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/
