Our January 2019 newsletter is now available here. If you would like to receive our newsletter and other information by email subscribe here.
Sunday
Resources for Encouragement
In these turbulent times, we would like to suggest these resources for encouragement.
Soltice Celebration
Many thanks to Pat and Peter Ladley for an exquisite Solstice celebration practice last Wednesday. With their guidance and lovely readings/meditation, we created a circle of light and then offered that to the Buddha in the world and in all of us.
This photo, taken by Mara Alper, captured that beauty. May all who see this be held in the Light and know that each of us is a Light for each other. Shine!
At our meditation tonight, we anticipate the longest hours of darkness in the Northern Hemisphere, occurring on Friday, December 21st. The sun seems to have paused, deciding whether to move away from Earth, lessening its light. Do we fear, as did our ancient forebears, that the sun will plunge into total darkness? What do we fear most? And what gives us hope?
Now we know that there is a 23 1/2 tilt to the axis of our planet from a line perpendicular to the path of its year-long pilgrimage around our glorious daystar, the Sun. This accounts for the season of darkness, a new yet ageless season, Winter.
As we light candles this evening –
*Cedar Cabin Sangha Mindfulness Practice, Ithaca NY, December 19, 2018: an introduction to evening, followed by guided meditation, mindful walking with candles, tea and Dharma sharing.
(With gratitude to Edward Hayes, Prayers for a Planetary Pilgrim, 1988)
Peter Ladley 12/29/18
This photo, taken by Mara Alper, captured that beauty. May all who see this be held in the Light and know that each of us is a Light for each other. Shine!
Winter Solstice 2018*
At our meditation tonight, we anticipate the longest hours of darkness in the Northern Hemisphere, occurring on Friday, December 21st. The sun seems to have paused, deciding whether to move away from Earth, lessening its light. Do we fear, as did our ancient forebears, that the sun will plunge into total darkness? What do we fear most? And what gives us hope?
Now we know that there is a 23 1/2 tilt to the axis of our planet from a line perpendicular to the path of its year-long pilgrimage around our glorious daystar, the Sun. This accounts for the season of darkness, a new yet ageless season, Winter.
As we light candles this evening –
- We stand and sit and walk together on common ground;
- We dare to be light bearers in the darkness of our times;
- Indifference and injustice can be replaced by our care and compassion and solidarity for the sufferings of others;
- We are mindful that a passion for justice manifests itself not in privatism, privilege, or political correctness, but rather in concrete concern for the flourishing of all beings … for we are all Kin!
- As we light candles this evening and spread their light around this space, let us stand with hearts on fire
- Waiting, walking, watching, in the words of poet William Blake, “to bear the beams of love” that will illuminate and one day transform even our darkest night.
*Cedar Cabin Sangha Mindfulness Practice, Ithaca NY, December 19, 2018: an introduction to evening, followed by guided meditation, mindful walking with candles, tea and Dharma sharing.
(With gratitude to Edward Hayes, Prayers for a Planetary Pilgrim, 1988)
Peter Ladley 12/29/18
Thursday
What Does It Mean to Be Kind?
I recently realized that I’ve lived most of my life without knowing the definition of kindness. For a long time, when I thought about what kindness looked like, I pictured the classic example of helping someone carry groceries to their car. I figured kindness had something to do with being friendly, perhaps with a pinch of generosity thrown in.
But what would be left if I peeled kindness away from action? ..........Read Haleigh Atwood's complete editorial at Lion's Roar.
But what would be left if I peeled kindness away from action? ..........Read Haleigh Atwood's complete editorial at Lion's Roar.
Wednesday
A Note from Wake Up Ithaca
Dear Cedar Cabin Sangha,
This December, Wake Up Ithaca celebrated it's one year anniversary with a nourishing Day of Mindfulness at St. Paul's Church--complete with sitting and walking meditation, listening to a dharma talk by Thay, a delicious potluck lunch, deep relaxation, a tea ceremony, and a poem exchange. We are so grateful for the support that we've received from Cedar Cabin Sangha this past year to make this all possible.
