Behind the Lights

Monk Brings Power of Meditation to New Yorkers

In a large room with gray granite tile floors, several people sit on folding chairs awaiting their teacher.  Within a few moments, a man dressed in dark red robes worn by Tibetan monks enters the room.  The students stand and bow, palms together as if praying in unison.  The man, Thupten Phuntsok, bows as well, first facing his students and then facing the altar upon which he will sit to teach guided Tibetan Buddhist meditation.

Timothy Craven, an accountant in his mid forties, has been participating in Mr. Phuntsok’s guided meditation classes for two years.  “I’ve been studying Tibetan Buddhism for seventeen years now,” he said.  “When he teaches it feels like he is speaking directly to me.”

Raised by a Haitian devout Catholic mother, Mr. Phuntsok began his spiritual journey in 1980.  He stands 5’5” and keeps his black, wavy hair cut low.

Mr. Phuntsok has been teaching Tibetan Buddhist meditation in New York City since 1991.  A friend and fellow Buddhist monk, Geshe Michael Roach, founded the Asian Classics Institute (ACI), now located at 61 4^th Avenue, which focuses on personal practice and serious study of the original teachings of Buddha.  Initially, ACI had no physical location and students offered their homes as meeting places for lessons.  Mr. Roach initially focused on teaching the principles of Tibetan Buddhism, but because meditation is such an important part of Buddhism, there was soon a demand.

And so began the meditation classes.

“Michael taught the meditation class one night and asked me to cover for him,” said Mr. Phuntsok.  “And I’ve been covering ever since.”  Michael wanted to focus on ACI and teaching Buddhist principles.

When he began teaching the classes, he tried not to plan the lesson too much.  “I would have a general idea in my mind about what I wanted to teach and go with it,” he said.  He initially followed the teachings of his teacher, which he described as traditional.  “In traditional teaching, there is a set of texts, which you study.  You can’t ask questions.”

Finding that this method of teaching did not help him accomplish what he wanted, he changed his teaching methods.  “The only thing that I keep in mind is to be spontaneous,” he said.  “I have an idea in mind that I deliver, depending on the audience.”

After Mr. Phuntsok bows to his students, he bows three times to the altar, where there is a red cushion upon which he will sit to meditate.  After he is done bowing, his students bow to him three more times and then sit down.  Mr. Phuntsok closes his eyes and after several seconds of silence, begins to meditate.

When the classes began there were only a few students, all of whom were interested in the teachings of Buddha.  Today, most of Mr. Phuntsok’s students are younger, “in their twenties and thirties.  They’re professionals, college aged, or college done,” he said. “Some are just interested in meditation, not necessarily philosophy.”

While there are a few students who have been practicing meditation with Mr. Phuntsok for many years, he notices when there are new students.  “Every week I see new faces,” he said.  “But there are definitely a core group of those who make the class a part of their spiritual education.”

One college student in his twenties, John Weidler, has been taking this class for over two years.  “Thupten really has a gift,” he said.  “I have so much admiration and respect for him and for what he does.”

Guided Meditation from Edithe Norgaisse on Vimeo.
Administrative Assistant Marie Wilson does not study Tibetan Buddhism but has been taking guided meditation classes with Mr. Phuntsok for less than one year.   “I love the way that he is able to speak to everyone in the room, even if they’re not Buddhist,” she said.  “His lessons are universal.”

It is not unusual that people uninterested in Tibetan Buddhism would participate in this class.  According to Kenia Sarita of the Jacques Marques Museum of Tibetan Art, Tibetan Buddhist meditation has many similarities to traditional meditation.  “One of the main differences lies in

incorporating visualization into the meditative state,” she said.  “Both types have a meditative state. But in Tibetan Buddhist meditation, the meditative state is a tool used to get you to a goal; whereas in traditional meditation the meditative state is the goal.”

Another reason he has students who are not familiar with ACI or Tibetan Buddhism is that students find out about his class through word of mouth.  His students tell people about the class and when he is wearing his robes, strangers sometimes approach him and ask about meditation.  “One time I was on the Staten Island Ferry and I closed my eyes for just a moment.  When I opened them, a woman was standing in front of me and asked if I was meditating,” he said.  “She asked questions about meditation and I invited her to the class.  She came with three friends.”

Mr. Phuntsok has noticed that he has gained more students within the last year at a more rapid pace than he has experienced over the last decade.  He suspects that the current state of the economy may have something to do with it.  “When people find out about the class, they’re relieved that it is being offered for free,” he said.  “Sometimes they ask me if there’s a catch.”

Although more and more non-Buddhist students continue to attend the classes, Mr. Phuntsok tries to stay true to his Buddhist foundation saying, “I try to make it as universal as possible, but try to stick to what Tibetan Buddhism holds to be true.”