Good afternoon dear friends
Tomorrow – Sunday at 6:30 – we will meet on Zoom for the Ceremony to Recite the Five Mindfulness Trainings.This is a wonderful way to welcome the change in seasons! Even today, we take refuge in the cool breezes and the sunshine at a more comfortable level of heat – at least for some of us!
Continuing in September, we will study and practice the Discourse on the Better Way to Live Alone. This teaching is considered a guide to how we can live happily in the present moment. We will listen to a video Dharma talk by Br Phap Linh about the title of the Sutra. We will also have a Sutra Service based on the Discourse as well as opportunities to practice the teachings and engage in Dharma discussion about our experiences.
MOVING TO IN-PERSON GATHERINGS
TWICE A MONTH
We had hoped to begin meeting in person in September but this has been delayed for a month. Beginning in October, however, we hope to have the choice to meet in-person at the Zendo on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month. We will also be continuing with Zoom every Sunday evening. If you want to meet in the Zendo please let us know. Everyone who attends indoor, in-person Sangha events must be fully vaccinated against Covid19. We will be wearing masks except when facilitating or offering teachings.
PLEASE WATCH FOR A DAY OF MINDFULNESS
IN OCTOBER
We are planning a Day of Mindfulness for a Saturday in October. Please watch out for the announcement of the date. It will be held both in the Zendo and on Zoom.
UNDERSTANDING OUR MIND
Beginning in October we will also begin again our year-long study group with the book Understanding Our Mind: 50 Verses on Buddhist Psychology. We meet Thursday evenings on the 4th Thursday of each month from 7:00 to 9:00 to discuss four chapters of this foundational text, originally published as Transformation at the Base. We will begin October 27.
These teachings are not always easy to grasp but over the course of the year, as we continue with our study and our practice, there is increasing ease! Some of the Sangha members who finished the study last year are returning again this year with fresh eyes. Please know that even new practitioners in our tradition gained a great deal from our time together.
From Parallax Press: “The quality of our life depends on the quality of the seeds in our mind. If we know how to water seeds of joy and transform seeds of suffering, then understanding, love, and compassion will flower.”