With great gratitude,
Wake Up Ithaca
Sunday
Letter From Plum Village
Friday 2nd November, 2018
Plum Village International Practice Center Le Pey, Thénac 24240, France
The monks and nuns of the Plum Village International Community of Engaged Buddhists stand by our beloved teacher, the Zen master, global spiritual leader, peace activist and poet Thich Nhat Hanh, as he returns again to his homeland. Since celebrating his 92nd birthday last month, he has expressed a deep wish to go back to reside at his “root temple,” Tu Hieu Temple in Hue, Vietnam, to live his remaining days.
Thich Nhat Hanh has turned formidable physical challenges arising from the major stroke he suffered four years ago into a powerful teaching by continuing to live each moment peacefully and joyfully, with great presence and meaning. Tu Hieu Temple is where Thich Nhat Hanh first became a monk in 1942, aged sixteen. After nearly sixty years spreading the teachings abroad, Thich Nhat Hanh’s final homecoming is a source of peace and happiness for his students, Tu Hieu Temple and lineage. It is very precious for Thich Nhat Hanh’s large international following to maintain this deep and enduring connection to our spiritual roots in Vietnam.
Thich Nhat Hanh, who coined the term “Engaged Buddhism” and who has dedicated his life to renewing Buddhism so it can help individuals and societies address the challenges of our times, has always seen the roots of his teachings in the engaged spiritual life of the distinguished Buddhist patriarchs during Vietnam’s ancient Ly and Tran dynasties.
Although since his stroke Thich Nhat Hanh has no longer been able to speak, he remains powerfully alert and present. After summoning his senior disciples to a meeting on 24th October in Plum Village Thailand, where he has been residing since December 2016, Thich Nhat Hanh clearly communicated his wish to return to Vietnam using gestures, nodding and shaking his head in response to questions. The necessary arrangements were made for his return and he landed at Da Nang Airport, Vietnam on the afternoon of 26th October. His arrival was celebrated by a receiving party of senior Buddhist venerables, monks, nuns and lay followers.
After resting for two days by the ocean to recover from the journey, Thich Nhat Hanh arrived at Tu Hieu on the afternoon of October 28th, where he was welcomed with a traditional formal procession and the sound of drums and bells. As he entered, he took a moment to reach out and touch the cool stone of the ancient gateway: a seal of arrival and return. Everyone present remained silent as he contemplated the half-moon pond, where he had spent many memorable moments as a young monk, and then made his way to the Buddha hall to pay his respects and offer incense at the ancestral altar.
Since his arrival, Thich Nhat Hanh’s health has remained fragile but stable. He has joined his community in walking meditation at dawn, visiting every corner of this temple that was his home and where he was nurtured as he embarked on his spiritual path. On the evening of October 26th in Da Nang, as the current Abbot and Head of Tu Hieu lineage, Thich Nhat Hanh directed his disciples to draft a letter inviting all the monks and nuns of the Tu Hieu lineage (disciples and descendants of Zen Master Thanh Quy, his teacher), to a joyful family gathering and homecoming celebration at Tu Hieu Temple on Saturday November 3rd. As Thich Nhat Hanh said when he first returned to Vietnam in 2005, after four decades of exile, “There is no religion, no doctrine higher than brotherhood and sisterhood.”
Even at this moment, Thich Nhat Hanh remains steadfast and energetic in using every breath and every action to build and strengthen the “beloved community of compassion,” and to cultivate healing, reconciliation and transformation in his community, society and the world.
Plum Village International Practice Center Le Pey, Thénac 24240, France
The monks and nuns of the Plum Village International Community of Engaged Buddhists stand by our beloved teacher, the Zen master, global spiritual leader, peace activist and poet Thich Nhat Hanh, as he returns again to his homeland. Since celebrating his 92nd birthday last month, he has expressed a deep wish to go back to reside at his “root temple,” Tu Hieu Temple in Hue, Vietnam, to live his remaining days.
