Climate Sangha

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Meeting the 3rd Wednesday of each month, the Sacramento Climate Sangha provides dharmic support and a refuge for exploration of our hopes and fears about climate change.

Climate Sangha participants,

Here is a message from our presenter, Oscar Belaguer. We look forward to seeing you for tonight’s discussion.

For discussion at the Climate Sangha’s Feb 20 discussion of “engaged Buddhism”, I propose we reflect on the following three questions and the below first four of the Order of Interbeing’s Precepts of Engaged Buddhism; and read this short article, “A Stand Against Suffering”:

Questions

  1. Do you ever suffer – physically, emotionally, or spiritually – from experiencing or thinking about the effects of climate change on you and others? If so, how do you respond?
  2. Do the terms engaged Buddhism and activism evoke positive, negative, or neutral sensations/ feeling tones for you?
  3. Is engaged Buddhism part of your practice? If so, does it include activism?

 

Thich Nhat Hanh, Fourteen Precepts of Engaged Buddhism (first four)

  1. Do not be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory, or ideology, even Buddhist ones. Buddhist systems of thought are guiding means; they are not absolute truth.
  2. Do not think the knowledge you presently possess is changeless, absolute truth. Avoid being narrow-minded and bound to present views. Learn and practice nonattachment from views in order to be open to receive others’ viewpoints. Truth is found in life and not merely in conceptual knowledge. Be ready to learn throughout your entire life and to observe reality in yourself and in the world at all times.
  3. Do not force others, including children, by any means whatsoever, to adopt your views, whether by authority, threat, money, propaganda, or even education. However, through compassionate dialogue, help others renounce fanaticism and narrowness.
  4. Do not avoid contact with suffering or close your eyes before suffering. Do not lose awareness of the existence of suffering in the life of the world. Find ways to be with those who are suffering, including personal contact, visits, images, and sounds. By such means, awaken yourself and others to the reality of suffering in the world.

From “Interbeing: Fourteen Guidelines for Engaged Buddhism,” Revised edition: Oct. 1993 by Thich Nhat Hanh, published by Parallax Press, Berkeley, California.

Thank you very much,
Oscar Belaguer

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Climate Sangha with Michelle Stevens and Ruthy Ballard

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*  *  N O T I C E  *  *  *  The meeting in January will be held Wed, Jan 16 instead of Tues, Jan 22 .

Dear Climate Sangha members,

Michelle Stevens and I are busy finalizing plans for the next climate sangha meeting, which we will be leading in the absence of Ayya and Diane. The space-time coordinates are Wednesday January 16th 2019, 6:30-8:30 PM, Dharma Center (3111 Wissemann Dr, Sacramento, CA).

“Where Creativity and Buddhism Meet: Keeping a Practice of Hope Alive in an Era of Climate Change”

In this context, we define creativity in its broadest sense: any creative act (whether yours or someone else’s) that brings you hope as you navigate your grief, guilt, spinning thoughts (busy mind), anxiety, depression, etc. about climate change and the Anthropocene. Our intent is that the meeting be inclusive, upbeat, and inspirational. We’re hoping that many of you will bring something to share, though that part is optional (your body and spirit are plenty!) Given time constraints, plan on 3-5 minutes for sharing. If you need more time, please let me know (email me back at this address) and we’ll try to accommodate as best we can given the two hour time frame of the meeting. For those of you bringing visual art, we’ll take a break about halfway through the meeting for folks to walk around and appreciate it.

Here are some examples of creative products you can share (broad definition). This list will get your juices flowing, but is not meant to be “all inclusive.” You may have other ideas, and those are most welcome!

  • Vegan recipes or yummies (for the kitchen, we can pass them out as people leave)
    Political comment letters
    Sacred stones, runes, angel cards, etc
    Eco jewelry, tattoos…
    Poems
    Snippets of stories, memoirs
    Paintings, drawings, cartoons, sculpture…
    Music
    Fashion (external advertisement and expression of your eco values!)
    Dance, creative movement (e.g. yoga, tai chi, etc)
    Readings from your favorite authors

Get the idea? Sounds like fun, right?

We’ll have music stands (to serve as easels or to hold your music while you play) and a table for laying out items. If you want to bring copies of your offering to distribute, feel free. For example, you may have time to read only a few paragraphs of a memoir, but you can bring copies of the whole thing for folks to read on their own time.

We’re anticipating a wonderful evening. Together, let’s jump-start 2019 as the Turnaround Year for climate change! ????

