Registration is now open for the online retreat in September with Dennis Warren and October with Diane Wilde.
NEWS
Tomorrow we open the registration to our six week Beginning Meditation Course that starts September 22, 2020. This course is offered online and will likely be lead by SIM Community Teacher, Rich Howard. Here is the course flyer in PDF format.
Sacramento Insight Mediation hopes that you are finding stability through your practice at home during this unsettling time. Don’t forget these lists of available resources (1 of 2) and (2 of 2) that we’ve collected to help you. And we continue to nurture our sangha with online meetings that we hope you can attend.
Following government COVID-19 guidelines, Sacramento Dharma Center (SDC) will remain closed until further notice. Because of the changing nature of this crisis, the SDC Board of Directors (in collaboration with the resident sanghas) will continue to reassess the closure status weekly. Whenever reopening is permitted and advisable, the SDC will advise on how it will be implemented.
* This information is a re-post from the update published on 4/18/20 and 5/03/20.
The Sacramento Dharma Center has almost reached their goal of matching the $15,000 challenge pledge! Generous supporters have donated $13,015 so far; only $1,985 to go!
Registration is now open for the online, August daylong retreat with Rich Howard.
Registration is now open for the online, July daylong retreat with Ayya Santacitta and Diane Wilde.
Hello SIM Community Member:
Registration is now open for SIM’s annual retreat (online) with Senior Teacher John Travis. The retreat is intended to help us deepen and integrate practice into our daily lives, while strengthening our Sangha. This year’s theme is “Keeping our Footing on Unsteady Ground”. For information and to register for the retreat, click here.
Retreat details:
- Teacher: John Travis
- Duration: 5 days, starting at 6 pm on Friday, September 11, 2020 and concluding by 11 am on Wednesday, September 16, 2020. (See draft schedule on registration page)
- Commitment: Attend 3-4 Zoom sessions each day for the whole retreat (Including Zoom group sitting periods, instructions, Dharma talks, and one small group check-in).
- Individual practice between sessions: May be tailored to your situation (e.g. amount of silence, sitting/walking practice, movement practice, other awareness practices, interaction with family/housemates, work).
- Registration cost: $100, with opportunity to give teacher dana. (SIM has kept the registration cost low to support practice during this unsettled time; we encourage participants to be generous in giving dana to the Teacher). Partial or full scholarships may be available upon request.
If you have questions click here. We hope you’ll be able to join us.
Warmly,
SIM Board of Directors
For the benefit of SIM’s community, our Board of Directors have provided this additional COVID-19 Resources List.
State/Federal Aid
- CA EDD (Employment Development Department) COVID-19 Resources https://www.edd.ca.gov/about_edd/coronavirus-2019.htm
- The federal CARES Act has added these provisions to expand unemployment benefits so we can help more Californians impacted by COVID-19
- Pandemic Unemployment Assistance – New program to provide unemployment benefits for people who don’t usually qualify for regular state Unemployment Insurance.
- Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation – A 13-week benefit extension for people who have used all benefits available in their regular Unemployment Insurance claim.
- Pandemic Additional Compensation – An additional $600 federal stimulus payment automatically added to each week of benefits received between March 29 and July 25, 2020. (ENDS ON JULY 31, 2020)
- Educational Relief – includes information & links for those students and families affected by COVID-19, including student debt relief programs https://covid19.ca.gov/education/#top
- Assistance for Renters & Homeowners –PDF that provides links to those who are unable to pay their mortgage or rent as a result of COVID-19 https://www.bcsh.ca.gov/coronavirus19/renters_mortgage_guidance.pdf
- Childcare Options – links to finding childcare, the department of social services, and the department of education https://covid19.ca.gov/childcare/#top
Sacramento Utilities
- SMUD Resources
- Statement on Suspension of Power Shut-Off https://www.smud.org/en/Corporate/About-us/News-and-Media/2020/2020/SMUD-extends-suspension-of-power-shutoffs–for-non-payment-through-January-4
- General Financial Assistance Information & Application https://www.smud.org/en/Customer-Support/Financial-assistance
- PG&E Resources
- Discounts through the CARE and FERA programs https://www.pge.com/en_US/residential/save-energy-money/help-paying-your-bill/longer-term-assistance/care/care.page
- Links to other resources for families and small businesses https://www.pge.com/en_US/about-pge/company-information/protective-protocols/covid19-protections.page
Business Loan Programs
- SBA Coronavirus Relief Loans – The SBA is allowing small businesses statewide to apply for disaster relief loans of up to $2 million with interest rates at 2.75% for nonprofits and 3.75% for small businesses. Repayment can extend up to 30 years. https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance
- Women’s Economic Venture’s Quick Response Loans – Women’s Economic Venture’s is offering local small businesses impacted by COVID-19 up to $10,000 in hardship loans with 4.5% interest rates and 36-month term. First payment is deferred for three months https://www.wevonline.org/loans-2/quick- response-loans/
- Sacramento Small Business Economic Emergency Relief Loan – A $1 million fund for businesses to borrow up to $25,000 if they were impacted by the coronavirus outbreak. (NOTE: Fund is currently exhausted and not taking new applications. Businesses should check back if additional funding becomes available.) http://www.cityofsacramento.org/covid19-relief
- COVID-19 Layoff Aversion Fund – The Workforce Development Board (WDB) of Solano County is issuing grants to help businesses with fewer than 500 employees in the county to avoid layoffs. Applicants must demonstrate a need for layoff aversion support due to the impacts of COVID-19. https://solanoemployment.org/layoff-aversion-fund
Legal & Medical Care Assistance
- Sacramento County Legal Resources – links to various free legal aid programs in our region https://www.needhelppayingbills.com/html/sacramento_free_legal_aid.html
- MyCalWin – Sacramento County Health Care Resources and Programs; this is often more expedient than going through the State https://www.mybenefitscalwin.org
Dear Friends,
With the heartbreaking news of recent events, I have found much refuge in the simplicity and directness of metta meditation practice. As a result, I am moved to share this practice and to support a larger coming-together of our sangha in metta offering. I would be honored if you would join me and an online community of other practitioners at this time.
