Returning to InterSangha, participants were invited to perceive a similarity of scales over the three dimensions of the individual heart, sangha, and wider Insight community. As the veins of a leaf resemble the branches of tree, and these in turn resemble the watershed of a river, so our practice on the cushion informs – and is informed by – our practice in community and the unfolding of Insight in the West.

Four major themes spanned these three dimensions: Elements of a Healthy Sangha, Teacher-Student Relations, Broadening of Insight, and Experienced Students. Each of these was fleshed out through three or four sessions. "Broadening of Insight" refers to various ways that the Insight movement is growing beyond its initial scope of retreats and, later, sanghas that offer a sit-and-Dharma-talk program. There is increasing secularization of Buddhism, and also movement toward sanghas fulfilling some of the same roles as churches.

We present a series of short articles summarizing some of the sessions; the selection offered does not imply importance! It is merely to demonstrate the range. The full program is published on the BIN website, along with recordings of some sessions.

The program was enhanced through a number of guests. It started with a surprise welcome from Jack Kornfield on the first evening. He offered wide-ranging comments on the current state of the Insight movement, highlighting the importance of sanghas coming together.

Phillip Moffitt led a session that encouraged living the Dhamma in all aspects of life. Sharing from his own practice, he revealed how even laypeople can practice the deeper forms of renunciation that lead to liberation. He also shared Spirit Rock's Six Core Operating Principles that bring the Dhamma into their administration.

James Baraz also brought his current practice in climate change issues to the group, offering teachings to help hold the suffering of this serious global challenge within the heart of practice. He encouraged feeling into and expressing compassion, perhaps even in the form of an intention to act, while also acknowledging that our care takes many forms and may not manifest as social action.

Other guests included Leigh Brasington, Richard Shankman, and Tony Bernhard on sutta study, and three people who offer service in the world: Jacques Verduin in the prison system, Randy Fernando in the educational system, and Susan Ezequelle in the hospital.

InterSangha 2015

Next year's meeting has already been put on our calendar – feel free to add it to yours. We will return to the Insight Retreat Center in Santa Cruz from Aug 5-9, 2015. Note that this is an additional day compared to prior years. We have received many requests both for more time to delve into topics and for more silent sitting time. The extra day will allow for both.

With best wishes,
Kim Allen
BIN President

Support the Buddhist Insight Network

BIN operates on a donation basis. If you would like to support the publication of Heartwood, BIN's online resources, or the annual InterSangha gathering, your generosity is greatly appreciated! BIN's Donation Page.

IS 2014: Elements of a Healthy Sangha

Diversity, Inclusivity, and Identity Panel
By Andrea Castillo

The meeting included a panel of five participants and a facilitator, speaking to issues of inclusion in the Insight movement. The facilitator, Shelly Graf from Common Ground Meditation Center in Minneapolis, presented this question to open the space: How have the issues of diversity, inclusivity, and identity come together in your practice or your sangha?

Each of the panelists reflected from their own perspective. Ed Haertel from Insight Meditation South Bay in Mountain View CA, spoke about the many identities that we all carry with us. He described himself as wearing many different hats, that of being a gay man, a retired professor, a husband, a sangha member, and a president of the IMSB board. He stressed the need of having our various identities accepted in order to feel safe in a community and of having a healthy sangha.

Andrea Castillo from Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City CA spoke about the different needs of the Hispanic immigrants and the US-born Hispanics, and how our sanghas need to make room for all. She shared a particular example of a US-born Hispanic woman who had almost lost her mother tongue. Engaging in the Dharma in Spanish catapulted her into a space of grief and tenderness, which set her on the path to healing her long lost relation to her language, her culture, and her parents, who embodied the world she was compelled to leave behind.

Stacy McClendon from Common Ground, as an African-American woman, described her journey from being initially largely under-represented in her sangha to forming a people of color group at Common Ground. This group has offered her and other people of color a space to look at their suffering. Stacy commented that not only is it important to be in a sangha with others that look like you, but the teachings have to be pertinent to one's experience. She also added that we need to make sure that our sanghas make room for all people to feel held and heard, and to the extent possible to feel safe, keeping in mind, though, that we all are coming from different starting points.

