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Interbeing Sangha of Kingston - Weekly Electronic Bulletin Issue #2 - June 22nd, 2017

Interbeing Sangha
of Kingston

Weekly Meeting

Our next weekly gathering takes place Sunday, June 25th, for meditation and dharma sharing, 6:30pm at Unitarian Place (Kingston Unitarian Fellowship), 206 Concession Street. Darcy Gawronski-McNinch will be bell minding.

Happy Summer

"Your mind is like a piece of land planted with many different kinds of seeds: seeds of joy, peace, mindfulness, understanding, and love; seeds of craving, anger, fear, hate, and forgetfulness. These wholesome and unwholesome seeds are always there, sleeping in the soil of your mind. The quality of your life depends on the seeds you water. If you plant tomato seeds in your gardens, tomatoes will grow. Just so, if you water a seed of peace in your mind, peace will grow. When the seeds of happiness in you are watered, you will become happy. When the seed of anger in you is watered, you will become angry. The seeds that are watered frequently are those that will grow strong."

-- Thich Nhat Hanh, from Walking Meditation by Thich Nhat Hanh & Anh-Huong Nguyen, 2006.

Gathering

Farewell for Carol

Kingston Unitarian Fellowship is having a farewell party for Rev. Carol Strecker, at Unitarian Place, 206 Concession Street, this Saturday, June 24th, at 5:30 PM. Tickets are $15 per person, and free for children 12 and under. This is a catered event with food from Kai Restaurant, including vegetarian options. If you would like to attend, please contact Charlene Horwood: chorwood3@cogeco.ca.

Monthly Practice

Five Mindfulness Trainings

The Five Mindfulness Trainings are the Buddhist precepts for lay people, translated by Thich Nhat Hanh for modern times. Practicing them helps us be more calm and concentrated, and brings insight. For those who would like to deepen their practice, we will meet at 6:00 pm on July 2nd, a half hour prior to our regular meeting, to begin reciting the trainings monthly on every first Sunday.

World Faith Leaders' Statement

Sister Chan Khong

Last week, many of the world’s most prominent religious leaders issued a rare joint statement. Created by the Elijah Interfaith Institute, an interfaith organization fostering unity and diversity, the video project features 22 holy leaders urging people to unite in friendship. Thich Nhat Hanh's lifetime collaborator, Sister Chan Khong, joined world spiritual leaders in an appeal for friendship across religions. Click here to watch the interview with Sister Chan Khong.

Save the Date

Outdoor Summer Day of Mindfulness

Sunday, August 27th, Interbeing Sangha is planning an outdoor Summer Day of Mindfulness including walking meditation, eating mindfully together, and a session of Mindful Movement led by Sangha member, Ananda, who has practiced Tai Chi and Qi Gong for many years. Sangha members have begun to make arrangements for a beautiful setting for the retreat, and timing is to be confirmed. Stay tuned for more details.

Social Media

Interbeing Sangha Facebook Page

We now have a Facebook page for Interbeing Sangha of Kingston. Help to build a refuge for many beings, a community practicing together to bring about and maintain awareness, by "liking" and "sharing" our page with friends.
www.facebook.com/interbeingkingston/

Interbeing

“To be” is to inter-be. You cannot just be by yourself alone. You have to inter-be with every other thing. This sheet of paper is, because everything else is. Suppose we try to return one of the elements to its source. Suppose we return the sunshine to the sun. Do you think that this sheet of paper will be possible? No, without sunshine nothing can be. And if we return the logger to his mother, then we have no sheet of paper either. The fact is that this sheet of paper is made up only of “non-paper elements.” And if we return these non-paper elements to their sources, then there can be no paper at all. Without “non-paper elements,” like mind, logger, sunshine and so on, there will be no paper. As thin as this sheet of paper is, it contains everything in the universe in it.”

-- Thich Nhat Hanh, from Awakening of the Heart: Essential Buddhist Sutras and Commentaries, 2012

Did you know that our sangha has two teams helping to share leadership and facilitation of our meetings? Our Bell Minders Team met recently, and a rotation of weekly bell minders has been established. Our Sangha Care Team continues to grow, and will be meeting again soon. If you are interested in being a part of either or both, email interbeingkingston@gmail.com for more information.