Chris Warnasch (Won Gwang), WBM Temple Council Member
Chris Warnasch (Won Gwang) began studying Buddhist philosophy as an undergrad in the early 1990s, and he first joined a small sangha a few years later. He practiced with several other sanghas in Manhattan before finding a home with Won in 2017, and he took his dharma name in 2018.
Chris enjoys discussing the dharma with other practitioners, and he has led several dharma circles on everything from the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path to the Brahmaviharas and the Wheel of Life. He is particularly interested in what he calls the “boring” applications of the dharma in everyday life, and he feels strongly that the dharma should be as accessible as possible to people who come to it from a variety of perspectives. He believes that this is one of the greatest gifts that Won has to offer: a dharma that is spiritually transformational because it is accessible and down-to-earth.
Chris spends his time between Manhattan and Columbia County, New York, where he is also a member of the Won Dharma Center sangha. He is a linguist, language instructor, and content developer for language training material. He is almost always working his way through three books at once, always of the same three genres: language, science fiction, and dharma.