Brenda Salgado, the new director of East Bay Meditation Center in Oakland, born in the US, describes herself as an indigenous Nicaraguan. EBMC has led the way in the US as the most diverse sangha. Brenda commented how American Buddhism needs to reflect our society’s diversity. EBMC has gone beyond making a space accessible to all to seeing others as valuable members of the community; their programs aim to communicate the wisdom that differs from the mainstream. Brenda stressed the need to train teachers who embody diversity and who can teach from a reality that is relevant to diverse groups of people.

Mary Stancavage, from Against the Stream in Los Angeles, and also BIN board member, shared the process of the InterSangha Planning Committee around the diversity session for this year’s meeting. Mary described how we started by inviting Larry Yang to teach a session on diversity. This did not come about, and instead much teaching and learning took place in the discussion between Larry and the planning committee. We were challenged to consider questions such as: How committed are we as a group to investigate diversity in the long run? Are we aware how in order to delve deeply into this topic we need more than a two-hour training to make sure we create a safe container for all? Are we aware of the dangers of Dharma exceptionalism, in which we take a comfortable and passive attitude assuming that the Dharma will take care of the challenges of inclusivity?

Kim Allen, commenting from the audience, noted how all of us in the planning committee had done some diversity work, but we had never done so as a group. The discussion revealed something about each one of us and we matured and coalesced as a group. She added how essential it is, that while involved in this work we keep the question present, are we moving towards less suffering?

A lively and constructive discussion followed the panel, in which many valuable points were added, such as: The pain experienced by an Asian woman with a disability of not seeing herself represented in the panel; the need to stay engaged in the dialogue of diversity despite the fact that it often gets messy; the centrality of examining and sensitizing all of us to the various privileges: white, male, heterosexual, and able-bodied; the gift of safety in our diversity work that makes sure that nobody feels unsafe, including the privileged ones; and the intention that whatever painful issues arise be folded back into the Dharma.

It seems appropriate to close with these words from Stacy McClendon: “Diversity happens all on its own, but inclusion takes work.” Many thanks to Larry Yang, facilitator Shelly Graf, the panelists, and all others who shared from their experience and wisdom.

Body and Dhamma
By Wynn Fricke and Kitty Costello

Kitty Costello, from San Francisco Insight, and Wynn Fricke, from Common Ground Meditation Center, facilitated “Body and Dhamma,” which looked at how movement disciplines such as qigong, hatha yoga, and dance are included at Insight meditation centers and Insight retreats. The session, which began with 20 minutes of qigong, explored the particular value of movement as a foundation for mindfulness. In what ways do practices such as qigong, dance, and yoga, support the arising of insight? In what ways do they serve the arising of calm and wellbeing? How pervasive are these movement practices in Buddhist communities? Are there concerns about integrating practices that are not part of the Theravada lineage?

Kitty, a long-time Shaolin and qigong practitioner, reflected on the first precept of non-violence and how movement can be a form of kindness toward the body – a skillful means to prepare the body for stillness in sitting meditation. Movement can also help practitioners recognize the bodily elements (fire, water, air, earth), as described in the Buddha’s first foundation of mindfulness, as well as more deeply sense our physical, emotional, and energetic bodies. Wynn, a professional modern dancer, views dance training as a powerful support for insight into the three characteristics. The fluid moving body invites the understanding of impermanence. When we become absorbed in movement, our fixed notions of self are challenged. The dancing body can touch both rapture and dukkha.

In terms of the relationship between yoga and Buddhism, Wynn referenced a 2002 Shambhala Sun article, Buddhism and Yoga: Where the Paths Cross, in which Anna Douglas describes yoga as “good for awakening energies. We get a little more awake in our lives and begin to see possibilities and potentials that perhaps weren't recognized before.”

Phillip Moffitt, whom Shambhala Sun also interviewed, adds, “Both traditions are liberation-oriented. At a certain point, the map looks quite different because the descriptions of how liberation unfolds are different. But they are both oriented towards liberation, which ultimately can't be described.”