Thich Nhat Hanh has turned formidable physical challenges arising from the major stroke he suffered four years ago into a powerful teaching by continuing to live each moment peacefully and joyfully, with great presence and meaning. Tu Hieu Temple is where Thich Nhat Hanh first became a monk in 1942, aged sixteen. After nearly sixty years spreading the teachings abroad, Thich Nhat Hanh’s final homecoming is a source of peace and happiness for his students, Tu Hieu Temple and lineage. It is very precious for Thich Nhat Hanh’s large international following to maintain this deep and enduring connection to our spiritual roots in Vietnam.
Thich Nhat Hanh, who coined the term “Engaged Buddhism” and who has dedicated his life to renewing Buddhism so it can help individuals and societies address the challenges of our times, has always seen the roots of his teachings in the engaged spiritual life of the distinguished Buddhist patriarchs during Vietnam’s ancient Ly and Tran dynasties.
Although since his stroke Thich Nhat Hanh has no longer been able to speak, he remains powerfully alert and present. After summoning his senior disciples to a meeting on 24th October in Plum Village Thailand, where he has been residing since December 2016, Thich Nhat Hanh clearly communicated his wish to return to Vietnam using gestures, nodding and shaking his head in response to questions. The necessary arrangements were made for his return and he landed at Da Nang Airport, Vietnam on the afternoon of 26th October. His arrival was celebrated by a receiving party of senior Buddhist venerables, monks, nuns and lay followers.
After resting for two days by the ocean to recover from the journey, Thich Nhat Hanh arrived at Tu Hieu on the afternoon of October 28th, where he was welcomed with a traditional formal procession and the sound of drums and bells. As he entered, he took a moment to reach out and touch the cool stone of the ancient gateway: a seal of arrival and return. Everyone present remained silent as he contemplated the half-moon pond, where he had spent many memorable moments as a young monk, and then made his way to the Buddha hall to pay his respects and offer incense at the ancestral altar.
Since his arrival, Thich Nhat Hanh’s health has remained fragile but stable. He has joined his community in walking meditation at dawn, visiting every corner of this temple that was his home and where he was nurtured as he embarked on his spiritual path. On the evening of October 26th in Da Nang, as the current Abbot and Head of Tu Hieu lineage, Thich Nhat Hanh directed his disciples to draft a letter inviting all the monks and nuns of the Tu Hieu lineage (disciples and descendants of Zen Master Thanh Quy, his teacher), to a joyful family gathering and homecoming celebration at Tu Hieu Temple on Saturday November 3rd. As Thich Nhat Hanh said when he first returned to Vietnam in 2005, after four decades of exile, “There is no religion, no doctrine higher than brotherhood and sisterhood.”
Even at this moment, Thich Nhat Hanh remains steadfast and energetic in using every breath and every action to build and strengthen the “beloved community of compassion,” and to cultivate healing, reconciliation and transformation in his community, society and the world.
Sunday
Join Us for Our "Something Different Wednesday"
When a month has 5 Wednesdays we do something different on the last Wednesday. You are invited to join us for this month's "Something Different Wednesday".
We won't tell you what it's about, but here is a hint. Bring a photo of an ancestor or ancestors if you wish.
Thursday
Location Change: Dancing Flame Sangha Day of Mindfulness
Hello again from Dancing Flame Sangha in Wellsboro:
We are planning a "Day of Mindfulness" (DoM) for Saturday, October 27th, from 9:30 AM to around 3:30 PM. We will gather at the home of our Sangha brother Grady Gafford at 454 Fischler Street Ext, Wellsboro, PA 16901.
PLEASE NOTE THIS CHANGE OF ADDRESS FOR OUR DoM.
