In an unadorned room in the back of the Eno River Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship, a small group of adults sit in various positions with their eyes closed in meditation. Those meditators attend the Eno River Buddhist Community, which was founded in 1992. They gather every Monday night at 7:30 to practice meditation and listen to a Dharma talk given by another member. Preferring member-led discussions to a spiritual leader's guidance, those European-American sympathizers and converts learn from one another as they congregate for meditation and mindfulness practice. 

A typical meeting includes long and short periods of sitting meditation, walking meditation, and a discussion of Buddhist literature. Sometimes they also chant. The first and second Mondays of each month includes a sharing of Buddhist teachings, as well as meditation and discussion. The third Mondays feature meditation instruction sessions that run concurrently with the regular meetings. On the fourth Monday of the month practioners recite the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings of Thich Nhat Hanh's Order of Interbeing, while the occasional fifth Monday consists of Metta, or loving-kindness meditation. Strongly influenced by the teachings of the Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh, but also drawing from other traditions--Insight Meditation, Japanese Zen, and Tibetan Buddhism--the group considers itself ecumenical. Average attendance is about twenty each week, but all of the estimated fifty members are invited to attend special half-day mindfulness retreats that take place once each month. This amiable group, which is connected with a non-sectarian UU congregation, provides a cozy atmosphere for casual study and meditation.
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