Dharma in Spanish Panel
By Andrea Castillo

After completing three years of offering Dharma in Spanish weekly at the Insight Meditation Center (IMC) in Redwood City, we decided that it was time to offer the very first Dharma in Spanish Panel at the 2014 Intersangha meeting. The panel was conducted in Spanish, and Andrea Castillo acted as the facilitator.

Among the twelve participants, we had representatives from five different sanghas where Dharma in Spanish is being offered. Three of these sanghas are within the US: IMC, East Bay Meditation Center in Oakland, and San Francisco Zen Center, and two sanghas in Mexico: Cholula Insight Sangha, and La Cochera, which is an amalgam of Mahayana teachings and recent neurological findings. Although Intersangha is focused on the Insight movement, it made sense to include the two Mahayana sanghas since the Dharma in Spanish movement is still so new and in need of support.

Presentations ranged from very personal accounts of how they had been touched and transformed by the Dharma in their own language, to general descriptions of what each sangha offered, and also about the first Dharma in Spanish newsletter, Nuestras Voces, Nuestro Dharma.

What was most inspiring is that a couple of attendees not involved with Dharma in Spanish so far were inspired to investigate the possibility of offering teachings in Spanish. Rick Howard from Sacramento Insight, for example, shared his idea of starting a group in which they could listen to Dharma talks in Spanish online, available on IMC’s website, and then have an informal discussion.

The aim of the panel was achieved: We all got to know each other and exchange ideas, and were inspired to continue the work. Thanks to all who participated and made the Dharma in Spanish panel possible.

IS 2014: Teacher-Student Relations

Teacher-Student Relationship
By Wynn Fricke

The Teacher-Student Relationship was a theme explored through small and large group discussions facilitated by Wynn Fricke of the BIN Board and Common Ground Meditation Center. The session began with the questions: How do we or can we take advantage of the teachers that are available? What models of the Teacher-Student relationship have worked to support our practice, and why? People had the opportunity to reflect on these relationships and how they change over time.

Looking at this relationship from a student point of view, the group examined the different forms these relationships take, such as relationships with: teachers who regularly interact with their home community, teachers we only meet on retreat, teachers we never meet but know through their books and online talks, monastic teachers, and spiritual friends (kalyanamita). When we are inspired to ask, “Will you be my teacher?”, what are we actually asking for? Small groups discussed the particular shadows and strengths that they’ve seen in these various models.

Participants also reflected on how, in the Insight Tradition, the responsibility is on the student to find a teacher. One participant expressed the challenges of finding or even having contact with a teacher. For those who do: How do we choose teachers? How do we understand the personality of a teacher, and are there expectations of perfection of the personality? What do we expect to see embodied in our teachers?

There were comments on the danger of projection and the value of recognizing a teacher as an ordinary human being, i.e.: “He’s really good, really wise, but just a person…”. There were also concerns about the boundaries between student and teacher, including the confusion that sometimes arises about what constitutes a “friendship” versus a teacher-student relationship. Overall, it was clear that this complex relationship is worthy of our mindfulness and ongoing care.

Dana, Livelihood, and Teacher Support
By Matthew Brensilver

This session was an attempt to unpack the various competing concerns that animate the issues of dana, livelihood, and teacher support. Rather than taking a position on a particular financial arrangement that could serve students, teachers and the Dharma, facilitator Matthew Brensilver tried to highlight how our choices are more complex than concrete financial arrangements.

This is a sensitive subject in spiritual communities, and perhaps especially so in America where wealth is a particularly complicated issue. One important question is whether we are trying to derive and distill aspects of the Buddha’s approach to livelihood and money, or we are trying to re-envision a system that thoroughly integrates Dharma but is not derived directly from the Buddha’s teachings on dana.

Matthew suggested that this latter approach may be important, as the current system has some potential challenges. These challenges include: Limiting the teachers without substantial supplementary income who can teach, creating a de facto fee-for-service model that seems to deviate from the Buddha’s intentions around teaching, and some lack of transparency regarding money and the process of generating revenue. Naming these is in no way meant to be dismissive of the beauty and power of the dana system as it is currently functioning.