DoM's are similar to our weekly group meditation gatherings as far as the types of meditation practice. Some differences in a DoM are: walking meditation will take place OUTSIDE, weather permitting, and for a longer period of time. In addition to various meditation practices, we plan to learn and sing some songs together.
Also, Jeanne Anselmo, a Dharma Teacher in the Plum Village Tradition established by Thich Nhat Hanh, will share with us and facilitate our celebrating our Sangha's first DoM.
We will have lunch about mid-way in the day (around 12:30PM), so please bring a vegetarian or vegan dish to share. In the last hour or so of our gathering, we will have a Q & A and discussion / sharing.
EVEN IF YOU ALREADY HAVE BEFORE, PLEASE SEND A MESSAGE TO terrybabb@hotmail.com IF YOU WILL BE COMING, even for part of the day.
FEEL FREE TO SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH ANYONE YOU THINK MAY BE INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN A DoM WITH US.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE CALL TERRY BABB at (570) 787-3540
Monday
Engaged Mindfulness October Meeting
Engaged Mindfulness Monthly Meeting
Sunday, October 21st at 11:30 AM - 1 PM
Just Be Cause Center1013 W State St, Ithaca, New York 14850Engaged Mindfulness Ithaca is on Facebook!Engaged Mindfulness Ithaca is a once a month, community mindfulness group that meets at the Just Be Cause Center on the 3rd Sunday of each month.We will practice various forms of meditation (sitting, walking, contemplation) and learn from the writings of teachers such as Thich Nhat Hanh, Martin Luther King Jr., Pema Chodron, Dorothy Day, Ghandi, Joan Halifax, Joanna Macy and others. The group will be a safe space to discuss our struggles in pursuing the path of compassion within ourselves and out in the world, especially with those we don't understand and even those toward whom we feel resentment and fear. |
Time Change: Caretaking Team and Book Discussion Group Meetings
The time of our Caretaking Team and Book Discussion meetings will begin later than normal due to some schedule conflicts. The pot luck lunch and book discussion times are approximate as shown below. We will meet at the home of Nancy Stewart at 509 Coddington Road in Ithaca. You may attend all or some of the day depending on your interests.
11:00 AM - Our Sangha Caretaking Team meets to review and make recommendations, choices and decisions for the future on how to best use our time, effort and resources. This is open to all Sangha members.
12:45/1:00 PM - We will have a vegetarian pot luck lunch. Please bring one of your favorite dishes to share.
1:30/2:00 PM - Our book discussion of Awakening Together: The Spiritual Practice of Inclusivity and Community by Larry Yang will continue with the discussion of the questions at the end of Chapter 2, Chapter 3 and the questions at the end of Chapter 3. If have not yet ordered the book, we suggest ordering the book through Barnes & Noble or Powells. Amazon also has a Kindle version of the book. You may join any or all of these discussions. Attendance of previous discussions is not required. Please join us when you can.
Please reply to this email if you have any questions.
Sunday
Caretaking Team and Book Discussion Group Meetings
Our Caretaking Team and Book Discussion meetings will take place on October 20th at the home of Nancy Stewart at 509 Coddington Road in Ithaca. You may attend all or some of the day depending on your interests.
Our Caretaking Team will meet from 10:00 AM until 12:00 noon. The team meets to review and make recommendations, choices and decisions for the future on how to best use our time, effort and resources. This is open to all Sangha members.
We will have a vegetarian pot luck lunch at 12:00 noon. Please bring one of your favorite dishes to share.
Our book discussion of Awakening Together: The Spiritual Practice of Inclusivity and Community by Larry Yang will continue with the discussion of the questions at the end of Chapter 2, Chapter 3 and the questions at the end of Chapter 3. If have not yet ordered the book, we suggest ordering the book through Barnes & Noble or Powells. Amazon also has a Kindle version of the book. You may join any or all of these discussions. Attendance of previous discussions is not required. Please join us when you can.
