginnings? Exactly how did Ajahn Sona establish a monastery in the Thai Forest Tradition in the Birkenhead Valley, far from any other Theravadins, let alone Buddhists? We’ll follow Tom West on his journey to become Ajahn Sona, and spend time with the diverse group of supporters whose generosity made this possible. Come see photographs of Birken One, and get a sense of what it might have been like to participate in the original “shack monastery.”

DATE: Saturday, May 4th
TIME: 3:00-5:00pm
LOCATION: Desert Gardens Community Centre,
540 Seymour Street, Kamloops (street parking available)

OUR HISTORIANS
Luke Clossey (Upasaka Gambhiro) is the director of the Global Asia Program at Simon Fraser University, where he gives courses on the history of religion. He previously wrote on the expansion of Christianity into Asia, and is now researching the expansion of Buddhism into Canada with Karen.

Karen Ferguson (Upasika Karen) is a professor in the Urban Studies Program at Simon Fraser University. She teaches courses on urban planning and development, as well as urban inequality. She has written two books on African-American history, and is now working with Gambhiro on the expansion of Buddhism into Canada.