There are a number of key values that might provide a framework for thinking about the issues:

Providing access to teachings for those cannot afford to give money
Supporting lay teachers to teach effectively (and practice)
Creating optimal conditions for the transmission of the Dharma – acknowledging that particular financial incentive structures could influence what gets taught
Thoroughly integrating the full range of the Dharma teachings in understanding the issue

Some questions were posed to the group:

What are key Dharma teachings relevant for the questions of Lay Teacher Support?
In what ways is the current system functioning well? In what ways is it problematic?
Do we need different models depending on the particular community?
What can we do in our leadership positions to support healthy systems of Lay Teacher Support?

The comments and feedback from the audience ranged widely and touched on additional important points. One person noted the lack of an archetype for lay teachers and the difference between giving dana to support a monastic life, versus money that is paid to support a lay teacher’s activity. Another acknowledged the tension between individualistic culture and the importance of collectivist impulses in sustaining the dana system. How should we think about the money paid to lay teachers – is it an expression of gratitude, a support for a livelihood, or both? Thinking through the nuts-and-bolts in a "left-brain" way may be important for the Insight Movement.

One participant disputed the notion that the "dana system," namely the money offered to lay teachers for lay teachings, emerged from the Insight Movement in the US during the 1970’s, instead citing precedents in Buddhist history. A staff member of a community Insight center acknowledged that one of the consequences of our financial arrangements is that the staff is paid substantially less than in other non-profit sectors. It was also acknowledged that once one deviates from a dana model, it is very difficult to transition back to a dana model. Other religious traditions seem to do better in supporting their leaders – we might learn from some of the models in Christian churches.

IS 2014: Broadening of Insight

Secular Mindfulness
By Gary Born

Gary Born, who teaches mindfulness to those with cancer in the United Kingdom, led a session called "The Insight Movement and Secular Mindfulness" that all participants attended. There was a wide range of awareness around the current controversies that surround what is called secular mindfulness, from those who actively engage with such work to those who were surprised by or unaware of any issues.

Gary offered a short spoken, as well as a written, summary of current key issues in the relationship between "Dharma" and "mindfulness," and resources for learning more. Secular mindfulness includes such disciplines as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MCBT), and numerous programs deployed in the secular world, such as schools and businesses. Mindfulness is nearly always taught without reference to Buddhism or sutta teachings, and usually does not include ethics.

While secular mindfulness has much overlap and some mutual support with Dharma teaching, there are points of contention. Starting with the synergies, it is often noted that mindfulness training has immediate value in reducing suffering, particularly in medical and psychological settings, as reported by people who participate in the programs. For well-developed programs like MBSR, research findings confirm this.

Moving to controversies, one particularly charged area at this time is whether secular mindfulness in some way undermines, dilutes, or causes misunderstandings about Dharma teachings. One senior teacher at the conference expressed this concern, although the other two were more uniformly positive about secular mindfulness. Other issues concern the commercialization of mindfulness ("McMindfulness") and discomfort with teaching mindfulness in business, military, and political organizations.

The session broke into small groups for discussion. These were spirited with a lot of energy generated – in a friendly way. A point of common agreement was the value of secular mindfulness and its potential to lead to greater interest in the Dharma by a subset of those who learn it. The main concern raised by several groups was the use of "mindfulness" by therapists and counselors with little or no meditation background, some of whom do not have a regular practice.

Quite likely, this topic will continue to evolve and be of interest at future meetings.

Chaplaincy within the Sangha
By Mary Stancavage

As more and more westerners come to sit and practice in meditation centers and sitting groups, they also tend to use these centers and groups in ways that have traditionally been held by temples, churches, mosques, and other more established spiritual communities. The teachers are seen as the spiritual heads of these communities, and students approach them for counseling in many areas. But often a teacher is not available, yet the spiritual needs of the community are still there. Members then look to sangha leaders, board members, or long-term volunteers to offer spiritual counseling or support.