Saturday
Sister Ocean to Facilitate Wednesday Evening Meditation
Sister Ocean will facilitate our regular meditation evening on Wednesday October 17th from 7:30 - 9:00 PM. This is a rare opportunity you won't want to miss.
WakeUp Ithaca Special Event
Don't miss an opportunity sponsored by WakeUp Ithaca to spend an evening with Sister Ocean on Tuesday evening, October 16th. Contact ithaca@wkup.org for more details.
Thursday
Thay's 92nd Birthday
As we celebrate Thay’s 92nd continuation day on 11th October, we would like to take this opportunity to share with you how our beloved Teacher has been doing. Read more
Tuesday
A Date with Dessert
Patricia and Peter Ladley and the justice and peace committee of First Presbyterian Church, 315 N.Cayuga Street, Ithaca NY invite you to hear and engage Gabriel Bol Deng, former refugee from South Sudan, and founder of Hope for Ariang (www.HopeForAriang.org) on Sunday October 21st, 2:30 – 4:30 PM. Gabriel will be in Ithaca to share his story as a refugee and his dream of providing primary education in his home village in South Sudan. In a country where more than half of school-age children are not in school, and where 73% of girls do not go to school, the Ariang Primary School stands out as a beacon of hope to over 600 boys and girls. Come and learn what is happening in Ariang and how we can respond to the needs of the students and sustain their hope for a better future.
Bring a dessert to share, and an open heart to help provide scholarships, particularly for the girls of Ariang. Brochures and other information will be provided and Gabriel will be present to answer questions you may have about Ariang and about South Sudan today.
A RSVP is helpful. For more information: ladley@earthlink.net. Remember, you have a date with dessert! All are welcome.
Bring a dessert to share, and an open heart to help provide scholarships, particularly for the girls of Ariang. Brochures and other information will be provided and Gabriel will be present to answer questions you may have about Ariang and about South Sudan today.
A RSVP is helpful. For more information: ladley@earthlink.net. Remember, you have a date with dessert! All are welcome.
Dwelling Happily in the Present Moment Retreat
A second day this autumn has been planned for "Dwelling Happily in the Present Moment," the first retreat of Chris Phillips' Foundations of Mindfulness Trilogy.
Saturday October 27th 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Rochester Mennonite Church
Intro to mindfulness and refresher for long-time meditators
Pre-requisite for Foundations 2 and 3 later this fall and winter
Register by October 15th
Read More and Sign Up Here
Full details about these programs and others are at www.sunlightoftheheart.com
Listing of all the workshops in one place is at https://sites.google.com/site/onedaysplus/
Blooming Lilac Sangha's 25th Anniversary Celebration!!
Blooming Lilac Sangha 25th Anniversary Celebration!!
from the BLS Newsletter - September 2018
We (Blooming Lilac Sangha) will be gathering rain or shine September 15th 10 am - 3 pm at: Carmen Clark lodge 777 Westfall Rd. Rochester, NY 14618
Please come, bring family or friends and join us for a potluck picnic and day of cultivating joy!. There will be games, music, some contemplative moments, an opportunity to share what our sangha has meant to you & your vision of where it can bloom in the future.
Plans for the day: (downloadable/shareable/printable document)
10:00 am - arrival and settling in
10:30 am - welcome and opening circle 11:15 am - socializing, games, art, contributing to history &
ideas for the future
11:45 am - walking meditation
12:15 pm - picnic
1:00 pm - open: games/ walking/ sitting/ celebration circle: music, dancing, poems, singing, art
2:15 pm - closing comments & readings
2:30 pm - cleanup begins, out of lodge by 3 pm
What to bring: a dish to pass, memories, stories, photos, drawings, musical instruments, sense of humor, smiles and open hearts.
Here is A Guide for the Unfamiliar a document that explains a little bit about what we do and where or rather who we draw our practices and customs from.
