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Interbeing Sangha of Kingston - Weekly Electronic Bulletin Issue #26 - January 6th, 2018

Interbeing Sangha
of Kingston

Weekly Meeting

Our next weekly gathering takes place this evening, Sunday, January 7th for meditation and dharma sharing, 6:30pm at Unitarian Place (Kingston Unitarian Fellowship), 206 Concession Street. Darcy Gawronski-McNinch will be bell minding.

Taking Refuge in Mother Earth

"When we look into our own bodily formation, we see Mother Earth inside us, and so the whole universe is inside us, too. Once we have this insight of interbeing, it is possible to have real communication, real communion, with the Earth. This is the highest possible form of prayer. To express our reverence for the Earth is not to deify her or believe she is any more sacred than ourselves. It is to love her, to take care of her and to take refuge in her. When we suffer, the Earth embraces us, accepts us, and restores our energy, making us strong and stable again."

-- Thich Nhat Hanh, Love Letter to the Earth

Plum Village

New Year Prayer

to Mother Earth and All Our Ancestors

This prayer was offered by the fourfold sangha in Plum Village on January 1st at the midnight ceremony to enter 2018.

"Dear Beloved Thầy, Dear Beloved Ancestors, Dear Beloved Mother Earth, we have gathered in this solemn moment of the New Year to express our gratitude and aspiration as a spiritual family, and to begin anew..."

Read the New Year Prayer to Mother Earth and All Our Ancestors

Sangha Library

New Books

Our sangha library is growing! In addition to many audio/video dharma talks you can copy, we now have over 25 books in our collection! A detailed catalog will be up on our website soon. For now, you can see a list of books here. If you wish to borrow something, please connect with our librarian, Anne Graham, after the weekly meeting, and be sure to return in 2 weeks so that others can enjoy the item.

Sunday at KUF

Blessing
Space & Light

Sangha members Anne Coward and Dale Fainstat offer "To Bless the Space, To Bless the Light," a service of meditation, deep listening and blessing, this Sunday, January 7th at 10:30 am. At this dark time of year, can we rest and prepare for the coming of the light? Can emptiness actually fill and nourish us?

Because You Are Alive, Everything is Possible

"We long for permanence, but everything is changing. We desire an absolute, but even what we call our “self” is impermanent. We seek a place where we can feel safe and secure, a place we can rely on for a long time. When we touch the ground, we feel the stability of the earth and feel confident. When we observe the steadiness of the sunshine, the air, and the trees, we know that we can count on the sun to rise each day and the air and the trees to be there tomorrow. Because you are alive, everything is possible. Enlightenment is always there. Small enlightenment will bring great enlightenment. If you breathe in and are aware that you are alive—that you can touch the miracle of being alive—then that is a kind of enlightenment."

-- Thich Nhat Hanh, Living Buddha, Living Christ

Our sangha has two teams helping to share leadership and facilitation of our meetings. Our Bell Minders Team are mindful facilitators for our weekly gatherings, as well as retreats, taking beautiful care of our friends in the practice including the bell. Our Sangha Care Team facilitates sangha care meetings, plans retreats, minds our library and resources, and coordinates outreach. If you are interested in helping with either or both, contact interbeingkingston@gmail.com for more information.

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Interbeing Sangha of Kingston