Chris Grosso - Ep. 20 - Adam Bucko – Be Here Now Network 2024

Dialogue from the 2014 Creative Spirituality Fair at The Sanctuary at Shepardfields (East Haddam, CT – Original Recording Date June 2014)

Adam Bucko is an activist, spiritual director to many of New York City’s homeless youth, and co-author of a the award-winning book called “Occupy Spirituality: A Radical Vision for a New Generation”. He grew up in Poland during the totalitarian regime and spent his early years exploring the anarchist youth movement as a force for social and political change. At the age of 17, Adam immigrated to America where his desire to find his path towards a meaningful life led him to monasteries in the US and India. His life-defining experience took place in India, where on his way to a Himalayan hermitage, he met a homeless child who lived on the streets of Delhi. This brief encounter led him to the “Ashram of the Poor” where he began his work with homeless youth. After returning to the US, he worked on the streets of various American cities with young people struggling against homelessness and prostitution. He eventually co-founded The Reciprocity Foundation, an award winning nonprofit dedicated to transforming the lives of New York City’s homeless youth.

Episode Outline:

Beginnings – Adam and I discuss how we each found our way onto the spiritual path, our mentors along the way, saying “yes” to God and what that entails, addiction and recovery and more.

Occupy Spirituality – Adam discusses his work with youth from the ashrams of India to the homeless in NYC over the past fifteen years, his relationship with Matthew Fox and co-authoring Occupy Spirituality and his experience at Occupy Wall St.

Service Work & Intergenerational Spirituality – I discuss the connection between meditation and service work, intergenerational spirituality and the importance of looking to elders for guidance. Adam talks about the importance of elders being there for our generation and empowering us to become the people we were born to be, presenting spirituality in a way that’s experienced and not just hypothesized about and more.

Do You – Adam and I talk about honoring our truth on the spiritual path, accepting others on their paths, the mystic heart that connects the great wisdom traditions at their core, our responsibility to become who we’re truly supposed to be, karma yoga, grace and more.

Spiritual Practices – Adam and I discuss some of our core spiritual practices such as meditation, centering prayer, self-compassion, intimately talking to God and the role theses practices play in our lives.

Q&A – Adam and I field questions from the audience touching on the generational division in spirituality, making spirituality accessible for those who are jaded and working together to support one another on our paths.