We need your RSVPs! Reply to bloominglilacsangha.orghttp://bloominglilacsangha.org/ to let us know if you plan to come or not, how many will be coming with you, or for any questions
See you soon! With joy and gratitude, BLS 25th anniversary planning team.
Sunday
Cedar Cabin Sangha September 22nd Gathering
Our Caretaking Team and Book Discussion meetings will take place on September 22nd at the home of Nancy Koschmann, 705 Ringwood Road in Ithaca. You may attend all or some of the day depending on your interests.
Our Sangha Caretaking Team meets to review and make recommendations, choices and decisions for the future on how to best use our time, effort and resources. This is open to all Sangha members. This meeting will be from 10:00 AM until 12:00 noon.
We will have a vegetarian pot luck lunch at 12:00 noon. Please bring one of your favorite dishes to share.
Our Book Discussion Group will meet from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. We will discuss "Awakening Together: The Spiritual Practice of Inclusivity and Community" by Larry Yang.
If you have any questions, please use the Contact Us form on the right side of this page.
Our Sangha Caretaking Team meets to review and make recommendations, choices and decisions for the future on how to best use our time, effort and resources. This is open to all Sangha members. This meeting will be from 10:00 AM until 12:00 noon.
We will have a vegetarian pot luck lunch at 12:00 noon. Please bring one of your favorite dishes to share.
Our Book Discussion Group will meet from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. We will discuss "Awakening Together: The Spiritual Practice of Inclusivity and Community" by Larry Yang.
If you have any questions, please use the Contact Us form on the right side of this page.
Wednesday
Our August Day of Mindfulness
Our Day of Mindfulness with Dharma teacher Jeanne Anselmo was rich. We were inspired to deeply take care of ourselves on an ongoing basis while we are trying to work in the world for change. Part of taking care of ourselves was to nourish ourselves by being with sangha, including playing with sangha.
 |
| Deep Relaxation Meditation |
 | ||
| A pause in walking meditation |
We sat in meditation together, sang together, walked mindfully together on a beautiful summer afternoon.
We ate delicious food from our summer bounty together and roasted marshmallows for s'mores together under the almost-full moon with wispy clouds floating by.
Thanks to everyone who helped create this event through generosity and love! - Nancy Stewart
Thursday
August/September 2018 Newsletter
| |||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday
Meditation on July 4th
There will be meditation today Wednesday, July 4th. It will be held as usual from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. at Hospicare of Ithaca, 172 East King Road. We apologize for the late notice.
Tuesday
Wake Up Ithaca Meditation Group
Wake Up Ithaca is a group of young meditation practitioners who get together to create a refuge of peace, joy, and sanity for each other. We share a determination to live in an awakened way and to realize the path of understanding and love so that we can help build a healthier and more compassionate society. Our practitioners are aged 18-35ish. Beginners welcome.
Typical schedule:
Guided sitting meditation (20 mins)
Walking meditation or deep relaxation meditation (10-20 mins)
Reading (10 mins)
Tea & sharing circle (30 mins)
No fee, donations accepted to support our rent
When: 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month from 10 to 11:30 am.
Where: St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 402 N Aurora St. Please enter through the side entrance on Aurora St. This is the 2nd set of double doors from Court St with a keypad. Email ithaca@wkup.org if you are interested attending and you will be sent a code for entry.
Typical schedule:
Guided sitting meditation (20 mins)
Walking meditation or deep relaxation meditation (10-20 mins)
Reading (10 mins)
Tea & sharing circle (30 mins)
No fee, donations accepted to support our rent
When: 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month from 10 to 11:30 am.
Where: St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 402 N Aurora St. Please enter through the side entrance on Aurora St. This is the 2nd set of double doors from Court St with a keypad. Email ithaca@wkup.org if you are interested attending and you will be sent a code for entry.
Monday
Engaged Mindfulness Monthly Meeting
Sunday, June 17th at 11:30 AM - 1 PM
Just Be Cause Center
1013 W State St, Ithaca, New York 14850
Engaged Mindfulness Ithaca is on Facebook!