Ruthy Ballard
Author, Artist, and Scientist

Typically meeting the 4th Tuesday of each month, the Sacramento Climate Sangha provides dharmic support and a refuge for exploration of our hopes and fears about climate change.

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01/10/2019 “Cultivating Joy” with Meg Gawler

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There are two audio files. Here’s the dharma talk:

If you would like to download this talk, please right click and select “save as” here.

And here’s a guided meditation:

If you would like to download this talk, please right click and select “save as” here.

Buddhists on the path to liberation practice meditation to train the mind in mindfulness and samādhi. The Pāli word, samādhi, although often translated as ‘concentration,’ is better rendered into English as ‘unification.’ While concentration is an essential skill, the Buddhist practitioner cannot produce a state of samādhi through concentration alone. This is because the self needs to get out of the way. Rather, the Buddha teaches that samādhi arises naturally when the supporting conditions – all positive mind states – are in place. Joy is one of these positive mind states.

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*Sit & Dharma Talk – Rich Howard – Greed and Mindfulness of Death

Greed and Mindfulness of Death
Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Community Teacher Rich Howard

N O T E  – Due to technical difficulties, we couldn’t include this talk in our Audio Dharma library.

Rich recently started a short series on working with the three roots of suffering – greed, hatred, and delusion. We looked at one version of hatred, anger, in February and one of its antidotes, patience, in March. On this evening, we will look at greed (desire, lobha, sensual attachment) and one of its antidotes – mindfulness of death (maranasati).

The Buddha said, “Mindfulness of death—when developed and pursued—is of great fruit and great benefit.” (AN 6:20)
What are some of the benefits of looking at a subject that our culture often goes out of its way to avoid? What are some contemporary practices that we may use to work with desire beyond the practices recommended for monastics in India in 500 BCE? As with the previous two sessions in this series, there will be handout of resources.

Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha.

Thursday Night Talk Dana
“Generosity is the virtue that leads to peace.” – The Historical Buddha
We recognize that donating by cash or check at the time you attend this event may not always be convenient for you. If that’s the case, please use the form below to donate by credit card or your PayPal account. Enter the amount you’d like to give and your donation will be shared with Rich Howard and SIM.

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*Sit & Dharma Talk – Diane Wilde – Communicating with the “Other”

Communicating with the “Other”
Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Community Teacher Diane Wilde

Our polarized society has caused many of us to not only avoid speaking to those who don’t share our political, spiritual or cultural views, but to avoid them altogether. Social scientists state that the animosity towards the “other” is as extreme as it was in the 60s and 70s during the Vietnam war. And yet, it has never been as critical to speak about the perilous issues that effect everyone. Speaking to each other is a task we all must undertake because we now have no choice. Avoidance has been creating its own downward trajectory… the climate crisis worsens, and political polarity has resulted in societal paralysis.

Tonight we will discuss steps we might consider taking in communicating with the “other.” The Buddha offered advise in many suttas, and contemporary social scientists have weighed in on how to begin a conversation eliminating rigidly held dogma or self-righteous anger.

Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha.

Thursday Night Talk Dana
“Generosity is the virtue that leads to peace.” – The Historical Buddha
We recognize that donating by cash or check at the time you attend this event may not always be convenient for you. If that’s the case, please use the form below to donate by credit card or your PayPal account. Enter the amount you’d like to give and your donation will be shared with Rev. Diane Wilde and SIM.

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*Sit & Dharma Talk – Rich Howard – Patience: Antidote and Perfection

Patience: Antidote and Perfection
Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Community Teacher Rich Howard

Building on SIM Community Teacher Rich Howard’s talk on anger last month, this evening’s presentation will explore the Buddhist view of patience. In his recent book “Perfecting Patience: Buddhist Techniques to Overcome Anger,” the Dalai Lama writes, “The only factor that can give refuge or protection from the destructive effects of anger and hatred is the practice of tolerance and patience.” So, first we will look at this function of patience as an antidote.

We will then look at patience as one of the Paramis, qualities we need to cultivate and develop to be truly free. The Historical Buddha called Patience the highest virtue, so we will look into this important but seldom appreciated mind state. This will also be a good opportunity to inquire into the linked practices of refraining from harmful activities and cultivating healthy ones.
Rich will be available for discussion at the community potluck preceding this presentation.

Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha.

Thursday Night Talk Dana
“Generosity is the virtue that leads to peace.” – The Historical Buddha
We recognize that donating by cash or check at the time you attend this event may not always be convenient for you. If that’s the case, please use the form below to donate by credit card or your PayPal account. Enter the amount you’d like to give and your donation will be shared with Rich Howard and SIM.

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