This session looked at the ways a group or center can support its community. The Buddha’s teaching on being present in the moment is a core value in chaplaincy, and offers support to those in need. Sometimes a person simply needs someone to listen, and we can serve in that quiet way. At other times it is best to be more proactive, forming a group specifically designed to meet the needs of sangha members. This may be to help with aging, to offer home care after an illness, to support recovery from addiction, to help with the dying or bereaved, or any other of the myriad ways we need assistance. There was also a discussion of what may be out of the scope of the community, such as supporting members with mental illness or other larger issues. Each community has unique needs and can set an intention to greet whatever arises with the appropriate response.

IS 2014: Experienced Students

Modes of Practices Beyond the Sit and Dharma Talk
By Diana Clark

Many of us are exposed to the Dharma and practice through the model of sitting in meditation and listening to Dharma talks, but there can be other ways to practice. In this session, Kim Allen and Diana Clark discussed four different activities they are engaged in or have done to enrich, deepen, and broaden their practice, but were not meditation or listening to Dharma talks. With an acknowledgment that not all activities will be appropriate or even available to everyone, the presenters then opened up the discussion to the participants to share other practice-related activities.

First, academic Buddhist Studies was presented as a way to understand the context in which the Insight movement is occurring, to collaborate with students from other Buddhist traditions, and to be shown one’s assumptions and clinging around Buddhism and Buddhist practice.

Another option is to participate in a small kalyana mitta group of like-minded practitioners. Being part of a small, intimate Dharma community can provide an opportunity to learn about oneself and share exciting or troubling parts of the Dharma. A long-lasting group allows people to grow in the Dharma together.

Next, participating in a mentoring program was discussed. Being a mentor to beginning Dharma practitioners by studying the eightfold path or introduction to meditation together highlighted the benefit from simply accompanying someone in their exploration of practice.

In addition, the idea of lay renunciation was discussed. This is a form in which practitioners commit to the Dharma and express their practice in a manner that is a hybrid of the lay and monastic models. Ordination does not feel appropriate, but neither does getting engaged in day-to-day worldly activities in the way most laypeople do. Is there some way to acknowledge this type of practice that results in the creation of a sangha? There are examples of such practice in different communities, but currently, none have expanded beyond their communities.

In the full-group discussion, other modes of practice were offered, including chaplaincy in hospitals and prisons; serving as a board member; engaged Buddhism with social or environmental activism; and pilgrimage to India or South East Asia. It was quite inspiring to gather together so many examples of rich practice opportunities.

Insight, Latin Style

By Carrie Tamburo

The world into which you were born is just one model of reality; other cultures are not failed attempts at being you. They are unique manifestations of the human spirit.

--Wade Davis, anthropologist

The truth of this statement was abundantly evident from June 26-29, 2014, when 40 participants, from Argentina to Massachussetts, gathered for the first Spanish-language retreat at the Insight Retreat Center in Santa Cruz, CA. What was so special about that? Everything.

When I was asked to write a piece for this newsletter, I responded with an enthusiastic yes, without giving it much reflection at all. Little did I know when I sat down to type these words, how deep into my heart I would have to go to find them.

Dharma en español is a weekly program at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, born three years ago of teacher Gil Fronsdal’s vision for a Spanish-speaking expression of the Dharma. Under the guidance of Andrea Castillo, there is a sit and Dharma talk in Spanish, and from this grew a web site with recorded talks in Spanish, translations, and other resources, as well as a Spanish-language newsletter.

This Spanish-language residential retreat, the first of its kind on the West Coast in this tradition, and only the second of its kind to take place in the country, represented a historic moment for Dharma in the U.S., and the culmination of the intentions, efforts, and love of everyone who helped make it happen: teachers, participants, volunteers, and service leaders.

The retreat was led by Rebecca Bradshaw, who teaches at the Insight Meditation Society and the Insight Meditation Center of Pioneer Valley, and was assisted by Andrea Castillo. Rebecca's depth of Dharma practice combined with genuine cultural sensitivity allowed the retreat to unfold in a safe and meaningful way for the participants, many of whom were experiencing their first retreat. In addition, it was nearly everyone's first experience of a retreat in their mother tongue. Rebecca imparted the teachings with care, grace, and humility in her second language, in line with a statement she made in a prior interview: “Being able to study in your native language touches your heart.”