Engaged Mindfulness Ithaca is a once a month, community
mindfulness group that meets at the Just Be Cause Center on the 3rd
Sunday of each month.
We will practice various forms of meditation (sitting, walking, contemplation) and learn from the writings of teachers such as Thich Nhat Hanh, Martin Luther King Jr., Pema Chodron, Dorothy Day, Ghandi, Joan Halifax, Joanna Macy and others. The group will be a safe space to discuss our struggles in pursuing the path of compassion within ourselves and out in the world, especially with those we don't understand and even those toward whom we feel resentment and fear. |
Sunday
Special Treat for Our Meditation this Wednesday May 30th
Dear Friends, Join us this week (Wednesday May 30) for deep relaxation
and music meditation. Bring a blanket or yoga pad for laying down on the
floor, if you like. This meditation can also be enjoyed relaxing in a
chair.
As a reminder, we meet weekly at Hospicare (172 East King Road, Ithaca NY) on Wednesday nights (7:30-9:00) for sitting and walking meditation, and tea sharing/dharma discussion. In summer time, we enjoy walking meditation in the gardens in good weather. Please join us when you can.
As a reminder, we meet weekly at Hospicare (172 East King Road, Ithaca NY) on Wednesday nights (7:30-9:00) for sitting and walking meditation, and tea sharing/dharma discussion. In summer time, we enjoy walking meditation in the gardens in good weather. Please join us when you can.
Saturday
Engaged Mindfulness Monthly Meeting
Sunday, May 20th at 11:30 AM - 1 PM
Just Be Cause Center
1013 W State St, Ithaca, New York 14850
Engaged Mindfulness Ithaca is on Facebook!
|
Sunday
Engaged Mindfulness Monthly Meeting
Sunday, April 22 at 11:30 AM - 1 PM
Just Be Cause Center
1013 W State St, Ithaca, New York 14850
Engaged Mindfulness Ithaca is on Facebook!
|
Friday
Cedar Cabin Sangha/Mindfulness Meditation News - March 2018
Sangha Discussion group(s) on Saturday March 10. Five Mindfulness Trainings and Sangha Care-taking. Time: 11am - 3pm (in several parts). Location: 888 Comfort Road in Danby (Pamela Goddard's home) Contact #: 607.273.8678. We are starting another round of focused discussion of the Five Mindfulness Trainings, as practiced in the Plum Village Tradition. Over the next five months we will meet to discuss each of the trainings in detail. On March 10 we will discuss the 1st of the Five Mindfulness Trainings.
The Five Mindfulness Trainings discussion will be preceded by a Sangha care-taking group meeting and a vegetarian pot-luck lunch. All those who are interested in caring for our sangha are welcome to join us. The Sangha care-taking discussion will begin at 11am, with lunch starting sometime between Noon and 12:30. The Mindfulness Training discussion will likely start between 1 and 1:30 and go until around 3pm. For more info and directions, call the contact # above.
Wednesday night meditation continues, 7:30-9:00pm in the lower room at Hospicare. We have been asked to remind our meditators to enter through the upstairs/main entrance. This is for the security of the staff and residents in the care facility. A sangha member will be on "door duty" from roughly 7:20-7:40 to welcome you. Please do your best to arrive in that time. If conditions are such that you must arrive later, you may need to ring the door buzzer and a staff person will buzz you in. *Please do not knock on the lower door for entrance.* This can be disturbing to staff who may be working late.
Lastly, in addition to our Wednesday evening group and once a month Saturday afternoon discussions, there are two other practice groups which may be of interest to you. Engaged Mindfulness Ithaca meets once a month, on the 3rd Sunday - most recently at 1pm at "Just Be Cause" near the Ithaca Inlet. This group is open to everyone. A WakeUp! group is starting, for people ages 18-35 held on Saturday morning at the St. Paul's Methodist Church.
