Sangha - a community of practice

Laughing Rivers Sangha is one of more than a thousand communities worldwide that practices mindfulness as taught by Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh.  We meet weekly to practice mindful sitting and walking meditation as a community. 

After our meditation period, we usually listen to a reading or a Dharma talk, which is followed by Dharma discussion (group sharing).  Once a month we recite the Mindfulness Trainings together. We also gather regularly throughout the year for Days of Mindfulness and social gatherings to deepen our practice and build community.  ​Twice a year we organize weekend retreats with an ordained Dharma teacher from Thich Nhat Hanh's Order of Interbeing.

Who We Are
We are long-term Buddhist practitioners and novices alike, young and old,  of many races, backgrounds, genders and sexual orientations, and without a political party or posture.  We welcome everyone who is interested in mindful living and peace.   

We meet on Tuesday evenings from 7-9 p.m. in the Squirrel Hill section of Pittsburgh. Our meeting space is handicapped accessible and convenient to a number of bus lines.  (Effective September 8, 2021 - InPerson meetings are temporarily On Hold.) We are meeting virtually -  See our Join Us! page for details.   
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We also meet on Monday evenings from 6:30-8:30 PM via ZOOM. See our Join Us page for details. 

Whether you are new to meditation or an experienced practitioner looking for a way to deepen or renew your practice, you are welcome to join us any Monday or Tuesday. There is no expectation about "joining" the sangha, and people are welcome to visit as often or infrequently as they wish.  We do ask that you contact our Coordinators for either the Monday or Tuesday night to organize an Orientation before attending. Their contact information is found here. 

Our History
Our sangha, or community, has been in existence in Pittsburgh since 1991.  The Plum Village tradition of Buddhist practice, which we follow, was first established by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh in Vietnam in 1966.