October Sangha News
9/29/23
Benefit with Joseph Goldstein: Celebrating the results
We are so gratified to report that together, our sangha surpassed our $25,000 fundraising goal.
Here’s a recap:
In recognition of IWM’s 25th anniversary, it was important to not only honor where our community has been, but build for our future together. To get to our goal we tried a new approach.
First, the Board reached out to 25 community members in advance of the benefit. We wanted to:
Then by September 17, we announced we raised $24,570 (about 70% of which came from advance pledges and 30% through registration). Yet we weren't done. A member of the sangha challenged us to match their gift of $5,000 in one week. And, by 251 of us coming together to support our sangha, in the spirit of dana, we raised a total of $34,713 to support and diversify IWM’s teachers pool and offerings.
That Sunday was a special day for our sangha, a joy-filled coming together. We deeply appreciate Joseph & Devin’s generosity and the wisdom they shared. If you weren't able to join us and didn't register to receive the recording, you still can by clicking here. If you were able to join us and have feedback you’d like to share, we’d love to hear from you; you can reply to this email or write to us at [email protected].
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
This Month at IWM
Monday night open practice
In October Monday eve sessions will consider the Four Noble Truths, emblematic, central teachings of the Buddha. This month both the second and fourth Mondays, 10/9 and 10/23, will be in-person at IWM and also hybrid on zoom. All other Mondays will be Zoom only.
Town Hall
On Wed October 18, instead of our usual Open Community Practice and Dharma Talk at 7:00 PM, we are having a Town Hall, an open meeting for everyone in our community to talk about building and supporting the IWM sangha. It is titled: “We take refuge in the Sangha, and the Sangha takes refuge in us.”
This is an opportunity for sangha members to give voice to what sangha means to them and how sangha could be more supportive of their practice. We will meditate and participate in a structured conversation in small groups and as a whole.
Many have noted the positive energy flowing at the Benefit Event with Joseph Goldstein on Sunday Sept 17, how good it felt to have a chance to connect with other people, particularly in person. We hope this gathering will follow up on that energy for community and connectedness that arose there.
This will be a hybrid event, with the opportunity to come in-person or join us via Zoom. Masks will be optional for in-person attendance.
Two retreats and one course starting 10/31
We have two daylong retreats this month: a Beginners Retreat with Manny Mansbach and Bernadine Mellis on Oct. 7, and a retreat with Lama John Makransky on Oct. 15, “The Power of Our Original Goodness.” A course with Nick Boutros, “The Path of Mindfulness of Body” begins on Oct. 31 via Zoom.
Wednesday Evening Dharma
Finally, we are happy to welcome guest teachers Chris Crotty and JD Doyle and long-time IWM teacher Jean Esther to give Dharma Talks in our Wed night sessions. See below for more information about all these offerings.
Justice and Belonging: Affinity Sangha Updates
Please contact Bernadine at [email protected] with questions or comments.
Three BIPOC Affinity Offerings
The first meeting of our BIPOC affinity sangha will take place on Friday, Oct. 20. We have another special affinity offering for BIPOC the following Tuesday, Oct. 24 - an Insight Dialogue session with Brent Beresford. In November, Kate Johnson will be hosting a potluck dinner on Fri 11/10 for BIPOC practictioners, the evening before her retreat on Sat 11/11. Registration for Kate's retreat and the affinity dinner will open soon.
Queer & Trans Sangha
All LGBTQIA2S+ identities are welcome! Our Q/T sangha meets the fourth Thursday of every month from 7:15-8:45 in person. When possible, we offer a hybrid option. If you have questions or would like to be added to the Q/T mailing list, write to: [email protected].
Disability/Chronic Illness Sangha
We are in the process of re-launching this group. If you are interested in a group like this, or would like to be involved in helping to form it, please contact us at [email protected].
White & Awakening in the Dhamma
We are happy to share that we will be offering the 6-month White & Awakening in the Dhamma (WAD) curriculum again this year, starting in December. WAD is designed to afford people who identify as white the opportunity to turn with mindfulness, wisdom, and compassion towards racism, white supremacy culture, and privilege, as they manifest externally and internally. With the course, we will provide a guided exploration of the racial conditioning of white-identified people with the support of Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha. Registration for the group will open soon.
Dharma Dialogue with Jennifer D.
Loving-kindness Meditation
Instead of continuing to offer a Blessing Circle on the first Monday of each month, we are starting something “new.” “New” is in quotes because many of us probably know about loving-kindness (or metta) meditation. Metta is the Pali word which means positive energy and kindness toward others. Pali is a language that is closely related to Sanskrit and spoken in northern India. Some of us may do metta meditation when practicing alone. Practicing with Sangha brings a different feeling of support when we do it together. We are offering the merits of our practice to all beings with the hope that they will bring kindness to the world.
