Just a few spots left for Brian's Retreat
Saturday, April 26th (9am - 4pm)
and Sunday, April 27th (9am-3:30pm)
In this 2-day, non-residential retreat, we will explore how to interweave meditation with our communication, bringing greater awareness and presence to both speaking and listening. By cultivating this quality of mindful presence, we can more easily respond with wisdom and compassion, potentially transforming our interactions with others. The retreat will include a blend of silent meditation, walking meditation, and meditative exercises involving mindfully speaking and listening to each other. These practices will draw inspiration from classical Buddhist teachings on Wise Speech. See Brian's Bio here.
Mount Princeton Hot Springs Conference Center sits at the bottom of the majestic Mt. Princeton. Although this is a non-residential retreat, you are welcome to book a room if you wish to immerse yourself in the space and enjoy the hot springs.
This retreat is designed for beginners and experienced practitioners alike. We are very close to having a full retreat and there are only a handful of registration spots available. Sign up now if you want to attend.
Note: Registration closes on Thursday, April 24th at 11:00 am. Please sign up before this date/time to reserve your space, if any are available.
If you need help with registration, please email us at sangha@salidasangha.org.
We hope to see you there!
A Beautiful Gift
Collective Practice Opportunities in April
April Morning Meditation
6:30-7:30am Monday - Friday in April
Calling all early-bird meditators for ourApril Month of Morning Meditationat SIMC. This is an open sitting and walking practice. Come to sit or walk for a few minutes or for the whole time. We hope to see you there!
Daily Morning Practice of the Brahmaviharas
OurFebruaryDharma Seedlingtopic was on the Brahmaviharas. As a way of engaging in a daily morning practice in connection with our Sangha, we invite you to incorporate one of the Brahmavihara practices suggested, or create a practice that works for you. One suggested practice as you rise in the morning is to play with drenching and infusing the body in these qualities: Sense Loving Kindness, Compassion, Appreciative Joy, and Equanimity as showering through you. Another practice is to start the morning with this intention: May whatever arises in my heart and mind today be met skillfully with Loving Kindness, Compassion, Appreciative Joy, or Equanimity.
Even though we will be practicing this individually from wherever we are, we can know that our fellow Sangha members are also engaging in this shared intention.This collective effort nurtures unity and mindful connection among us all. May it deepen our daily connection to one another and to the wisdom of the Brahmaviharas.
Meditation for Care, Kindness, and Peace
Tuesday, April 22nd (Earth Day) 5:00-5:45pm
SIMC is participating with other groups and Sanghas in a collective opportunity to come together for 45 minutes with the intention of sending out care, kindness, and peace to all beings and to our precious planet. We invite you to join us at the Sangha House at 5:00pm on Earth Day as we sit together to collectively send out these good intentions. If you are unable to stay for the full duration, feel free to quietly exit at any time.
The unity of our thoughts and intentions truly matters. Together we can amplify this shared offering to the world. If you are unable to join us in person at the Sangha House, we invite you to practice this offering from home, knowing that our collective efforts are stronger when united in purpose.
Dharma Seedlings - The Four Noble Truths
The Buddha’s very first teaching following his awakening, was the Four Noble Truths which gives us a map of how suffering ceases in our lives. Bhikkhu Bodhi says this, regarding the importance of this teaching, “The Buddha declares that these truths convey in a nutshell all the essential information that we need to set out on the path to liberation. He says that just as the elephant's footprint, by reason of its great size, contains the footprints of all other animals, so the Four Noble Truths, by reason of their comprehensiveness, contain within themselves all wholesome and beneficial teachings.”
These truths are considered Noble in the sense that they are ennobling for those that take them to heart and practice them diligently. The first truth essentially means that everyone without exception has struggles, challenges, and suffering in their lives. This allows us all to see that we are not alone, and can ease the tendency to judge, shame, blame and isolate ourselves due to the ways we struggle. The second truth teaches us that the cause of this suffering is struggling against the challenges - the pushing and pulling against the way things are (grasping, aversion, and confusion) and the misunderstanding about what causes relief. We only want pleasant and not the unpleasant and life just isn’t one sided. The Third Noble Truth says that the end of suffering is available – peace of mind, imperturbability, freedom of heart and mind. And finally, the Fourth Noble Truth lays out a path to this freedom, the Eightfold Path: Wise (Right) Understanding, Wise Intention, Wise Speech, Wise Action, Wise Livelihood, Wise Effort, Wise Mindfulness, Wise Concentration.
The Buddha often taught these Noble Truths using a medical analogy: He gives a diagnosis of the disease as suffering, whose cause or etiology is attachment to craving for things to be a certain way, and there is a cure which is the truth the suffering can end if you take the medicine, and the Fourth Noble Truth is taking the medicine which is the Noble Eightfold Path. For a detailed exploration of this path, Bhikkhu Bodhi’s book, "The Noble Eightfold Path" is available in our library.
We thank Denise Ackert for this Dharma Seedling.
Wisdom for Difficult Times
New to the Sangha Library is its most recent book display called "Wisdom for Difficult Times." These and all other books may be checked out to take home by filling out the slip on the table and placing it in the wooden box.
The Sangha Library is a valuable resource for guidance, inquiry and support. It is open before and after sits, with other times possible by arranging with Chris or Jackie via email or in person.
Requested Donations for the Library
Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication by Oren Jay Sofer
Any poetry books by Mary Oliver
Comfortable with Uncertainty by Pema Chodron
The generosity of our Sangha members is deeply appreciated. Please contact us if you are willing to donate your copy of any of these books to the library.
Chris O' Connor, Library Co-Manager, tofutacos@yahoo.com
Jackie Mart, Library Co-Manager, jackiemart759@gmail.com
“Radiate boundless love towards the entire world — above, below, and across — unhindered, without ill will, without enmity.”
~from the Metta Sutta
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