Dear Friends
As some of you already know, Mountain Rain Zen Community is moving to 2016 Wall Street, near Powell and Semlin – 10 minutes walk north and east from Commercial Drive and Hastings Street. They have been looking for an appropriate new space for more than two years! After 10 years in the Fraser Street location, the Sangha felt they needed a larger space and a space that was both newer and receiving consistent maintenance. They have received their building permits to renovate and they plan to hold their first retreat the last weekend in March.
Mountain Rain have been very generous to Waves and Water Sangha since we began to practice together in August. Now they have invited us to move with them. It is not easy to find suitable and affordable space in Vancouver and it has been so lovely to share an already established meditation hall that carries such beautiful energy. We have the opportunity now to practice deeply as a Sangha while we contemplate impermanence! I know it’s been a bit hard for me to contain my energy of fear around change – I think perhaps we will study the Five Remembrances in March to prepare ourselves for the resistance our minds might construct!
We will continue to meet on Thursdays at 7 p.m.
The new location is in the space developed by the Aboriginal Mother Centre Society. It looks a bit like a mini-mall that is part of a safe, primarily residential area with much less street noise. Mountain Rain is leasing and renovating space on the ground floor. There is parking in the vicinity and the #4 and #7 and #135 buses stop very close to the meditation hall. In the next while, our Caretaking Council will begin to look at ways to accommodate everyone’s transportation needs.
Sometimes, when we change the direction of our practice it takes a while to re-orient ourselves not only in space but in our hearts and mind. Fortunately, our Sangha has grown deep roots that do not depend on location but rather depend on our love and our diligence. We have the chance to Begin Anew! And, I hope we will have the chance to help with the move, as a Sangha, and to join Mountain Rain for a designated period during their first retreat. We will discuss the move at Sangha on Thursday and be truly curious about our practice as we respond! If you have anything you would like to talk about, please come or e-mail the Sangha at wwsangha [at] gmail.com
