August Sangha News
7/25/24
August at IWM
On July 31, Community Dharma Stewards Holly Bishop and Doug Kremm will offer an Open Community Practice in-person/hybrid at IWM. In August, we’re looking forward to Wednesday Night Dharma Talks and Discussions with Carla Brennan and Michael Grady. Our weekly Dharma Talks will be on summer break for the second half of August, and will return in September along with Saturday Sangha, but our almost-daily Open Community Practice sessions continue all month. There are now four Affinity Groups meeting monthly – 35 & Under, Chronic Illness/Disability, BIPOC, and Queer & Trans. Looking ahead, Michael Grady and Bernadine Mellis will both be offering 5-week courses in the fall, and mark your calendars for an evening benefit on October 16 with Devin Berry and Tara Mulay. See below for more details about our upcoming offerings. Thank you for being part of our sangha! We hope to see you soon.
Reparations Group
IWM sangha members are interested in forming a group called "Reparations as a Spiritual Practice." The group will involve practicing together, readings and videos on the topic of reparations, and group sharing and discussion. We will focus on how we can bring our dharma practice to understanding and acting on these issues.
We have permission from the authors to use the “Stolen Beam” curriculum, originally developed at the Jewish Community of Amherst (JCA) and taught at the Truth School, which is a great resource for historical context of various kinds, including the long history of racialized wealth inequality in this country and how it was created.
The group will start in September, probably on zoom. If you are interested in joining, please click here to register and answer a few questions about your availability and preferences as to times, etc.
New Openings in KM Group
An ongoing KM (kalyana mitta) group will have a few slots available when the group re-starts in mid-September. In this group we have read and discussed Radical Friendship by Kate Johnson and You Belong by Sebene Selassie. We have focused on:
35 and Under Group
The new 35 and Under Affinity Group met for the first time on Sunday, July 14. A small group gathered at the center in Easthampton to take shelter in the Triple Gem (and, to some extent, in the cool embrace of the AC unit). We practiced meditation and sent loving wishes to ourselves, our dear ones, and to all beings. We also practiced speaking and listening from the heart in an intimate sharing circle. Afterwards, we went down to the Local Burger and continued the fun and conversation over veggie burgers and several massive heaps of french fries. The meeting was a great reminder of the value of community and dharma friendship, and we’re already looking forward to our next gathering on August 11! Sangha members who are interested in joining the mailing list for this affinity group should reach out to Doug Kremm at [email protected].
Community Service Project
Interested in coming together as community to do service outside the sangha? Some ideas floating are Grow Food Northampton and Manna Soup Kitchen. Other thoughts are welcome! Please let us know if you're interested by sending an email to [email protected].
Free Books at IWM
We're re-organizing our library, and offering books to sangha members before donating them in September. Please feel free to take a look next time you're at the center -- the books on the bench in the foyer are seeking new homes.
Rebecca Bradshaw Book Announcement
I’m happy to share my announcement with the IWM sangha for my book Down to Earth Dharma: Insight Meditation to Awaken the Heart, all set to be published in November by Shambhala Publications. I hope that in some small way it contributes to deepening practice and healing on this earth. If you’d like more information about the book or want to pre-order it, here is a link on Shambhala’s website. If you buy the book from Shambhala you can get 30% off using the code DTED30. (You can enter the code in the shopping cart.)
Joseph Goldstein says:
‘Down to Earth Dharma is a wonderful and engaging exploration of how the feminine archetype can greatly enrich and transform our dharma practice. Rebecca Bradshaw shows with exceptional clarity and warmth how receptivity, intuition, embodiment and relaxation open us more deeply to the classical teachings of the Buddha. She draws on a wealth of experience as a longtime meditator, teacher, therapist, world traveler, and lover of nature as she shares the many stories of her struggles and insights, always highlighting a feminine perspective that has sometimes been lost in the often hard-driving energy here in the West. These are lessons that will be invaluable for us all in these challenging times. Highly recommended.’
And from Diana Winston, Director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA and author of The Little Book of Being:
‘A much-needed antidote to traditional, patriarchal Buddhist teachings, Down to Earth Dharma is written for us all, whatever our gender. Weaving traditional dharma teachings with personal life stories, a profound relationship with the natural world, over thrirty years of teaching experience, and gorgeous nature metaphor, Bradshaw elucidates an embodied feminine paradigm of the dharma — receptive, relaxed, heart-embracing, and relational. Most remarkably, Bradshaw never sacrifices her respect and allegiance to the traditional Buddhist lineage and teachings. Down to Earth Dharma takes us on a much needed journey into the heart of a feminine spirituality that so many of us—and our Earth— are aching for in these tumultuous times. A spectacular accomplishment!’
I hope you are enjoying summer.
With much metta, Rebecca
Save the Date: Rebecca Bradshaw will offer a book preview on Wednesday September 4, 7-8:30pm ET in-person/hybrid at IWM.
Downloadable Flyers
Feedback
If you have comments, questions, or ideas you’d like to share, please contact us: [email protected].