The retreat could not have manifested without the steady effort and commitment to the Dharma shown by Andrea Castillo over the past three years. Andrea’s devotion, leadership, and weekly teachings at IMC laid the foundation for this retreat, which was a sort of coming-of-age for the Dharma en español group. Andrea observed: “…it was a watershed event for them as well as for me. It touched me very deeply. Many made important discoveries, which they shared with the group the week after the retreat. There is a definite shift in the group now; it feels more mature”.

As often happens when we attempt to communicate spiritual insights, likewise here, words and concepts seem inadequate. The scene was typical for the beginning of a retreat: agitated minds arrived at IRC, with questions, worries, or awkwardness. By the end, the joy and love of a more tranquil mind emerged, and people were full of smiles and greater ease, sharing the sense that “we are all in this together”, and that “we’ve just done something really important.” All of this happened, and there was something else; that “something” is suggested in the quote at the beginning of this article: this all occurred within a very different model of reality. It occurred in the minds and hearts of people who brought with them a world-view and a lived experience that is not the dominant one of this culture. This gave the retreat a distinct flavor: the flavor of a collective heart, and one that is already quite open. A flavor of graciousness, humility, gratitude, and devotion – all cradled in an attitude of beginner’s mind with an eagerness to practice and to learn.

I could say that 40 individuals attended the retreat, but it would be more accurate to say that a community of 40 came together to explore what it might mean to live more freely. A lovely sense of community manifested almost immediately and was palpable from check-in to the closing circle. People even lingered after the managers locked the doors. Community over self, and a sense of “family” prevailed in the ways that anyone familiar with Latin/Hispanic cultures would immediately recognize.

Interpersonal mindfulness may turn out to be one of the hallmarks of Spanish-speaking Dharma. Many of the questions during Q &A and group interviews related to how to deal with interpersonal relationships, especially family and children. As one of the co-managers, I had an inside view of the ease with which people served – a level of comfort with others that is familiar to people from cultures that value relationship, cooperation, and connection. People brimmed with enthusiasm, happy to do more than their share of work out of generosity that flowed freely as a way of being.

Generosity lives in the same breath with another powerful quality of the heart/mind that was clearly felt at IRC, but is perhaps less talked about in North American Dharma culture: devotion. The dictionary defines devotion as: “to give or apply (one’s time, attention, or self) to an activity, cause, or person”, or in this case, to the schedule, the practice, and the sangha. Retreats can take us to our limits, right to the edge of who we think we are, and beyond. However the journey unfolds, devotion to the practice is a fine traveling companion – especially when it takes the form of diligence and perseverance.

From what I could see and feel, people made heroic efforts to follow the instructions and schedule, and to really meet the manifestations of mind and body. My distinct sense was that the main fuel for this was gratitude. When people were asked in the closing circle to share how they were feeling in one word, the word most repeated was “agradecido” (grateful). In this, I heard a multilayered kind of gratitude: surely gratitude for the gift of Dharma that any of us would feel but also gratitude that acknowledges the gift of Dharma in the language of one’s heart. And, even though it may not have been spoken, gratitude for the validation of one’s “model of reality” in a culture where the value of that model is not always recognized. One person put it this way: “I’ve heard these teachings in English many times…innumerable times, but they have never penetrated my being beyond my intellect the way they have hearing them in Spanish”. Someone else, who captured the blend of inquiry and intimacy, observed, “Practice is a manifestation of love.”

On the last night of the retreat, I was passing out chant sheets in the meditation hall. At one point, as I approached their cushions and offered the sheet, several people in succession, extended both hands to receive it, locked eyes with me briefly, with a half- smile, and a slightly bowed head. It was as though they were receiving the Three Jewels with humility, gratitude, and reverence. And suddenly, another managerial duty became a sacred act.

As we know, Buddhism migrates from culture to culture and, like water, it takes the shape of the container into which it is poured. The Dharma, while hopefully retaining its essence, changes expression – its “cultural apparel”, so to speak. I do not know exactly how Lady Prajnaparamita will continue to “dress” as she moves through the Spanish-speaking world, but I suspect that she will look a lot like love.

