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Good morning dear friends –

Waves and Water Sangha holds a Day of Mindfulness on the second Saturday of each month (excepting August).  On July 13, we will relax into summer and reflect on how we experience, become aware of and then have an opportunity to investigate strong feelings or behaviours that we might consider “unwholesome” or leading us away from well-being. Transformation may then follow! Or resistance! In any case, we offer a smile and begin anew.

Several Sangha members will be away on retreat or vacation – we have an opportunity to take refuge for these six hours in stillness and concentration, welcoming community and compassionate holding of ourselves and others.

INVESTIGATING STRONG EMOTIONS
UNWHOLESOME BEHAVIOURS

We will settle at 9:45 and begin with sitting and walking meditation, followed by a Sutra service and a formal silent meal (please bring a bag lunch) and outdoor walking meditation. We will consider what happens when we open ourselves to investigating strong emotions and unwholesome behaviours. We will look deeply at our resistance to change. The Day of Mindfulness will end at 4:00.

Everyone interested in the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh is welcome to attend. Please contact wwsangha[at]gmail.com if you have any questions or would like to say you are coming. Danna of $10-$20 is appreciated but no one is turned away for lack of funds.

Bethan

Good morning!

Saturday, May 5
Waves and Water Sangha will be practicing at the meditation hall this Saturday, May 11. Please arrive by 9:45. We will begin with sitting and walking meditation and a Sutra Service followed by a formal meal (please bring a bag lunch). Following lunch we will explore the practice of Beginning Anew with a short talk and Dharma discussion. After sitting meditation we will dedicate the merit of our practice at 2:30. Caretaking folk are invited to a Beginning Anew circle followed by Bell Master training at 2:45.

Saturday, June 8
We will have a full Day of Mindfulness (10-4) on Saturday, June 8 at the meditation hall. This will be followed by a social event at a place to be determined!

July retreat at Mountain Lamp Community
Dharma Teacher Eileen Kiera will lead a Mindfulness Retreat – Deep River, Clear Streams – from July 13-July 20 at Mountain Lamp Community near Mount Baker in Washington state. Several Waves and Water Sangha members are planning to attend and there will be carpools. The registration forms have been posted at http://mountainlamp.org/ The retreat usually fills early. . . .

There will be no Day of Mindfulness in July at Waves and Water Sangha. . . .

Ordering cushions (zafu) and mats (zabuton) from Still Sitting
There will be an order placed with Still Sitting in Washington (http://www.stillsitting.com/). You can check their website. Currently, they have sets of zafu and zabuton for $100. The plan is to place an order and then pick it up in Bellingham (unless someone is planning to be on Vashon Island in May or June). Please let us know at wwsangha[at]gmail.com if you are interested in placing an order.

Please enjoy your breathing in the spring sunshine!

Dear Friends,

Following the Day of Mindfulness on Feb 9, we will be celebrating the Lunar New Year’s Eve with a dinner at Three Jewels, a Vietnamese vegetarian restaurant (located at 1179 Commercial Dr. Vancouver, near Grandview Park.)
All are welcome! You don’t need to attend the Day of Mindfulness, just meet us there around 4pm. If possible, rsvp Alda : aldango[at]gmail.com
Looking forward to seeing you there,

Waves and Water Sangha.

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Good morning!

Waves and Water Sangha offers a monthly Day of Mindfulness the second Saturday of each month at the meditation hall (2016 Wall Street: see the map and transit information at http://wavesandwater.org/site/location/)

On Saturday, February 9, we will gather from 10:00-3:00 for sitting and walking meditation, a Sutra Service, eating meditation, and an opportunity to Begin Anew with our ancestors and all other beings. The Beginning Anew will include the practice of touching the earth with the sound of 20 bells over the period of meditation. This will be followed by the practice of deep relaxation where we are guided again by the bells to surrender to the earth and receive her nourishment.

All are welcome! We appreciate the offering of generosity (Dana) which supports the Sangha. Suggested donation is $20-$40. No one is turned away because of an inability to offer financial support. Please bring a bag lunch – tea will be available.

If you have any questions please contact wwsangha[at]gmail.com

Good evening, dear friends!

DAY OF MINDFULNESS
Our next Day of Mindfulness Practice will be January 12 from 10:00 to 3:00 at the Meditation Hall (see Location on website). Please bring a bag lunch. ALL ARE WELCOME! Sitting, Walking, Eating, Sharing in mindfulness. Questions or for registration: wwsangha@gmail.com

THURSDAY EVENING PRACTICE
January 3: 5 Mindfulness Training Recitation Ceremony
January 10: Beginning Anew as an individual, family, and community practice
Other January and February dates: Dharma study and discussion based on Discourses on the Full Awareness of Breathing and the Four Establishments of Mindfulness. Find stillness of body, feelings, mind, and the objects of mind.

THICH NHAT HANH AND PLUM VILLAGE SANGHA
The North American tour for 2013 can be found at http://www.tnhtour.org/ Registration for the Canadian retreat in St. Catherine’s, Ontario (MINDFULNESS FOR EDUCATORS) is scheduled to begin in the middle of January.

