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Interbeing Sangha of Kingston - Weekly Electronic Bulletin Issue #41 - May 10th, 2018

Interbeing Sangha
of Kingston

Weekly Meeting

Please join us for our next weekly gathering, taking place this Sunday, May 13th, for meditation and dharma sharing, 6:30pm at Unitarian Place (Kingston Unitarian Fellowship), 206 Concession Street. Anne Coward will be bell minding.

True Freedom

"As so far fear is there in your heart, happiness cannot be perfect. And that is why Nirvana is not something that you get in the future. Nirvana is the capacity of removing the wrong notions, wrong perceptions, which is the practice of freedom. Nirvana can be translated as freedom: freedom from views. And in Buddhism, all views are wrong views. When you get in touch with reality, you no longer have views. You have wisdom. You have a direct encounter with reality, and that is no longer called views."

-- Thich Nhat Hanh

Looking Ahead

2019 Retreat

As sangha members participate this weekend in the retreat in Arnprior organized by Ottawa Pagoda Sangha, we also look ahead, marking one year from when we will be welcoming the monks and nuns of Blue Cliff Monastery to our own city of Kingston. Our sangha is officially responsible for planning and hosting this same regional retreat next year. A beautiful space located steps from the lake, in one of the newest residences on the campus of Queen's University, with a private courtyard and exclusive use of the inside meeting area, and residence floors for overnight guests has now been reserved.

Many hands will be needed to help prepare for this large, 3-day retreat, which is expected to bring visitors from across the region to Kingston as well. We hope that many of our friends and regular members, as well as friends from Kingston Mindfulness Sangha (formerly Be Still Sangha) will join in to lend a hand. Stay tuned as we will be reaching out for volunteers and organizing planning meetings in the months ahead.

Volunteer Opportunities

Communications

On the topic of volunteering... :-) We need some help with our sangha's Facebook page (and other social media). If you are a Facebook user, and have some experience with managing a page, your assistance would be greatly appreciated. Email interbeingkingston@gmail.com if you are interested and willing to help.

Also, a project discussed with our friends at Ottawa Pagoda Sangha is the idea of creating an online hub of sanghas in Ontario and beyond, to help build connections between sanghas and spread the word about events and retreats.

You don't necessarily need web skills to assist with getting this off the ground (although volunteers with those skills would be wonderful!) just some time to spend reaching out to the many communities in our region listed on The Mindfulness Bell Directory to collect details for sanghas that might not have their own website or easy ways of communicating with other groups. This will help us with outreach as we plan next year's retreat, and help grow Thich Nhat Hanh's movement in our part of the world. Thich Nhat Hanh has referred to Sangha building as the most important activity we can participate in, so this would also deepen your connection to Thay and be part of his continutation. (For more about sangha building, see this article on the Plum Village website). Again, contact interbeingkingston@gmail.com if you are interested in helping.

Smile

"Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy."

-- Thich Nhat Hanh

Sunday at KUF

Innovating Belief

Rev. Beckett Coppola speaks this Sunday, May 13th at 10:30 about making meaning freely in a pluralist faith community, while respecting how we each see the world around us. What are some of the factors at play in this experiment? Also: Repair Cafe @ KUF, 1:30pm

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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