Earth Care Week 2014

by Kristin Barker and Lou Leonard, One Earth Sangha

We would like to invite you – as a leader in the Insight community – to participate with your sanghas, kalyana mittas, and other groups in Earth Care Week, Oct 5 -12^th. This is the second year of this annual event dedicated to exploring and sharing through our Dharma eyes the unfolding climate crisis. As all of us know, this is an enormous reality of our times, and if our Dharma leaves nothing out – it needs to include this! And just as when we first started to realize the critical necessity of diversity in all that we do and are as Dharma leaders, an extension of that is to realize that climate change is an issue requiring great compassion that calls on our deepest capacities to be with truth.

Earth Care Week was launched in 2013 by teachers at the International Vipassana Teachers meeting at Spirit Rock. In proposing the annual observance, the teachers were responding to a “request for teachings” on climate change signed by more than 2,000 practitioners. Following the meeting, the Dharma Teachers International Collaborative on Climate Change was formed and issued a statement on climate change that has thus far been endorsed by nearly 500 Dharma teachers and more than 1,300 sangha members worldwide (and is still collecting signatures).

For the first Earth Care Week, local sanghas across the US, Canada, and the UK observed the occasion in a variety of creative ways—Dharma talks, day-longs, film screenings, children’s programming, nature walks, sustainability projects, peaceful demonstrations, and direct care for natural environments. We hope you will consider offering talks, inviting discussions, and in any way you are inspired, bringing this important aspect of dharma to your community. As an aid to this – since this is new for most of us, unfamiliar, and possibly uncomfortable – we offer these Resources for Earth Care Week (PDF document) to support you in stepping forward in your leadership role.

As part of Earth Care Week, on Sunday, October 5, the first of a five-part series on “Mindfulness and Climate Action” will be offered on the web, free to all. The lineup is exceptional, and we hope to have Dharma friends around the world tune in and share this conversation. The first call will be led by Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, and Ruth King. Many other beautiful teachers follow in subsequent weeks. Please spread the word far and wide. You can know as we all move into this territory, that we can support each other, stumble together, and find our way. We hope you will step in, even though it will no doubt have its challenges, and join us in this effort.

Images courtesy of One Earth Sangha

Fall 2014 Retreat and Dharma Program Announcements

A Call for Program Announcements

BIN welcomes announcements from Insight groups and teachers for publication in the BIN newsletter. It is an opportunity to inform the wider Insight community about programs, retreats, classes, and other happenings. It is especially useful to publish items that would be accessible to many people across the community.

We are working on standardizing the formats. For now, items may be sent to BuddhistInsightNetwork@gmail.com or through the Contact page of our website (there is a Dharma Program Announcements category in the pulldown menu)

The following Guidelines shape what we publish:

Announcements come from Buddhist Insight groups and teachers, and are for Dharma-related programs
Announcements are for specific events/programs, not for ongoing events
At this time, we do not include announcements/advertisements for professional services or about secular mindfulness programs
Please include a website or contact email for further info, if possible
Announcements may be up to 125 words (more than 125 words, the announcement becomes an article and goes through a different process for inclusion)

Fall 2014 Program Announcements:

Retreats
In the future, BIN will create a Retreat Database with a way to enter data in a standard format. For now, we accept entries by email.

California

Monastic New Year's Meditation Retreat with Aloka Vihara nuns (Dec 27-Jan 4, Santa Cruz CA): Register at Saranaloka Foundation.

Insight Retreat Center (Santa Cruz, CA): IRC is offering these and other retreats (registration available at http://www.insightretreatcenter.org/retreats/). All IRC retreats are offered freely at no cost to anyone who participates. Most of the financial support comes from donations participants offer at the end of retreats. Their generosity is what allows others to participate in future retreats.