If you wish to receive an email with new posts from this blog, you may subscribe using the form on the right side of this page.
The Five Mindfulness Trainings discussion will be preceded by a Sangha care-taking group meeting and a vegetarian pot-luck lunch. All those who are interested in caring for our sangha are welcome to join us. The Sangha care-taking discussion will begin at 11am, with lunch starting sometime between Noon and 12:30. The Mindfulness Training discussion will likely start between 1 and 1:30 and go until around 3pm. For more info and directions, call the contact # above.
Wednesday night meditation continues, 7:30-9:00pm in the lower room at Hospicare. We have been asked to remind our meditators to enter through the upstairs/main entrance. This is for the security of the staff and residents in the care facility. A sangha member will be on "door duty" from roughly 7:20-7:40 to welcome you. Please do your best to arrive in that time. If conditions are such that you must arrive later, you may need to ring the door buzzer and a staff person will buzz you in. *Please do not knock on the lower door for entrance.* This can be disturbing to staff who may be working late.
Lastly, in addition to our Wednesday evening group and once a month Saturday afternoon discussions, there are two other practice groups which may be of interest to you. Engaged Mindfulness Ithaca meets once a month, on the 3rd Sunday - most recently at 1pm at "Just Be Cause" near the Ithaca Inlet. This group is open to everyone. A WakeUp! group is starting, for people ages 18-35 held on Saturday morning at the St. Paul's Methodist Church.
If you wish to receive an email with new posts from this blog, you may subscribe using the form on the right side of this page.
Wednesday
The Green Man
The following poem was read at a meditation session recently.
The Green Man
by Joe Zarantonello
The Green Man built a tree house in the center of my heart,
No one asked him to. He just showed up one day.
He never asked me. He never called to inquire
about available space. The Green Man just appeared
one day, swinging and laughing
in a glowing tree of emeralds in the heart of my chest.
I forgot all about him, and then when pain or suffering arises,
I can hear him laughing and swinging from the branches,
and somehow that changes everything.
More and more, I open my heart to the pain
and suffering of the moment, and just breathe it all in.
On the out breath, a green luminosity
vibrates out into the world from every cell in my body.
The green of the newly unfurled leaf on the first day of spring.
"The Green Man" by Joe Zarantonello from Green Bamboo. (c) Nirvana Press (2005)
Monday
Cedar Cabin Sangha/Mindfulness Meditation News
Wednesday night meditation continues, 7:30-9:00pm in the
lower room at Hospicare. We have been asked to remind our meditators to enter
through the upstairs/main entrance. This is for the security of the staff and
residents in the care facility. A sangha member will be on "door
duty" from roughly 7:20-7:40 to welcome you. Please do your best to arrive
in that time. If conditions are such that you must arrive later, you may need
to ring the door buzzer and a staff person will buzz you in. *Please do not
knock on the lower door for entrance.* This can be disturbing to staff who may
be working late.
We had our final discussion of "Mindfulness as
Medicine" a little over two weeks ago. Those who have read this book have
found it both interesting and supportive. Our discussion was deep and real. The
sangha care-taking group would like to continue our (more or less) monthly
discussions, with a return to discussion of the Five Mindfulness Trainings. For
discussion of the First Mindfulness Training, we are looking at Saturday
afternoons in late February to mid-March. Those dates are Feb. 24, March 3 or
10. Interest and availability seems to be leaning to Saturday March 10 - but
please let me/us know if you want to join this discussion and if one of the
other Saturdays is better for you. We will go with the date which is best for
most.
The Five Mindfulness Trainings discussion will be
preceded by a Sangha care-taking group meeting and a vegetarian pot-luck lunch.
All those who are interested in caring for our sangha are welcome to join us.
Again, let us know whether Feb. 24, March 3 or March 10 is possible (and which
date best) for you if you are interested in joining us.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)