Who We Are.  Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society was founded by Noah Levine, author of Dharma Punx and Against the Stream, to make the teachings of the Buddha available to all who are interested. We wish to create and sustain communities of healthy, accountable, wise and compassionate people from every walk of life. We welcome people from all racial, economic, sexual, social, political and religious backgrounds and preferences and believe that the path of awakening is attainable by all and should be available to all.

Our First Year.  Thanks to the contributions of some extremely generous donors, we opened our doors in February 2008.  Throughout the year we offered several weekly classes, day-long and year -long programs, class series and special events.  And true to our mission, no one was ever turned away because of lack of funds. Over 14% of the attendees at our non-weekly classes received scholarships of some level which equaled over $10,000 in support to our community. Additionally, weekly classes are donation only and attendees give only what they can afford and no one is turned away for lack of funds.

What’s Next? We are continuing to grow and expand our classes, have hired a full time employee to help facilitate our activities and are co-leasing a space in Santa Monica to support the West Side community. Part of our core mission is a commitment to social action. We are moving in this direction with projects to feed the homeless, work with gang and prison populations and those in recovery centers.

How You Can Help.  Against the Stream is 501(c)(3) non-profit and supported solely by donations and your generosity. As we move forward, we need your support more than ever, just as this center is needed more than ever. Please consider becoming a monthly contributor so we can count on a guaranteed income each month and plan wisely. No amount is too small and all donations are fully tax-deductible.  Currently we are not making our monthly bills and have to dip into our reserves which are greatly depleted.  Traditionally, those who have more give more to support those who have less. We invite you to participate in this tradition so we can all weather this economy together. We are eligible to receive matching grants your employer may offer so please inquire at work about this program. We can always use volunteers to help with events and projects. There is room for everyone in our Sangha.

Join us as we continue to be at the forefront of American Buddhism, a tradition influenced and inspired by the wisdom and compassion teachings of all the Buddhist traditions.