Waiting to exhale after the holidays? A Buddhist couple invite you to their Tarpon Springs home to do just that.
By EBONY WINDOM
Published January 10, 2004
Buddhism has given them a new beginning, Richard and Adrienne Baksa say, and they want to help others make a fresh start for the new year.
Next week, they'll launch a book discussion group where folks can read, chat and meditate. Participants can learn practical ways to reduce stress with the help of Buddhist teachings.
"People are ready to decompress from the holidays," said Richard Baksa, 64. "It's a great way to begin the new year."
Although there are various Buddhist sects, the Baksas prefer to use a "nondenominational" approach. Buddhist literature can help folks of other faiths understand it better, Adrienne says.
"It's sometimes viewed as a godless or heathen concept of religion," Adrienne Baksa, 64, said. "But, it's not godless at all."
"People think that the Buddha is worshipped as a god," Richard said. "That's not true. He's a man. He never claimed to be a god."
Richard Baksa's experience as leader of a similar group in New York has helped prepare him for this new project, he says. Both he and his wife are ordained in the Dharma Teachers Order and have spent 21/2 years studying Buddhist foundations and practices in Connecticut. One day, they hope to open a Buddhist facility and study center.
For now, they'll use their Tarpon Springs home to provide a quiet, intimate setting for the discussion group. They'll meet periodically and discuss works by Buddhist authors such as the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh and Jack Kornfield. Group members are welcome to offer suggestions on books to discuss and other activities for the meetings.
Everyone is welcome, the Baksas say. All races, all faiths.
They insist they're not out to convert people to Buddhism. The Buddhist teachings can help anyone, Richard Baksa said.
"The techniques used in Buddhism can be used by any faith," he said. "I've heard people say, "I've gone back to synagogue and it makes more sense to me.' "
The books will provide techniques to help others learn to lead a peaceful life.
Before his conversion to Buddhism, Richard says, he was overwhelmed by stress. Meditation helped him cope.
"All of us are dealing with stress and problems in our life," he said. "Buddhism is something that addresses those areas. All of us have a desire to be happy and to be at peace and that is the central concern of Buddhism: peace, harmony and serenity."
Now, he hopes to help others cope. But, it takes time to integrate the techniques into your life, he says.
"Buddhism opened me up to finding out where my strengths were," said Adrienne Baksa. "It's more of a living technique than a religious metamorphosis."
If you go
A new Buddhism book discussion group will hold its first meeting at 7 p.m. Friday in Tarpon Springs. For information, call (727) 934-8040.
