About — Listening to the Buddhists in Our Backyard

Listening to the Buddhists in Our Backyard is a collaborative project of deep listening, local engagement, and community building.

Who are the Buddhists in our local communities?

What will we learn when we do?

How can we listen deeply to their voices?

We approach these questions through a pedagogy of listening, drawing on insights from experiential education and place-based learning as well as scholarship in Buddhist studies and religious studies.

Through this interdisciplinary, listening-first approach, L2BB reimagines how we can learn about Buddhism within and beyond the classroom. By centering local Buddhist communities—especially those founded by the monastics and laypeople of Asian heritage who make up the majority of American Buddhists—we encounter rich sites of connection and meaning-making.

Welcome to the digital home of L2BB.

Listening to the Buddhists in Our Backyard is made possible by the dana (generosity) of many, to whom we extend our deepest gratitude. This website would not exist without the inaugural L2BB team of six high school students. In this expanded version of their original website, you’ll find resources for educators, a living archive of student work, a photo gallery featuring multiple cohorts of L2BBers, and more.

We invite you to linger a while to see/think/wonder about what you find here. We hope you’ll join us in listening to the Buddhists (and other neighbors) in your own backyard. And, as always, we’d love to hear your questions, comments, and suggestions—reach out anytime!