In December we’ll be discussing “Tao Te Ching” by Lao-Tzu.

We’ll talk about the similarities and differences of Buddhist teachings and teachings of the Tao.

Feel free to join even if you haven’t read the book.

For more information and meeting access, please visit **[Pragmatic Buddhist Book Club](https://www.meetup.com/pragmatic-buddhist-book-discussion/)**

For more information about the St. Louis Sangha, please visit **[St. Louis Sangha](https://www.meetup.com/pragmaticbuddhismstlouis/)**

If you’d like to learn more about Pragmatic Buddhism, please visit **[Center for Pragmatic Buddhism](https://www.pragmaticbuddhism.org/)**

**WHAT WE’RE ABOUT**

This book club will pick a Buddhist-themed book to discuss each month.

If you’re interested in discussing practical applications of Buddhist ideas, this is the group for you.

You don’t need to have any background in Buddhism to participate.

We want our community to be inclusive.

We believe Buddhist teachings should be accessible to everyone, whether they choose to identify as a Buddhist or not and regardless of their race, sexuality, gender, age, ability status, or class.

Our approach to Buddhism is pragmatic, emphasizing those aspects of the practice that relate to directly lived experience.

Our teaching is agnostic when it comes to metaphysical questions, like “what happens after you die?” or “is there a god?”.

We don’t know.

But we know how to act like a good human in this moment. We are rooted in the Zen and Chan branches of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition, which emphasize direct experience of meditation as the best way to understand and reduce suffering.

We were originally founded as the Dragon Flower Sangha by Ryugen Fisher.