On July 31, Community Dharma Stewards Holly Bishop and Doug Kremm will offer an Open Community Practice in-person/hybrid at IWM. In August, we’re looking forward to Wednesday Night Dharma Talks and Discussions with Carla Brennan and Michael Grady. Our weekly Dharma Talks will be on summer break for the second half of August, and will return in September along with Saturday Sangha, but our almost-daily Open Community Practice sessions continue all month. There are now four Affinity Groups meeting monthly – 35 & Under, Chronic Illness/Disability, BIPOC, and Queer & Trans. Looking ahead, Michael Grady and Bernadine Mellis will both be offering 5-week courses in the fall, and mark your calendars for an evening benefit on October 16 with Devin Berry and Tara Mulay. See below for more details about our upcoming offerings. Thank you for being part of our sangha! We hope to see you soon.
Reparations Group
IWM sangha members are interested in forming a group called "Reparations as a Spiritual Practice." The group will involve practicing together, readings and videos on the topic of reparations, and group sharing and discussion. We will focus on how we can bring our dharma practice to understanding and acting on these issues.
We have permission from the authors to use the “Stolen Beam” curriculum, originally developed at the Jewish Community of Amherst (JCA) and taught at the Truth School, which is a great resource for historical context of various kinds, including the long history of racialized wealth inequality in this country and how it was created.
The group will start in September, probably on zoom. If you are interested in joining, please click here to register and answer a few questions about your availability and preferences as to times, etc.
New Openings in KM Group
An ongoing KM (kalyana mitta) group will have a few slots available when the group re-starts in mid-September. In this group we have read and discussed Radical Friendship by Kate Johnson and You Belong by Sebene Selassie. We have focused on:
- Spiritual friendship, as described by the Buddha in the Kalyana Mita sutta and in Radical Friendship
- Sharing passages from the books we are reading as prompts for discussion about our meditation practice and our commitment to liberation for all
- Creating a strong, supportive and connected mini-sangha.
35 and Under Group
The new 35 and Under Affinity Group met for the first time on Sunday, July 14. A small group gathered at the center in Easthampton to take shelter in the Triple Gem (and, to some extent, in the cool embrace of the AC unit). We practiced meditation and sent loving wishes to ourselves, our dear ones, and to all beings. We also practiced speaking and listening from the heart in an intimate sharing circle. Afterwards, we went down to the Local Burger and continued the fun and conversation over veggie burgers and several massive heaps of french fries. The meeting was a great reminder of the value of community and dharma friendship, and we’re already looking forward to our next gathering on August 11! Sangha members who are interested in joining the mailing list for this affinity group should reach out to Doug Kremm at [email protected].
Community Service Project
Interested in coming together as community to do service outside the sangha? Some ideas floating are Grow Food Northampton and Manna Soup Kitchen. Other thoughts are welcome! Please let us know if you're interested by sending an email to [email protected].
Free Books at IWM
We're re-organizing our library, and offering books to sangha members before donating them in September. Please feel free to take a look next time you're at the center -- the books on the bench in the foyer are seeking new homes.
Rebecca Bradshaw Book Announcement
I’m happy to share my announcement with the IWM sangha for my book Down to Earth Dharma: Insight Meditation to Awaken the Heart, all set to be published in November by Shambhala Publications. I hope that in some small way it contributes to deepening practice and healing on this earth. If you’d like more information about the book or want to pre-order it, here is a link on Shambhala’s website. If you buy the book from Shambhala you can get 30% off using the code DTED30. (You can enter the code in the shopping cart.)
Joseph Goldstein says:
‘Down to Earth Dharma is a wonderful and engaging exploration of how the feminine archetype can greatly enrich and transform our dharma practice. Rebecca Bradshaw shows with exceptional clarity and warmth how receptivity, intuition, embodiment and relaxation open us more deeply to the classical teachings of the Buddha. She draws on a wealth of experience as a longtime meditator, teacher, therapist, world traveler, and lover of nature as she shares the many stories of her struggles and insights, always highlighting a feminine perspective that has sometimes been lost in the often hard-driving energy here in the West. These are lessons that will be invaluable for us all in these challenging times. Highly recommended.’
And from Diana Winston, Director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA and author of The Little Book of Being:
‘A much-needed antidote to traditional, patriarchal Buddhist teachings, Down to Earth Dharma is written for us all, whatever our gender. Weaving traditional dharma teachings with personal life stories, a profound relationship with the natural world, over thrirty years of teaching experience, and gorgeous nature metaphor, Bradshaw elucidates an embodied feminine paradigm of the dharma — receptive, relaxed, heart-embracing, and relational. Most remarkably, Bradshaw never sacrifices her respect and allegiance to the traditional Buddhist lineage and teachings. Down to Earth Dharma takes us on a much needed journey into the heart of a feminine spirituality that so many of us—and our Earth— are aching for in these tumultuous times. A spectacular accomplishment!’
I hope you are enjoying summer.
With much metta, Rebecca
Save the Date: Rebecca Bradshaw will offer a book preview on Wednesday September 4, 7-8:30pm ET in-person/hybrid at IWM.
Downloadable Flyers
- August Offerings
- Michael Grady Fall Course - Wise Effort
- Bernadine Mellis Fall Course - Establishing Mindfulness
- Affinity Groups
Feedback
If you have comments, questions, or ideas you’d like to share, please contact us: [email protected].