This day is for all who wish to nurture creative engagement in their lives, and in their writing and visual arts practices. We’ll explore movement and stillness to cultivate the development of mindfulness and the flow of creative expression. Please bring materials for writing and drawing, and a lunch.
Carolyn is a poet and writer who facilitates creativity retreats and workshops. She works with groups and individuals. She has been practicing Buddhist and other meditative forms for over 30 years and teaches dharma in the Vipassana Insight and Soto Zen traditions.
This five-day, four-night retreat is for families with children ages 5-15 and will include periods of family activities, young people’s groups, parent program and free time. Dharma activities include songs, stories, skits, games, art, time on the land, a campfire, council practice, parent discussions, meditation for parents and children, and dharma talks.
Vesak – Buddha’s Birthday Celebration.
During the first part of the Sunday morning Dharma Talk, we will have a Vesak celebration to honor the Buddha’s birthday. Families with children are encouraged to attend.Come with cut flowers at 10:00 to decorate pagoda (in the IMC parking lot) 10:30 Procession into meditation hall for Buddha’s Birthday celebration.
A Day of Sutta Study on the Buddha’s First Three Discourses
Friday, August 6, 9am to 5pm
The entirety of the Buddha’s teaching is encapsulated in the first three discourses he delivered after his enlightenment. In this day of study we will cover all three suttas in detail, exploring how they weave together to inform each other and create a complete description of Dharma teaching and practice.
Richard Shankman has been a meditator since 1970 and teaches at dharma centers and groups throughout the Bay Area. He is a co-founder of the Sati Center for Buddhist Studies and the Community Partnership for Mindfulness in Education, and the author of The Experience of Samadhi: An In-Depth Investigation of Buddhist Meditation.
Loving-kindness meditation involves developing goodwill toward oneself and others. It is an important Buddhist practice in its own right, and it is a valuable compliment to mindfulness meditation. The practice brings many benefits, including greater self-understanding, goodwill, and inner stability. The four week series will systematically present the classic instruction for cultivating loving-kindness.
Wisdom Healing Qigong – activating life energy for self-healing and the healing of others……
Through gentle movement, visualization, sound and conscious intention, Qigong is an experiential way to address the underlying causes of life’s challenges, using the totality of the body and its connection with emotion, mind and spirit. We will share the skill and practice of transmitting chi for curing the incurable and healing others without depleting your own chi. It will enhance your well-being, spiritual awareness and creativity.
Master Mingtong Gu, an internationally recognized teacher and healer, received his training from a variety of Grandmasters in China, Tibet and at the world’s largest Qigong hospital. Receiving an MA in Math and Fine Arts in the US, Master Gu has also studied Taichi, Yoga and Buddhist Meditation. He is the founder of the Chi Healing Center and Wisdom Healing Foundation and has taught Qigong to thousands of people in the USA, China and Europe.
Join the contributors to IMC’s latest publication “Passing It On” in an evening gathering. The authors will comment about their creative contributions and their practices.
“Passing It On” is a collection of writing and art by lay practitioners connected with the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California. It shows that helpful teaching can be found in the ordinary lives of lay practitioners. The collection celebrates our everyday lives, but not in a way that ignores its complexity. The personal essays, short stories, poetry, and art explore the challenges we face and the moments when we rise to meet those challenges.
“Passing It On” publishes the work of emerging and established artists who are striving to be thoughtful and awake. The collection invites readers to consider an array of ideas and then to join the conversation by submitting work for future editions. In the 2500 year-old tradition of dana “generosity” the collection is offered freely at http://www.insightmeditationcenter.org/books-articles/passing-it-on/ in HTML and PDF.
“Passing It On” is a collection of writing and art by lay practitioners connected with the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California. It shows that helpful teaching can be found in the ordinary lives of lay practitioners. The collection celebrates our everyday lives, but not in a way that ignores its complexity. The personal essays, short stories, poetry, and art explore the challenges we face and the moments when we rise to meet those challenges.
“Passing It On” publishes the work of emerging and established artists who are striving to be thoughtful and awake. The collection invites readers to consider an array of ideas and then to join the conversation by submitting work for future editions. In the 2500 year-old tradition of dana “generosity” the collection is offered freely at http://www.insightmeditationcenter.org/books-articles/passing-it-on/ in HTML and PDF.
An Afternoon of Awareness and Environmental Action
Plastics litter our streets and waterways, polluting the environment and killing wildlife. Plastics are getting into our bodies, too. Many of the chemicals used in plastics are associated with modern disorders such as asthma, cancer, diabetes, obesity, premature puberty, and reproductive failure.
Green Sangha offers a mindful approach to environmental action. Cultivating a foundation of inner peace and compassion, we can experience our work as a joyful process of creative collaboration.
1:00 Introduction: Sustainability from Within
1:15 Mindful practice
1:40 Slideshow: Rethinking Plastics
2:45 Earth-friendly snacks
3:00 Community clean-up (Redwood Creek)
For more information, contact Marianna Tubman (415) 536-2018 or Elizabeth Little (510) 532-6574 (info@greensangha.org)
