What Did the Buddha Teach? Agama Featured on ReligionsGeek

We are incredibly honored to be featured in a recent article by Dr. Brian Carwana, Executive Director of Encounter World Religions, on his popular blog ReligionsGeek.

In his piece, titled "What Did the Buddha Teach?", Brian reflects on the celebration of Vesak and dives deep into what makes the Agama Meditation Centre distinct in the modern mindfulness landscape.

The article highlights our core mission through an insightful interview with one of our key volunteers, Mona Zhang. Brian beautifully breaks down the three pillars that define our practice:

• A Focus on the Earliest Teachings: Moving past later historical developments to recover the foundational path of self-effort found in the Chinese Āgamas and Pali Canon.

  
  

• Ethics Before Meditation: Exploring why the way you live your life during the day directly shapes the mind you sit with in meditation.

  
  

• Calm Is Not the Goal: Understanding that a calm mind is simply a clean lens meant to help us see reality clearly and cultivate true wisdom.

We want to express our deepest gratitude to Brian for his earnest exploration of our community and his commitment to religious literacy.

📖 Read the full article on ReligionsGeek

Dr. Brian Carwana is the Executive Director of Encounter World Religions. He holds a PhD in religion, alongside a business degree, and spent years working as a strategy consultant before dedicating his career to religious literacy. For over two decades, Brian has been helping people understand and appreciate ethno-religious communities by facilitating real-world cultural encounters, lectures, and site visits across Canada. Through his popular blog, ReligionsGeek, he fosters deep empathy and religious literacy by exploring the world's diverse traditions with an earnest, open mind.