News and inspiration from Interbeing Sangha of Kingston

View this email in your browser

Interbeing Sangha of Kingston - Electronic Bulletin Vol. 2, Issue #29 - 16 March 2019

Interbeing Sangha

Weekly Meeting

Please join us for our next weekly gathering, taking place Sunday, March 17th for meditation and dharma sharing, 6:30pm at Unitarian Place (Kingston Unitarian Fellowship), 206 Concession Street. Anne Coward will be bell minding this week.

The Fullness of Emptiness

"In Buddhism, the word “emptiness” is a translation of the Sanskrit sunyata. It means “empty of a separate self.” It is not a negative or despairing term. It is a celebration of interconnectedness, of interbeing. It means nothing can exist by itself alone, that everything is inextricably interconnected with everything else. I know that I must always work to remember that I am empty of a separate self and full of the many wonders of this universe, including the generosity of my grandparents and parents, the many friends and teachers who have helped and supported me along the path, and you dear readers, without whom this book could not exist. We inter-are, and therefore we are empty of an identity that is separate from our interconnectedness."

-Sister Chan Khong, Learning True Love: Practicing Buddhism in a Time of War

Spring Retreat

Retreat Planning

Registration is open for our upcoming Spring retreat, Peace is Every Step, May 9th-12th taking place at St. Lawrence College. Thank you to those who have registered so far, and we kindly ask those who are already planning to go, to please register soon to help our retreat planning team with estimating numbers for the venue and catering. Payment is done separately from the online registration, and the method we request is by electronic transfer (see website).

Registration and all instructions can be found at peaceiseverystepkingston.weebly.com/. PDF flyer to help promote the event available at interbeingkingston.org/spring-regional-retreat-2019

TNH News Article

Continuing Thay

This past week, news website Vox published an interview with a senior disciple of Thich Nhat Hanh, Brother Phap Dung, speaking about Thay's choices in his final days. Speaking with journalist Eliza Barclay, Brother Phap Dung discusses continuation, the concept of Interbeing and the interconnectedness of everyone, and says that by returning to his roots in Vietnam, Thay is showing by example that "letting go is also the practice of letting in, letting your teacher be alive in you."

Read the article at https://www.vox.com/2019/3/11/18196457/thich-nhat-hanh-health-mindfulness-plum-village

Sangha-led Service

Service Theme

The sangha-led Sunday morning service at KUF on Sunday, April 7th at 10:30 am now has a theme, "The Wholeness of Emptiness," sharing Thay's teaching of Interbeing. If you are interested in taking an active role in the service, please contact interbeingkingston@gmail.com

Transferring the Light

"It’s a beautiful message, to see ourselves as a stream, as a lineage, and it is the deepest teaching in Buddhism: non-self. We are empty of a separate self, and yet at the same time, we are full of our ancestors. . . This return now is kind of like a closing of the circle. It’s also like the light of the candle being transferred, to the next candle, to many other candles, for us to continue to live and practice and to continue his work. For me, it feels like that, like the light is lit in each one of us."

-Brother Phap Dung, Thich Nhat Hanh’s final mindfulness lesson: how to die peacefully (interview in Vox, March 11th, 2019)

Newsletter Editor: Keith Gawronski-McNinch
Newsletter Assistant Editor: Susan Howlett
Social Media Editor: Cat London

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.

Facebook

Website

Instagram