Zen Sesshin with Paul Haller: Jan 15-19, 2015
Insight Retreat with Gil Fronsdal, JoAnna Harper, and Vinny Ferraro: Jan 25-Feb 1, 2015
Insight Retreat with Gil Fronsdal and John Travis, Feb 17-21, 2015
Experienced Practitioner Retreat wtih Gil Fronsdal and Andrea Fella, Mar 17-29, 2015
Insight Dialogue Retreat with Gregory Kramer, Apr 5-12, 2015
Insight Retreat with Ines Freedman and Max Erdstein, May 14-17, 2015
Insight Retreat wtih GIl Fronsdal, Nikki Mirghafori, and Matthew Brensilver, May 29-June 5, 2015
Insight Retreat in Spanish with Rebecca Bradshaw, assisted by Andrea Castillo, May 23-28, 2015

Against the Stream retreat with Noah Levine and JoAnna Harper (Oct 5-12, 2014, Joshua Tree, CA): This silent retreat is a chance to experience an extended period of meditation that is so vital to our practice. There will be periods of sitting and walking meditation, with instructions and daily dharma talks. This retreat is especially good for those who are unable to get away for extended retreats or those who are in their first few years of practice. Information and Registration.

West

Women's Meditation Retreat with Terry Ray (Oct 22-26, 2014, Estes Park CO): Info at http://terryray.org. Contact: Cindy, 970-406-0433.

Metta for Women with Adrianne Ross and Susie Harrington (Nov 20-24, 2014, Cloud Mountain WA): When we practice Metta, we awaken to our own intrinsic wholeness, peacefulness and kindess, and we provide an opportunity to deepen our equanimity. There will be specific instruction in Metta and in walking meditation, mindful movement and a dharma talk each day, group interviews and opportunities for discussion with the teacher. This silent retreat is suitable for beginning and experienced students of meditation. Details and registration.

The Mountain Hermitage in Taos, NM is offering the following retreats. For more information, please contact The Mountain Hermitage by email: hermitage@mountainhermitage.org:

"...in the footprint of the Buddha..." Samatha/Concentration Retreat with Marcia Rose & Nikki Mirghafori (Nov 1 - 18, 2014, The Mountain Hermitage Taos, NM)
Annual One-Month Spring Hermitage Retreat with Marcia Rose (April 12 - May 10, 2015, The Mountain Hermitage Taos, NM): Insight, Brahma Vihara & Concentration guidance available.
Insight Meditation Retreat with Brian Lesage (June 26 - July 3, 2015, The Mountain Hermitage Taos, NM): Finding Freedom Through Insight Meditation.
People of Color Experienced Students Retreat with Gina Sharpe & Larry Yang (Aug 16 - 25, 2015, The Mountain Hermitage Taos, NM)
November Study Retreat with Ven. Dhammadinna & Tenzin Jesse (Nov 13 - 20, 2015, The Mountain Hermitage Taos, NM): Topic TBA.
5-Week Summer 2016 Vipassana Retreat with Ven. Sayadaw Vivekananda & Marcia Rose (June 5 - July 10, 2016, The Mountain Hermitage Taos, NM)

Midwest and Texas

Mid America Dharma offers many Insight retreats with well-known teachers in Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, and other Midwest locations.See the Retreat Schedule for details.

East

Women’s Retreat: Nurturing Self-Compassion with Shell Fischer (Sep 26-28, 2014, Charles Town, WV): During this retreat we’ll be exploring a variety of ways to woffer more of our love, care, and forgiveness to the person we spend the most time with: ourselves. In order to nurture a sense of stillness and deep listening, silence will be maintained throughout the retreat, as participants experience a variety of dharma talks, silent and guided meditations, gentle morning and evening yoga on the great lawn, and walking meditation on the spacious and private grounds. More information and registration can be found at www.mindfulvalley.com.

Rhinebeck Insight Meditation Group retreat with José Reissig (Oct 24-26, Saugerties, NY): Appropriate for both beginners and experienced practitioners, this retreat consists of periods for sitting, walking, receiving instruction, listening to talks, and inquiring.

Europe and Israel

Fulfilling the Foundations of Mindfulness wtih Gregory Kramer, Phyllis Hicks, and Bart van Melik (Oct 13-19, 2014, Netherlands): The emphasis of the retreat will be on deepening the study and practice of the Dhamma and bringing Insight Dialogue and relational Dhamma into one’s daily life. There will be sitting meditation, Dhamma talks, Insight Dialogue sessions, walking meditation and personal interviews. The retreat will be held in noble silence. There will be time in nature to support ease and solitude. Information and Registration.