Good afternoon dear friends
We have three more Thursdays left in July! And it sometimes seems like a busy month because there are some significant changes and lovely opportunities ahead of us.
In August we do not gather together – but we can always visualize breathing in and out together as we practice wherever we are.
On SUNDAY September 5 at 6:45 we will return both in-person and through Zoom at the Mountain Rain Zen Community Zendo. We will provide more information in an August blog about any pandemic protocols that may still be in place. We will continue to meet on Zoom as we have done for the past many months. It would be helpful to have some indication of who might wish to attend in person and who might wish to begin or continue meeting on Zoom.
Beginning September 4, WE WILL MEET ON SUNDAY
Mountain Rain Zen Community has been our most loving and supportive host since Waves and Water Sangha first met in 2011. We moved with them from Fraser Street to Wall Street and have enjoyed a most harmonious relationship throughout. Because of their expanded program offerings, we will be moving our Sangha day from Thursdays to Sundays. As in the past, we will gather from 6:45 to be settled by our first bell at 7:00.
This is an opportunity for us to practice with impermanence. For some of us, this may be a welcome change – allowing us to come to Sangha with more spaciousness (and a better commute). For some of us, this may be a disappointment – our individual, family or work schedules may not accommodate Sunday gatherings as well. For others, this is a neutral change – requiring perhaps a revision in our ongoing calendars. Although causes and conditions have required this change, we do sincerely regret any negative impacts for individual practitioners.
IN-PERSON WALKING MEDITATION SUNDAY, JULY 18:
We will come together at 10:00 at Mountain View Cemetery for Walking Meditation and mindful conversation. Depending on the weather (e.g. too hot) and participants’ interests we will end at 12:00 or 1:00. The washrooms are supposed to be open but they won’t guarantee it. (What can we guarantee in this life at this time.)
We enter off Fraser Street at 39th Avenue and gather at the office. Then walk between the fountain and the pond. Please e-mail wwsangha@gmail.com for more information. It is very helpful if you let us know you are planning to attend.
JULY is our month of exploring the third of the Five Powers: Mindfulness.
The first Thursday we recited and discussed the 1990 version of the Five Precepts (included below). These were the foundation of the Five Mindfulness Trainings and if you follow the link you will have a Dharma Talk by Thay over 20 years ago. The next year, the Precepts became the first version of what are now called the Five Mindfulness Trainings.
Our second Thursday Christiane offered an experiential talk about mindfulness and taught us song: an adapted version of When I Rise recorded during the pandemic by the Plum Village World Wide Chorus. The lyrics and a link to the performance is included below.
WHEN I RISE: WORLD WIDE CHOIR
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTUQrLPPkTA
And when I rise, let me rise like a bird joyfully
And when I fall let me fall like a leave gracefully, without regrets
And when I stand, let me stand, like a tree – rooted deep
And when I walk, let me walk, like a lion, regally, strong and free
Waking up this morning I smile
24 brand new hours right before me
I vow to live fully in each moment
And to look at all beings with compassion
And when I wake, let me wake, like sunrise, radiantly
And when I rest, let me rest, like sunset, contentedly, without worries
And when I cry, let me cry like the rain cleansingly, with all my heart
And when I dream, let me dream like a cloud, vividly in my true home
THE FIVE WONDERFUL PRECEPTS 1990
The Mindfulness Bell #2 – Included in a Dharma Talk by Thay
https://www.mindfulnessbell.org/archive/2016/03/dharma-talk-five-wonderful-precepts-2?rq=1990
The First Precept:
Do not kill. Do not let others kill. Find whatever means possible to protect life. Do not live with a vocation that is harmful to humans and nature.
The Second Precept:
Do not steal. Possess nothing that should belong to others. Respect the property of others, but prevent others from enriching themselves from human suffering and the suffering of other species on earth.
The Third Precept:
Sexual expression should not take place without love and a longterm commitment. Be fully aware of the suffering you may cause others as a reslt of your misconduct. To preserve the happiness of yourself and others, respect the rights and commitments of others.
The Fourth Precept:
Do not say untruthful things. Do not spread news that you do not know to be certain. Do not criticize or condemn things that you are unsure of. Do not utter words that can cause division and hatred, that can create discord and cause the family or community to break. All efforts should be made to reconcile and resolve all conflicts.
The Fifth Precept:
Do not use alcohol and other intoxicants. Be aware that your body has been transmitted to you by several previous generations and your parents. Destroying your body with alcohol and other intoxicants is to betray your ancestors and your parents and also to betray the future generations.