Good evening, dear Sangha

TEA CEREMONY:
Please come to Sangha on Thursday, December 20, for a Tea Ceremony in the Plum Village tradition! Bring poetry, art, songs, stories something that has inspired your practice – your own or from someone else.

NEW YEAR’S EVE
Our New Year’s Eve practice with Mountain Rain Zen Community will begin at 7:00 on December 31st and carry through until midnight. You may arrive or leave at any time during the evening AT 10 MINUTES BEFORE THE HOUR (i.e. 6:50, 7:50, 8:50 etc.).

During each hour there will be a 40 minute period of sitting followed by 10 minutes of chanting for peace followed by 10 minutes walking. At midnight 108 bells will be sounded, followed by socializing

PLEASE let us know at wwsangha[at]gmail.com if and when you plan to attend so that we may choose together how Waves and Water will offer chants for peace. . . .

SETTLING IN THE MEDITATION HALL BEFORE 7:00
ENTERING OR LEAVING THE HALL DURING SITTING
During the last Caretaking Council meeting we reached consensus on the question of how to welcome those who are not able to be settled in the meditation hall by the sound of the bell at 7:00. Last Thursday, we offered the practice to the Sangha. Sangha members asked that we send the policy through a blog post so everyone is aware. We will also announce it each week for the next few gatherings. Here it is!

Please arrive by 6:50 in order to be settled on your mat in the meditation hall for the 7:00 bell. If you are not able to be settled in the meditation hall before the 7:00 bell, there will be chairs and mats just inside the door of meditation hall where you may practice until the end of the first sitting period (approximately 7:25). When the small bell sounds for standing before walking, you may walk to an empty zabuton (mat). Someone will be sitting near the door to help you find a place and, if necessary, a suitable cushion, chair or bench. Similarly, if you are not able to leave the kitchen to be settled by 7:00, please practice in the kitchen until the first period of walking.

Please do not enter the meditation hall from the kitchen or the entry way at any time during sitting meditation.

If you need to use the washroom or get a drink urgently during sitting meditation, please leave the hall mindfully and wait until the sitting period ends before re-entering the hall. Otherwise, you may leave during walking meditation to use the washroom or get a drink of water and then re-join the Sangha for the remainder of the walking period.

NORTH SHORE RETREAT WITH DHARMACARYA EILEEN KIERA
The North Shore Sangha is planning a non-residential retreat on the North Shore with Dharmacarya Eileen Kiera from Mountain Lamp Community on the weekend of April 6-8. We encourage everyone to hold those days in their calendar and to watch for more information. If you are interested in working with the North Shore Sangha to organize the retreat, please let them know: http://northshoremindfulness.wordpress.com/tag/north-shore-sangha/

Good afternoon!

This Thursday, November 15, the meditation hall will have only a few cushions and mats because Mountain Rain is using them for their residential retreat. There will be enough chairs for everyone but if you want a comfortable non-chair option you may want to bring your own mat and cushion! We will be learning the Plum Village Mindful Movements as we continue our study of the full awareness of breathing, the foundation of our meditation practice.

On Saturday, November 24, there will be a Sangha Potluck Gathering hosted by SuSu close to 12th Avenue and Main Street, at 6:30 p.m. Everyone is invited and encouraged to attend – please reply to wwsangha@gmail.com if you are planning to come and we will send you the address. Jennifer has offered to make a big pot of soup, so you can bring something vegetarian that will go with that!

More details on our New Year’s Eve practice with Mountain Rain will be coming soon!

DAYS OF MINDFULNESS THE 2nd SATURDAY OF EACH MONTH
Beginning January 12, Waves and Water Sangha invites all practitioners interested in the Plum Village tradition to a Day of Mindfulness (10:00-4:00) at the Meditation Hall. We will gather on the second Saturday of each month: January 12, February 9, March 9, April 13, May 11, June 8. Please mark your calendars and offer yourselves this refuge of a day of practice every month! You may attend for part of the day and there will be an opportunity for an early supper together following our practice together.

As the days become shorter and deep darkness comes to our particular place on this earth we have several opportunities for practice.

Waves and Water Sangha will host a Day of Mindfulness at the Mountain Rain Meditation Hall on Saturday, October 27, from 10:00 to 3:00. We will study the teaching on the Five Ways of Putting an End to Anger with the accompanying recitation “Mastering Anger.” We will learn to chant together the Gatha on Impermanence. Please arrive by 9:50 and bring a bag lunch for our formal meal. If you plan to attend, or if you have any questions, please contact wwsangha@gmail.com

You will find the location and a map on the website at http://wavesandwater.org/site/location/

This Thursday, October 25, will be our final evening for studying the Heart of Perfect Understanding. We will begin our study and practice of the Discourse on the Full Awareness of Breathing in November.

There will be a Day of Mindfulness for Children (2-9 years old), with their grown-ups, on Sunday, October 28, from 10:30 to noon at Kim Boivin’s home. Please contact Kim at 778-773-1702 or riveroftheheart@yahoo.ca for more information and the address.

