Gathering: November 29, 2006

Unfortunately no other sangha members were able to join me for tonight's gathering. I sat and walked. Being alone, my thoughts often strayed to the future of the sangha. The number of regular participants is shrinking, which is a concern.

When considering ways to promote our sangha, I feel a website is important. Many people use the internet to find information about local Buddhist groups, and I believe it would be helpful to have a stronger presence online. Afterwards, I went home and worked steadily on our webpage, and hope it will be ready to publish next week.

Gathering: November 22, 2006

As always, we began with two periods of sitting and walking meditation. We then continued listening to a series of talks by Thich Nhat Hanh called "The Ultimate Dimension".

In the section titled "The Teaching of Interbeing" Thay discusses the Avatamsaka Sutra. Many gathas that we use today come from this sutra. In "Present Moment, Wonderful Moment" Thay has added new verses for modern circumstances such as driving in our cars, or talking on the telephone. These verses help us to practice mindfulness in daily life.

In "Toucing the Whole Cosmos" Thay chants a verse for us in Vietnamese, then translates it line by line. One line, "Our practice centre is the Net of Indra" refers to the heavenly abode of the God Indra, where there hung a net of infinite dimension. On each intersection of the net hung a glittering jewel. If you looked closely at any one of these jewels, you would see every other jewel reflected in the polished surface. This is a metaphor for the non-dual nature of existence, and the interconnectedness of all things.

Gathering: November 15, 2006

Being the third Wednesday of our new schedule, we recited the Five Mindfulness Trainings. Here is an excerpt for your contemplation:

The Second Mindfulness Training:

Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice, stealing, and oppression, I am committed to cultivating loving kindness and learning ways to work for the well-being of people, animals, plants, and minerals. I will practice generosity by sharing my time, energy, and material resources with those who are in real need. I am determined not to steal and not to possess anything that should belong to others. I will respect the property of others, but I will prevent others from profiting from human suffering or the suffering of other species on Earth.

During the discussion that followed, it was noted that the ideal of not stealing and not possessing anything that should belong to others, is very closely tied to the basic Buddhist teaching that craving is the root of suffering.

Schedule Change

After some discussion we have decided to adjust our weekly schedule, switching our recitation ceremony to the third week. The schedule is as follows:

Noble silence begins at 7:00pm. The first hour consists of two periods of sitting and walking meditation. The activity of the second hour varies weekly.

1st Wednesday: Third period of sitting and walking, followed by a sutra reading

2nd Wednesday: Dharma Talk & Discussion

3rd Wednesday: Recitation Ceremony (5 Mindfulness Trainings)

4th Wednesday: Dharma Talk & Discussion

5th Wednesday: Sangha's Choice: Deep Relaxation, Tea Ceremony, Book Discussion, Guided Meditation, etc.

At approximately 8:45 we Dedicate the Merit of our practice, and restore the zendo.

Gathering: November 8, 2006

Tonight we began with two periods of sitting and walking meditation. We then continued listening to a series of talks by Thich Nhat Hanh called "The Ultimate Dimension".

We have just begun disc two which began with "The Path of Liberation" in which Thay describes the four miracles of mindfulness. The practice of mindfulness allows us to be fully present, here and now. When we are fully present, we are able to recognize and acknowledge the people and things around us. This is necessary in order for us to connect deeply and truly see the beauty of the things around us and appreciate the ones we love. We can use our mindfulnes to relieve the suffering of others; simply by being fully present we can help others. Finally, mindfulness allows us to look deeply, providing insights that have the power to transform us.

Gathering: November 1, 2006

On the first wednesday of the month we have a recitation ceremony. We began with two periods of sitting and walking meditation. Afterwards we recited the Five Mindfulness Trainings. The following is an excerpt for your contemplation:

The First Mindfulness Training:

Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I am committed to cultivating compassion and learning ways to protect the lives of people, animals, plants, and minerals. I am determined not to kill, not to let others kill, and not to support any act of killing in the world, in my thinking and in my way of life.

Welcome to Waves and Water

Since many of our sangha members are unable to attend our weekly meetings, this blog will enable everyone to keep informed of our current activities, and maintain a connection to the sangha from afar.

This blog will also serve as an introduction for those of you who are just discovering our sangha. We welcome anyone who would like to join us either short-term or long-term to experience this tradition and to strengthen their interest or ongoing practice.

Thank you for visiting!