SKIPPED MEETING – Buddhist Recovery Group

Attention

The Monday night Recovery Sangha will not be meeting on Labor Day evening, Monday September 4th.  The group has been meeting on all the other holidays, but not this one this year.

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08/03/17 “In the Buddha’s Words: Approaching the Dhamma – Part 2” with Rich Howard

In the Buddha’s Words: Approaching the Dhamma – Part 2

(You can listen to a recording of Part 1 here: July 13th Audio Dharma post)

“It is fitting for you to be perplexed, O Kalamas.” These words spoken by the Buddha to the citizens of Kesaputta ring true for us today. How do we approach the teachings of the Buddha, when there are so many competing spiritual, philosophical, and secular teachings, so many schools of Buddhism, and so many interpretations and teachers even within our own Insight (vipassana) tradition?

This evening, we will continue our exploration of Chapter III, Approaching the Dhamma, from In the Buddha’s Words, edited by Bhikkhu Bodhi. On July 13, we discussed the most familiar part of the Buddha’s teaching to the Kalamas (AN 3:65), a list of the 10 things one should not rely on to decide which teachings to follow. This time, we will look at Bhikkhu Bodhi’s point of view on the context for this first part of the Kalama Sutta. We will then move on to lesser known aspects of the sutta, including how to practice and what benefits result from the practice. If there is time, we will explore when, if ever, we might arrive at a place in our practice where we might accept teachings beyond the range of our personal experience. We will also look at the brief two paragraphs presented as the first text in this section. To prepare for this evening, please read the Introduction to Chapter III starting on page 81 through the first incomplete paragraph at the top of page 86, and texts III,1 and III,2 (pages 88-91). If you do not have the book yet, here are some alternative citations from accesstoinsight.org:

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

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Daylong Retreat with SIM Founding Teacher, Dennis Warren

Resting In Awareness and Experience

A One Day Retreat with SIM’s Founding Teacher Dennis Warren

At the center of long term practice is the ability to rest, to abide, in awareness. Practice becomes a refuge, a comfort, a self-restoring experience when we learn this skill, even when challenges are present. This will be a day of examining the fundamentals and practices that allow us to abide and rest into our experiences. It will involve be a combination of examination, reflection and guided experimentation. You will find something helpful during this day whatever your level of experience and practice.
Please plan on staying on-site during the day, including bringing your own lunch.

Registration Details

Pre-registration is required to secure your space at the retreat. Registration is $15.00 per person due before the start of the event. If you are able and interested in further supporting SIM financially, you have the option of a registration fee of either $25 or $35 dollars. In addition to the registration fee, at the retreat there will be an opportunity to offer dana (in the form of a financial donation) to support the retreat presenter and Sacramento Insight Meditation.

For the registration fee, we accept credit cards, checks and cash. No one will be turned away for lack of funds; please contact the registrar for more information. Day-of registration will be on a first-come first-serve basis, contingent on availability of space.

Summary of Important Dates

  • 10/29/2017 – Registration opens.
  • 11/24/2017 – Online registration closed. Register on the day of retreat in-person.
  • 11/25/2017 – Attend and enjoy the wonderful retreat.

Questions for the Registrar?

Use the form below only if you need to contact the retreat registrar with any questions. Expect a reply within 48 hours.

[contact-form to=’website@sactoinsight.org, barbbsim@gmail.com’ subject=’Question about November Daylong Retreat ({name})’][contact-field label=’Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Comments/Questions’ type=’textarea’/][contact-field label=’Yes, subscribe me to the eNews.’ type=’checkbox’/][/contact-form]

Volunteer Opportunities

It “takes a village” to put on a large event for our community. If you would be available to assist in set-up, take-down, tea service, providing flowers or other duties for the event, please mention this in the comments of contact information form shown above.

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Introduction to Meditation with SIM Community Mentor, Diane Wilde

This 45-minute course is suitable for beginners or anyone who would like a refresher. It is offered on the fourth Thursday of every month before the regular sitting and dharma talk. There is no fee.

DIANE WILDE has studied meditation in various traditions since 1990. In 2001 she was a founding member of Sacramento Insight Meditation. She founded Buddhist Pathways Prison Project (BP3) in 2010.  Since 2003, she has been a BP3 prison chaplain and aids in coordination of 75 volunteers who offer Buddhist services at numerous California prisons and jails. She is a graduate of Sati Center’s Buddhist Chaplaincy program and graduated from Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s Community Dharma Leadership Training Program. She is a board member of Sati Center for Buddhist Studies, Sacramento Dharma Center, Buddhist Pathways Prison Project and California Dept. of Corrections Volunteer Advisory Board. In 2015 she was lay-ordained as a Buddhist minister by her teacher Gil Fronsdal.

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.

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Thanksgiving – No Events

Thanksgiving Holiday

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*Sit & Dharma Talk – Diane Wilde – The Atthakavagga, Part 2

The Atthakavagga: the original seeds that gave rise to Buddhist teachings (Part2)
Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Community Mentor, Diane Wilde

“For someone sunk in confusion, even if well concealed in a hiding place, seclusion is far away.” This is another paradoxical reflection from one of the earliest collections in the Pali Cannon, the Atthakavagga. In this verse from a verse entitled “The Hiding Place”, the protagonist appears to be redefining solitude or seclusion, and perhaps loneliness. Just as we discovered during our first discussion two weeks ago, this verse asks us to draw our own conclusions. Gil Fronsdal states in his introduction to his translation of the Atthakavagga: “Here we find the Buddhist teachings pared down to their most essential elements, free of the more complex doctrines often associated with Buddhism.” The poems and verses from this small collection reveal a pattern of teachings that are much different — in their directness and simplicity — from the later sutta collections. Verses in the Atthakavagga often have an almost a koan-like quality, which seem open to interpretation.

To listen to Part 1 of this talk, click here or visit the audio dharma post date of Nov 16, 2017.

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.

 

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*Sit & Special Event: State of the Sangha & Thank You

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A Special Event: State of the Sangha & Thank You

November 2 will be a special evening to review the considerable accomplishments we’ve made as an organization on our one-year anniversary in the Sacramento Dharma Center. Members of the SIM Board will share their perspectives on the State of the Sangha and plans for 2018 and beyond.

We’ll celebrate all that we’ve achieved in moving to a new physical home, building relationships with the other sanghas who are now our neighbors, and rising to meet the financial challenges that accompanied our move. We are pleased to be able to present a positive year-end report and to share our plans for 2018. We’ll look forward to hearing community members share their observations about the last year as well as new ideas for improvement and change.

An important part of the evening will be an expression of gratitude for the indispensable help from all our volunteers during this year of transition and for all our members for being part of this community and providing essential financial support.

We also want to announce some significant changes in the operation of our Board. This includes several new officers as well as a new President who is scheduled to serve a full two-year term beginning in March of 2018.

We’ll sit, have cake and tea, then have presentations, discussion and questions and answers. This will be a very special evening, and we look forward to seeing and hearing from each of you.

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