On New Year’s Eve, Waves and Water Sangha will join with Mountain Rain Zen Centre and other local Sanghas to celebrate in a multi-tradition Ceremony with 108 bells. Our practice will take place early in the evening with the possibility of socializing to follow!

Please note that the North Shore Mindfulness Sangha has moved to St. Stephen’s Church, 885 – 22 Avenue in West Vancouver. They meet on Tuesday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 and all are welcome and encouraged to attend!

Waves and Water Sangha holds ORIENTATION for new practitioners and anyone else interested in, or having questions about, Sangha practice on the last Thursday of each month at 6:00. This is also an opportunity to receive feedback on sitting posture and options for comfortable practice!

With smiles and best wishes for a lovely week, Bethan

Dear Friends,
We are sorry to announce that due to health and various other reasons, Waves and Water Sangha is cancelling our Day of Mindfulness scheduled for Saturday, Sept 29. We apologize for any inconvenience. A blog post will be sent out as soon as we are able to schedule another one.
May you have a joyful day.
susu, on behalf of Waves and Water Sangha

Good afternoon dear Sangha!

What a wonderful autumn we are having – full of sunshine, crisp evening air and many practice opportunities!  Please contact us at wwsangha[at]gmail.com if you have questions about any of the information below or if you would like to register for any of the Waves and Water Sangha events.

First, there is information about upcoming events. Then, there is information about our fall and winter practice periods and books we will be using to support our practice. We will continue to have Mindfulness Training Recitations once a month – and every second month (starting October 4) there will be a panel of Sangha members to present their experience with the Trainings as a way to begin our Dharma discussion. We will also be scheduling days of practice on the second and fourth Saturday of each month.

Monday, September 17, members of the different Vancouver Sanghas will have the opportunity to practice with the Plum Village Monks and Nuns at St. James Church (303 Cordova St. E.). There are chairs available or you may want to bring a cushion or bench. Please arrive by 6:20.

Thursday, September 20, some of the Monks and Nuns will practice with the Waves and Sangha at 2016 Wall Street. Everyone is welcome! Please arrive by 6:50.

Saturday, September 29, Waves and Water welcomes everyone to a Day of Mindfulness that will begin at the Mountain View Cemetery at 10:00 where we will have sitting and walking meditation at the fountain until 12:00. Then, we will move to a Sangha member’s home for a silent brown bag lunch – and access to washrooms! Following lunch we will have a Sutra Service and Dharma study based on the Discourse on the Eight Realizations of Great Beings. The Day will finish at 3:00 with optional training for bells and chants until 4:00. Please register for the day by contacting wwsangha[at]gmail.com

Thursday, October 4, Waves and Water encourages attendance at our regular gathering to support our friends who are speaking on the first Five Mindfulness Trainings panel!

Saturday, October 13, Waves and Water Sangha welcomes everyone to a Day of Mindfulness  that will include sitting and walking meditation, eating meditation, Sutra Service and Dharma Discussion focusing on every day practices such as brushing our teeth, doing the dishes, waiting for the bus, working on our computer, meeting friends. How do we nourish our Mindfulness and our practice of the Mindfulness Trainings? How do we distract ourselves?

Saturday, October 27, Waves and Water Sangha welcomes everyone to a Day of Mindfulness that will include sitting and walking meditation, eating meditation, Sutra Service and Dharma Study focusing on the Discourse on Putting an End to Anger.

Sunday, October 28, a possible Vancouver Sanghas event focusing on children’s practice! Please look out for more information and contact wwsangha[at]gmail.com if you would like to be involved (without or without children, godchildren, nieces, nephews, grandchildren!)

BOOKS FOR FALL AND WINTER PRACTICE PERIOD

We have developed a nourishing fall and winter practice period schedule! Although it is not essential to have the following books, you may want to find a Sangha buddy to share with or contact Banyen Books to order a copy. They may have a few copies already in stock.

September and October

THE HEART SUTRA September and October

Nhat Hanh, Thich. (1988). The heart of understanding: Commentaries on the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra. Berkeley, CA: Parallax Press. (54 pages)

An audio recording of the chant can be found at http://wavesandwater.org/site/resources/heart-of-perfect-understanding-chant/

November and December

THE DISCOURSE ON THE FULL AWARENESS OF BREATHING

Nhat Hanh, Thich. (1996). Breathe! You are alive: Sutra on the Full Awareness of Breathing. Berkeley, CA: Parallax Press. (103 pages)

January and February

THE DISCOURSE ON THE FOUR ESTABLISHMENTS OF MINDFULNESS

Nhat Hanh, Thich. (2006). Transformation and healing: Sutra on the Four Establishments of Mindfulness. Berkeley, CA: Parallax Press

March

THE SEVEN FACTORS OF AWAKENING

Nhat Hanh, Thich. (1998). Chapter 26: The Seven Factors of Awakening. In The heart of the Buddha’s teachings: Transforming suffering into peace, joy, and liberation (pp. 200-205). Berkeley, CA: Parallax Press