May Sangha News
5/2/2024
May 8 Town Hall
IWM Visioning: Recent Growth and Future Plans
7-8:30pm ET, In-person/hybrid at IWM
At this Town Hall gathering, our first chance since last September for the whole Sangha to meet together, we will share exciting new ways we are building sangha, look to our future together, and discuss what it takes to keep IWM thriving. There will be a chance to offer ideas and feedback. We hope you will consider attending, either in person or on Zoom; we welcome everyone’s input during this fruitful time at IWM.
May at IWM
This month, we’re excited to welcome Rhonda V. Magee, author of The Inner Work of Racial Justice, to our Sangha for two events. We’re looking forward to offerings from beloved long-time IWM teachers: a four-week course with Manny Mansbach, and Wednesday Night Dharma Talks with Tara Mulay, Jean Esther, and Rebecca Bradshaw. Affinity Groups continue to meet monthly. Moon Day Chanting is on pause this month, but we offer many Open Community Mediation Practices throughout the week, as well as our weekly Saturday Sangha (every Saturday in May except the 11th). Finally, please save the date for IWM's 26th Anniversary celebration and volunteer appreciation potluck picnic at Nonotuck Park on June 9. More details on all of our offerings below. We hope to see you there!
Stewarding our Sangha: Volunteer Opportunities
The Programming Committee is looking for new members. The role of the Programming Committee is to organize and schedule classes, half-day and day-long offerings, talks, series, affinity groups, and other programming that supports the mission of IWM. The primary activity of Programming Committee members is to organize our calendar of offerings and invite teachers to IWM. The committee collaborates with the Board and the Teachers’ Council as appropriate. Click here to read more and apply to serve on the Programming Committee.
Help us create an anniversary celebration of IWM’s 26th year. Volunteer to organize food, activities for a potluck picnic at Nonotuck Park in Easthampton on June 9. Email here to volunteer.
Now that we're routinely offering the dharma in person at the center’s Eastworks space (Suite 242), we need someone to steward our sangha as IWM’s volunteer Facilities Coordinator. In addition, we also need folks who can help empty trash and tidy up in advance of in-person offerings. Since we've reopened, we're grateful to Cathy R., who has pulled together a team of volunteers on occasion, or cleaned on her own. If you might be willing to help or are interested in learning more about the Facilities Coordinator role, please email [email protected].
We always appreciate having more in-person, zoom, and hybrid hosts. Hybrid hosting has recently gotten a lot easier, due to new equipment. If you would like to offer your time and energy to host a dharma talk or a course/retreat, in person or on zoom, or you would like to learn to run the hybrid equipment so that in-person events can be more accessible, please email the Volunteer Coordinator.
Dharma Dialogue: Uncertainty and Certainty in our Practice
I wasn’t certain I was going to be able to offer a piece this month. I have been considering Uncertainty a lot over the past few weeks, and then Certainty has sort of crept in between the thoughts. These days, we often say to ourselves and each other: “In an uncertain world…” which, for me, describes a more contemplative approach to the social justice horrors, wartime atrocities, and climate crises which we face every day, just to name a few.
I sometimes find it difficult to reconcile all of this Uncertainty, or at least as much as I am willing to take a look at, with the Certainty I feel about my Practice. A Practice which holds me up so I don’t sink to the depths of despair and helplessness, and which gives me hope and strength to see what I can do or say to assist in the solution of saving our planet.
This piece is turning out to be more political than I anticipated, and I trust you will stay with me as much as possible to bring it full circle back to our Practice. For me, the Dharma is everything. Along with the Buddha and the Sangha, the three jewels which, out of their very existence, form the basis for a solid and enlightening Practice. I am not enlightened by any means. Yet I have Certainty that when I hold my meditation Practice at the forefront, and study and learn from the Buddhist teachings, I can dissolve the often prevailing Uncertainty that lives within and without.
What an unusual word to use: dissolve. And yet, knowing that life and circumstances arise and pass away, it is comforting when I am willing not to fight that truth. Am I Uncertain what will happen if I let go of my beliefs, and/or my experiences within the Dharma? I feel Certain that I will lose my way if I stray from those teachings. Yet I also feel Certain that I can return at anytime to being in the moment as long as I remember to do so. And when I forget, which I do fairly regularly, I can count on my meditation practice, to pay attention to body and breath once again. Also remembering that thoughts will arise and pass away, and as much as my mind likes to chatter, it is Certainly helpful to hold those wandering moments with love and compassion, ultimately trusting in our Practice to show me the way.
**If you would like to contribute something to Dharma Dialogue on this topic or any aspect of Practice, please send it in an email to [email protected]. Anonymity is respected.
With Metta,
Jennifer D.
Community Dharma Steward
Downloadable Flyers
Feedback
If you have comments, questions, or ideas you’d like to share, please contact us: [email protected].