- When: Friday, June 5th, 8AM Hawaii, 11AM PT, 1PM CT, 2PM ET, 8PM Europe. For other time zones we plan to share a recording on the Vipassana Metta Foundation website following the gathering.
- What: 40 minutes of guided metta
- Where: Zoom
- Fee: None, this is a dāna offering. If you are moved to give in response, please see below.
- Who can join: Anyone who is interested. Please feel free to share this invite with others who might like to join.
Metta practice—offering unconditional goodwill—deeply supports us, as well as all beings, as we navigate these very difficult times. In addition to the goodwill we are offering to others, our practice also calms, stabilizes, and unifies our minds, hearts, and bodies. This helps us greatly to act and speak with wisdom and compassion, which is so important to bring to the world now.
As mentioned above, this a dāna offering, this means there is no request for registration fee or teacher dāna. If you are compelled to offer dāna, please share this dāna with any group or organization your heart opens to help.
With metta and my thanks for your consideration,
Kamala
Video recording “Guided Metta for Turbulent Times“
In this time of great fear, it is important that we think of the long-term challenges—and possibilities—of the entire globe. Photographs of our world from space clearly show that there are no real boundaries on our blue planet. Therefore, all of us must take care of it and work to prevent climate change and other destructive forces. This pandemic serves as a warning that only by coming together with a coordinated, global response will we meet the unprecedented magnitude of the challenges we face. ~ The Dalai Lama
Dear Friends in the Dharma,
This is a truly critical time in American society. We are in the midst of a global pandemic, financial collapse, climate change emergency, and approaching a November election that threatens to exclude many eligible voters. As Buddhist teachers and leaders, we recognize that every vote and voice needs to be heard to help guide the next years of our society wisely.
A mutual caring community is one of the central teachings of the Buddha. In these times so marked by divisiveness and a lack of compassionate leadership, many of you have wondered how you and your whole community can help move us in this direction. Here are two crucial activities to encourage for everyone in your community:
❖ Register to vote; and sign up for an absentee ballot: You and your community can do this through Vote.org. Over thirty states now have no-excuse absentee voting, and many others are considering allowing COVID-19 as a valid excuse.
❖ Get your friends and family to register, sign up for an absentee ballot, and vote.
There’s more we all can do, and these actions don’t demand a lot of time.
1. Volunteer to do voter registration, absentee sign-ups, and get out the vote through these organizations.
• State Voices: A network of nonpartisan state coalitions of hundreds of grassroots organizations. Reach out and see if there are volunteer opportunities.
• National Voter Registration Day (Sept 22): Provides training and support on how to conduct voter registration, and will be making a heavy pivot to remote options this year, as well as a push to sign up for Vote-By-Mail (absentee). Includes legal guidance for voter registration drives.
• Vote Early Day (Oct 24): Inspired by National Voter Registration Day and anchored by a number of large media and tech companies, this organization will also be providing toolkits and training opportunities for impactful work, including recruitment of election workers. Will be assisting voters with both mail and in-person early-voting options. Was in the works pre-COVID-19, but is likely more critical in a pandemic.
• When We All Vote: The best-resourced, truly nonpartisan voter engagement organization.
2. Help ensure that eligible voters get to vote in key states, including Michigan, Pennsylvania, Florida and Wisconsin. Whether non-partisan or partisan there are many ways to help. There are many ways to do this.
• Here is an example of how you can get involved in the critical state of Wisconsin: https://winwisconsin.org/webinars/
3. Sign up to be a poll worker. Serving as a poll worker offers a dramatically under-appreciated opportunity to have an impact. Problems are made markedly worse or are mitigated to a substantial degree based on the quality of the poll worker. Chronic shortages of election workers nationwide cause long lines at the polls, especially at polling places that serve communities of color.
You can sign up to be a poll worker using this form and be connected to your local elections office.
Our collective involvement leading up to the November elections can really make a difference. Please forward this to as many teachers and Buddhist communities as you can throughout the United States. And thanks for joining us!
With lovingkindness, compassion and blessings,
Yours in the Dharma,
100+ Buddhist Teachers…
