This Monday May 20, we will meet in person.
Go to calendar for our schedule
Address for OHMC meditation space:
3812 Northampton St. NW, Washington DC 20015
Please arrive a few minutes early so we can invite the bell on time. You may also arrive 15 minutes early to practice working meditation by helping us set up cushions.
Dear friends,
This week: we will meet Monday from 7-8:30PM EDT in person at our meditation space (3812 Northampton Street NW), Wednesday morning from 7-8AM EDT online, and Friday 12-1PM EDT in person.
On Monday, Ellen will facilitate.
“The next Buddha will be a sangha.”
— Thich Nhat Hanh (from the Plum Village website)
I’ve recently had the opportunity to experience sangha at a deeper level and think more about it.
What is a sangha? The word comes from the Sanskrit word for community. They can be big or small and are a way to carry forward, teach and practice Thay’s teachings.
I realize, after many years of attending the Opening Heart Mindfulness Community Monday gatherings, how much I’ve taken the sangha for granted when it’s actually a rare, precious gift for me and hopefully for you.
Here’s a wonderful description from the Plum Village website:
Building a sangha is like planting a sunflower. We need to be aware of which conditions will support the flower’s growth and which conditions will obstruct its growth. We need healthy seeds, skilled gardeners, and plenty of sunshine and room to grow. When we engage in sangha building, the most important thing to remember is that we are doing it together. The more we embrace the sangha, the more we can let go of the feeling of a separate self. We can relax into the collective wisdom and insights of the sangha. We can see clearly that the sangha eyes and hands and heart are greater than that of any individual member of the sangha.
We have the opportunity to help build our sangha in every moment, by participating in activities of the sangha and contributing our energy and insights. To sustain our own practice when we leave the practice center, we need to know how to build a sangha. Let us be active in establishing connections with those around us. When we realize our true nature of interbeing, we naturally seek to connect with others by sharing our practice and seeking the support and guidance of our fellow practitioners.From the Thich Nhat Hahn foundation website: “sangha resources.”)
I’ve been thinking about the benefits I get from our sangha, even as we balance in-person and Zoom gatherings with different participants. I’d like to do more to carry the energy and learnings of sangha into the rest of my life.
I’ve also focused recently on what I need to bring and give to the sangha. Thay’s comment about “building” sangha is clearly a vision of a community that works together, honoring the skills, gifts, and experiences of each of us. For me, I feel an obligation to contribute to the sangha –a desire to make a meaningful contribution to this group. This Monday, we’ll focus on sangha. Perhaps you’ll have something to share about what sangha does for you. Maybe you’ll bring an inspiration or a reading about how we can work together to build the OHMC sangha. Perhaps you’ll sit, listen, and feel the energy and support of our sangha to carry you forward.
Some questions to consider:
What are the seeds are you cultivating in the garden of the sangha?
How have you used what you’ve learned in sangha to benefit your life,work,family’ot other relationships?
Which parts of building connection are hard and which parts are easy for you?
In what ways have you seen sangha “eyes” and heart reach beyond our individual eyes and heart?
You may also find this sangha building resource useful: Sangha Facilitation Handbook
Ellen