With much care and metta,
IWM Board
IWM Visioning: Recent Growth and Future Plans
7-8:30pm ET, In-person/hybrid at IWM
At this Town Hall gathering, our first chance since last September for the whole Sangha to meet together, we will share exciting new ways we are building sangha, look to our future together, and discuss what it takes to keep IWM thriving. There will be a chance to offer ideas and feedback. We hope you will consider attending, either in person or on Zoom; we welcome everyone’s input during this fruitful time at IWM.
May at IWM
This month, we’re excited to welcome Rhonda V. Magee, author of The Inner Work of Racial Justice, to our Sangha for two events. We’re looking forward to offerings from beloved long-time IWM teachers: a four-week course with Manny Mansbach, and Wednesday Night Dharma Talks with Tara Mulay, Jean Esther, and Rebecca Bradshaw. Affinity Groups continue to meet monthly. Moon Day Chanting is on pause this month, but we offer many Open Community Mediation Practices throughout the week, as well as our weekly Saturday Sangha (every Saturday in May except the 11th). Finally, please save the date for IWM's 26th Anniversary celebration and volunteer appreciation potluck picnic at Nonotuck Park on June 9. More details on all of our offerings below. We hope to see you there!
Stewarding our Sangha: Volunteer Opportunities
The Programming Committee is looking for new members. The role of the Programming Committee is to organize and schedule classes, half-day and day-long offerings, talks, series, affinity groups, and other programming that supports the mission of IWM. The primary activity of Programming Committee members is to organize our calendar of offerings and invite teachers to IWM. The committee collaborates with the Board and the Teachers’ Council as appropriate. Click here to read more and apply to serve on the Programming Committee.
Help us create an anniversary celebration of IWM’s 26th year. Volunteer to organize food, activities for a potluck picnic at Nonotuck Park in Easthampton on June 9. Email here to volunteer.
Now that we're routinely offering the dharma in person at the center’s Eastworks space (Suite 242), we need someone to steward our sangha as IWM’s volunteer Facilities Coordinator. In addition, we also need folks who can help empty trash and tidy up in advance of in-person offerings. Since we've reopened, we're grateful to Cathy R., who has pulled together a team of volunteers on occasion, or cleaned on her own. If you might be willing to help or are interested in learning more about the Facilities Coordinator role, please email [email protected].
We always appreciate having more in-person, zoom, and hybrid hosts. Hybrid hosting has recently gotten a lot easier, due to new equipment. If you would like to offer your time and energy to host a dharma talk or a course/retreat, in person or on zoom, or you would like to learn to run the hybrid equipment so that in-person events can be more accessible, please email the Volunteer Coordinator.
Dharma Dialogue: Uncertainty and Certainty in our Practice
I wasn’t certain I was going to be able to offer a piece this month. I have been considering Uncertainty a lot over the past few weeks, and then Certainty has sort of crept in between the thoughts. These days, we often say to ourselves and each other: “In an uncertain world…” which, for me, describes a more contemplative approach to the social justice horrors, wartime atrocities, and climate crises which we face every day, just to name a few.
I sometimes find it difficult to reconcile all of this Uncertainty, or at least as much as I am willing to take a look at, with the Certainty I feel about my Practice. A Practice which holds me up so I don’t sink to the depths of despair and helplessness, and which gives me hope and strength to see what I can do or say to assist in the solution of saving our planet.
This piece is turning out to be more political than I anticipated, and I trust you will stay with me as much as possible to bring it full circle back to our Practice. For me, the Dharma is everything. Along with the Buddha and the Sangha, the three jewels which, out of their very existence, form the basis for a solid and enlightening Practice. I am not enlightened by any means. Yet I have Certainty that when I hold my meditation Practice at the forefront, and study and learn from the Buddhist teachings, I can dissolve the often prevailing Uncertainty that lives within and without.
What an unusual word to use: dissolve. And yet, knowing that life and circumstances arise and pass away, it is comforting when I am willing not to fight that truth. Am I Uncertain what will happen if I let go of my beliefs, and/or my experiences within the Dharma? I feel Certain that I will lose my way if I stray from those teachings. Yet I also feel Certain that I can return at anytime to being in the moment as long as I remember to do so. And when I forget, which I do fairly regularly, I can count on my meditation practice, to pay attention to body and breath once again. Also remembering that thoughts will arise and pass away, and as much as my mind likes to chatter, it is Certainly helpful to hold those wandering moments with love and compassion, ultimately trusting in our Practice to show me the way.
**If you would like to contribute something to Dharma Dialogue on this topic or any aspect of Practice, please send it in an email to [email protected]. Anonymity is respected.
With Metta,
Jennifer D.
Community Dharma Steward
Downloadable Flyers
- May Offerings at IWM
- Wise Speech in Hard Times with Manny Mansbach, May 7-28
- Offerings with Rhonda V. Magee, May 10 & 11
Feedback
If you have comments, questions, or ideas you’d like to share, please contact us: [email protected].
With much care and metta,
IWM Board