Austin Buddhists? (Center, Blossom: places, town, blossom)

[dijos]

is there an active community there? I've searched, but aside from finding a temple or two, I can't get the feeling of the level of acceptance or if there are that many Buddhists in town.

[centralaustinite]

There is a Zen Center in Austin as well as a long-established Shambala Center.

Austin is an accepting place of pretty much anything. No one will blink an eye if you are a Buddhist. Here is a piece on Buddhism in Austin from the local paper (2010).
http://www.statesman.com/news/news/o...-austin/nRrbQ/

Key quote:"Although Chandrasoma says the Austin Buddhist Center is open to all who want to meditate there, it caters mainly to Sri Lankan immigrant families. More prevalent in Austin are the more informal groups that practice loosely connected Buddhist principles of mindfulness and contemplation without a specific religious affiliation, like the Interdependence Project."

[Gemini1963]

I don't know from firsthand experience, but my impression is that these places are active:

http://www.austinzencenter.org/

Plum Blossom Sangha, Austin, TX