Dear friends,

On Saturday morning, March 24, the Washington DC Area Mindfulness Communities practicing in the tradition of Plum Village will gather at the Upper Senate Park between 9:30 and 11:00 a.m, to March for Our Lives. 

You are invited to join us.

During our time together, we will sit in meditation, sing, and walk mindfully in preparation for offering our peaceful presence as participants in the March For Our Lives. We will depart Upper Senate Park at 11:00 a.m.

Location: 
Upper Senate Park  (The Google Maps address for the park is 200 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001. )  The park is located immediately west of the Russell Senate Building. Below is a map that shows how to walk from closest Metro stations (Union Station, Capitol South, Federal Center) to the Upper Senate Park meeting location. 

Schedule:
9:30 a.m. - Begin arriving at Upper Senate Park
10:00 a.m. - 11: a.m. Gathering together for meditation, singing, mindful walking
11:00 - Start to walk mindfully to the rally site.
12 p.m. - Event is scheduled to begin.

Things to Know/Consider Before Attending:

• A very large crowd is expected. Metro will be crowded.
• Cell phones might not work during the event so leave home early enough that you can join us before we leave the Upper Senate Park at 11 a.m.
• Think to buy SmartTrip cards or add money to the cards in advance.
• Metro has created a page with information about getting to the march. It will open at 7 a.m. on Saturday, and add trains to accommodate the march.
• Metro information page: https://www.wmata.com/rider-guide/travel-to-national-mall.cfm
• Although there have been no clear guidelines about backpacks or signs, it would be best to carry a small backpack.
• If you make signs try to avoid using sticks that might be misconstrued as "weapons."
• Everyone should carry water and food.
• Access to restrooms may be limited.
• It has been suggested that to identify ourselves we wear brown and / or wear a paper or cloth sunflower.
• Late breaking information about the mindfulness community's participation in the March will be posted on our Plum Village Community FaceBook Events page:

A Teaching from Thay: 
In Man is Not the Enemy, an essay Thay (the Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh) wrote in 2000, he reflects on his efforts to end the War in Vietnam and the engaged practice insights he has since acquired:
 

"Having learned and practiced the teachings of Interbeing I no longer see anyone as my enemy and in my heart is a feeling of lightness and immense space. I do not even feel hatred towards people who have made me or my people suffer because I know how to look at them with the eyes of understanding and love. You may ask: "Then are you going to give that band of mad, cruel, fanatical thieves and murderers freedom to continue to destroy and make misery without doing anything to stop them?" No! We have to do everything we can to stop them, we cannot allow them to continue to kill, plunder, oppress and destroy, but our actions will never be motivated by hatred. We have to stop them, not allowing them to cause misery. If necessary we can bind them, put them in prison, but this action has to be directed by our bodhisattva's heart and while we act like this we continue to maintain our loving-kindness, wanting them to be able to have a chance to wake up, and change." 
 

with love,

The Washington Area Mindfulness Communities:

Boat of Compassion Sangha

Mindfulness Practice Center of Fairfax

Opening Heart Mindfulness Community

Still Water Mindfulness Practice Center

Washington Mindfulness Community