On that Monday evening, we will have our usual formal meditation from 5:30-6:00pm, then a short sharing by the Community Dharma Steward about loving-kindness meditation, and then we will practice together. We will be silently reciting phrases to foster a mental state of good will, love and compassion to ourselves and others; specifically, a benefactor, someone who is dear to us, a neutral person, someone is difficult for us, and lastly, to all beings. The phrases we will use will offer peace, safety, good health, happiness and living with ease. It will be a guided practice and will last about 15 minutes. There is no right or wrong way to do metta practice. We are looking, as best as we can in the moment, to offer our kindness and generosity of heart to all beings.
We would love to have you join us on Zoom on the first Monday of every month to participate together in loving-kindness practice. And perhaps you would like to write a piece for Dharma Dialogue about your experience as well. Any topic of practice is welcome in the Dialogue. No writing experience necessary; it is yet another way to share from the heart. Please send your written offering in an email to [email protected]. It can be anonymous if you would like.
Gratitude to all,
Jennifer D.
Community Dharma Steward
Response from Rachel
Reading Jennifer’s piece inspired me to reflect on how I practice Loving Kindness meditation in my own life. I was really happy to hear Joseph Goldstein share this past Sunday in honor of the center’s 25th year anniversary, that it’s ok to ‘reverse’ your practice i.e., do less formal practice and more informal practice as you go about your day. When I’m out and about in my world and feeling at ease, I readily recite phrases – when I remember to! - (silently or out loud if I’m driving) to people I see for example, at the grocery store, in the gym, or on the street. More challenging however, is when I am feeling dis-eased, and I have the experience of someone ‘in my way’. If I can notice the tension and contraction in the bodymind, and have the willingness and motivation to invoke a sacred pause, I can then shift to LK practice by silently reciting phrases first to myself actually, and then to others. I so appreciate the immediate shift in energy from the unwholesome states of frustration and aggravation, to more wholesome ones of relief, acceptance, and compassion for the human condition. Suddenly, I’m no longer dis-eased, and the people who were in my way are no longer in my way at all but a blessing because they provided me an opportunity to ‘wake up’ and come back to the present moment. I don’t typically go through the entire process as it’s traditionally taught unless I’m in formal practice, but this really works for me.
Downloadable Flyers
Below are downloadable flyers in case you want to share them with a friend or post them on a public bulletin board:
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
We are so gratified to report that together, our sangha surpassed our $25,000 fundraising goal.
Here’s a recap:
In recognition of IWM’s 25th anniversary, it was important to not only honor where our community has been, but build for our future together. To get to our goal we tried a new approach.
First, the Board reached out to 25 community members in advance of the benefit. We wanted to:
- share our excitement about Joseph’s generosity,
- invite others to join us in this generative time in our community in advance to propel us towards our goal on the day of the Benefit by…
- making an advanced gift to the Benefit, the proceeds of which will be used to increase teacher diversity and presence.
Then by September 17, we announced we raised $24,570 (about 70% of which came from advance pledges and 30% through registration). Yet we weren't done. A member of the sangha challenged us to match their gift of $5,000 in one week. And, by 251 of us coming together to support our sangha, in the spirit of dana, we raised a total of $34,713 to support and diversify IWM’s teachers pool and offerings.
That Sunday was a special day for our sangha, a joy-filled coming together. We deeply appreciate Joseph & Devin’s generosity and the wisdom they shared. If you weren't able to join us and didn't register to receive the recording, you still can by clicking here. If you were able to join us and have feedback you’d like to share, we’d love to hear from you; you can reply to this email or write to us at [email protected].
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
This Month at IWM
Monday night open practice
In October Monday eve sessions will consider the Four Noble Truths, emblematic, central teachings of the Buddha. This month both the second and fourth Mondays, 10/9 and 10/23, will be in-person at IWM and also hybrid on zoom. All other Mondays will be Zoom only.
Town Hall
On Wed October 18, instead of our usual Open Community Practice and Dharma Talk at 7:00 PM, we are having a Town Hall, an open meeting for everyone in our community to talk about building and supporting the IWM sangha. It is titled: “We take refuge in the Sangha, and the Sangha takes refuge in us.”
This is an opportunity for sangha members to give voice to what sangha means to them and how sangha could be more supportive of their practice. We will meditate and participate in a structured conversation in small groups and as a whole.
Many have noted the positive energy flowing at the Benefit Event with Joseph Goldstein on Sunday Sept 17, how good it felt to have a chance to connect with other people, particularly in person. We hope this gathering will follow up on that energy for community and connectedness that arose there.
This will be a hybrid event, with the opportunity to come in-person or join us via Zoom. Masks will be optional for in-person attendance.
Two retreats and one course starting 10/31
We have two daylong retreats this month: a Beginners Retreat with Manny Mansbach and Bernadine Mellis on Oct. 7, and a retreat with Lama John Makransky on Oct. 15, “The Power of Our Original Goodness.” A course with Nick Boutros, “The Path of Mindfulness of Body” begins on Oct. 31 via Zoom.
Wednesday Evening Dharma
Finally, we are happy to welcome guest teachers Chris Crotty and JD Doyle and long-time IWM teacher Jean Esther to give Dharma Talks in our Wed night sessions. See below for more information about all these offerings.
Justice and Belonging: Affinity Sangha Updates
Please contact Bernadine at [email protected] with questions or comments.
Three BIPOC Affinity Offerings
The first meeting of our BIPOC affinity sangha will take place on Friday, Oct. 20. We have another special affinity offering for BIPOC the following Tuesday, Oct. 24 - an Insight Dialogue session with Brent Beresford. In November, Kate Johnson will be hosting a potluck dinner on Fri 11/10 for BIPOC practictioners, the evening before her retreat on Sat 11/11. Registration for Kate's retreat and the affinity dinner will open soon.
Queer & Trans Sangha
All LGBTQIA2S+ identities are welcome! Our Q/T sangha meets the fourth Thursday of every month from 7:15-8:45 in person. When possible, we offer a hybrid option. If you have questions or would like to be added to the Q/T mailing list, write to: [email protected].
Disability/Chronic Illness Sangha
We are in the process of re-launching this group. If you are interested in a group like this, or would like to be involved in helping to form it, please contact us at [email protected].
White & Awakening in the Dhamma
We are happy to share that we will be offering the 6-month White & Awakening in the Dhamma (WAD) curriculum again this year, starting in December. WAD is designed to afford people who identify as white the opportunity to turn with mindfulness, wisdom, and compassion towards racism, white supremacy culture, and privilege, as they manifest externally and internally. With the course, we will provide a guided exploration of the racial conditioning of white-identified people with the support of Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha. Registration for the group will open soon.
Dharma Dialogue with Jennifer D.
Loving-kindness Meditation
Instead of continuing to offer a Blessing Circle on the first Monday of each month, we are starting something “new.” “New” is in quotes because many of us probably know about loving-kindness (or metta) meditation. Metta is the Pali word which means positive energy and kindness toward others. Pali is a language that is closely related to Sanskrit and spoken in northern India. Some of us may do metta meditation when practicing alone. Practicing with Sangha brings a different feeling of support when we do it together. We are offering the merits of our practice to all beings with the hope that they will bring kindness to the world.
On that Monday evening, we will have our usual formal meditation from 5:30-6:00pm, then a short sharing by the Community Dharma Steward about loving-kindness meditation, and then we will practice together. We will be silently reciting phrases to foster a mental state of good will, love and compassion to ourselves and others; specifically, a benefactor, someone who is dear to us, a neutral person, someone is difficult for us, and lastly, to all beings. The phrases we will use will offer peace, safety, good health, happiness and living with ease. It will be a guided practice and will last about 15 minutes. There is no right or wrong way to do metta practice. We are looking, as best as we can in the moment, to offer our kindness and generosity of heart to all beings.
We would love to have you join us on Zoom on the first Monday of every month to participate together in loving-kindness practice. And perhaps you would like to write a piece for Dharma Dialogue about your experience as well. Any topic of practice is welcome in the Dialogue. No writing experience necessary; it is yet another way to share from the heart. Please send your written offering in an email to [email protected]. It can be anonymous if you would like.
Gratitude to all,
Jennifer D.
Community Dharma Steward
Response from Rachel
Reading Jennifer’s piece inspired me to reflect on how I practice Loving Kindness meditation in my own life. I was really happy to hear Joseph Goldstein share this past Sunday in honor of the center’s 25th year anniversary, that it’s ok to ‘reverse’ your practice i.e., do less formal practice and more informal practice as you go about your day. When I’m out and about in my world and feeling at ease, I readily recite phrases – when I remember to! - (silently or out loud if I’m driving) to people I see for example, at the grocery store, in the gym, or on the street. More challenging however, is when I am feeling dis-eased, and I have the experience of someone ‘in my way’. If I can notice the tension and contraction in the bodymind, and have the willingness and motivation to invoke a sacred pause, I can then shift to LK practice by silently reciting phrases first to myself actually, and then to others. I so appreciate the immediate shift in energy from the unwholesome states of frustration and aggravation, to more wholesome ones of relief, acceptance, and compassion for the human condition. Suddenly, I’m no longer dis-eased, and the people who were in my way are no longer in my way at all but a blessing because they provided me an opportunity to ‘wake up’ and come back to the present moment. I don’t typically go through the entire process as it’s traditionally taught unless I’m in formal practice, but this really works for me.
Downloadable Flyers
Below are downloadable flyers in case you want to share them with a friend or post them on a public bulletin board:
- October Offerings: click here
- Upcoming Courses and Retreats:
- Beginner Retreat with Manny Mansbach and Bernadine Mellis
- The Power of Our Original Goodness with Lama John Makransky
- The Path of Mindfulness of Body with Nick Boutros
- White and Awakening in the Dhamma (WAD)
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