The Heart of Mindfulness Practice - A retreat at Gallilee Center, Arnprior ON

Please join us for a weekend retreat at the Galilee Center in Arnprior.

The Heart of Mindfulness Practice: 
a weekend retreat with Mindfulness Teachers Lynette Monteiro & Frank Musten
June 14-16, 2013
Cost: $250.00

Practicing mindfulness opens us to a vast array of possibilities in our life. Through our everyday practices, we connect with the habitual patterns of our actions and their consequences. Our formal practice cultivates steadiness and strengthens our capacity to be present to our experience. We cultivate little spaces of steadiness into which we can lean with compassionate intention. The Heart of Mindfulness lies in how we create those spaces. In this meditation retreat, we will practice awareness of body, emotions, sensations, and thinking which come together as full awareness or Mindfulness so that we can experience a calm abiding compassion for ourselves and others.

Join us to deepen your practice or learn how to bring a compassionate quality of attention to our approach to life.

The retreat is residential and at the Galilee Center. It begins with registration on Friday June 14 after 4PM and ends on Sunday June 16 at 2PM.

To Register & for more information, click here. 

Four Foundations of Mindfulness - being the vessel for kindnesses

Dear Sangha:

We stepped into the Four Foundations of Mindfulness and want to recommend Bhante Gunaratana's new book The Four Foundations of Mindfulness in Plain English (available from Wisdom Publishers or Amazon).  It lays out a practice as well as giving a very clear explanation of the sutta.

In our discussion, the topic of how we meet the stumbles we experience in this fathom-long body which is the source of all our perceptions and feelings.  One of the suggestions was that these moments allow us to open to the generosity of others which is in itself an act of generosity.  When we can become the vessel for kindness, we become an opportunity to change the typical defensive stances we all tend to take in stressful times.  

Below is a quote from Howard Zinn which beautifully shows us what practice can be when we let go of the suffering and open to the gifts available for us.  I particularly like that acting "magnificently" doesn't have to be something grandiose.  Love is found in the little acts of kindness.

To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places—and there are so many—where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction. And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory–Howard Zinn

You can also read more in today's post at 108 Zen Books.

Gassho,

Lynette

Life of the Buddha - BBC documentary

The Life of the Buddha, a BBC documentary, gives a nice overview of the sociological, religious, and historical events leading up to the Buddha's enlightenment, teaching and the growth of Buddhism.  Interesting interviews and commentaries by Dalai Lama, Shantum Seth, and others.

Happy New Year & the Winter-Spring Program

Happy New Year, Dear Sangha!

May this year bring the world and all its beings mindfulness, openness, energy, tranquility, deep practice, and equanimity.

In our practice sessions, we will continue cultivating right-graspedness of the Dharma.  Too often we skim over the teachings hoping to find that one word or phrase that will magically open the treasure box and relieve us from suffering.  However, Right Understanding requires diligence and a leaning of the heart towards the foundations of our practice so that we can develop a solid, firm, and stead grasp of the path to liberation.

We closed the Fall-Winter Session with the Anapanasati Sutra and we will stride forward into the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutra.  The Four Foundations of Mindfulness provide us with a detailed training beginning with the breath and culminating in a deep understanding of the Four Noble Truths.  The links lead to Insight/Zen Teacher Gil Fronsdal's talks on both sutras.  Please take advantage of them!  There are also links and book recommendations in the program below.  A PDF version is available here.

If you are a regular member, please join us for the all-day session on Feb 10th at the Richelieu Center.  It's truly beautiful with walking trails in the woods (yes!) right in the middle of the city.  If you have not attended sessions with us, please contact us for further information.

As per the suggestions of movies and other materials, we've planned a video/movie event on the first Sunday of each month.  As well, there will be regular zazenkai (meditation sessions from 10AM-3PM) each month.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Winter-Spring Session
January
6	Buddhism – History and Practice I*
13	Satipatthana – Four Foundations of Establishing Mindfulness – overview Transformation and Healing, Thich Nhat Hanh Awakening of the Heart, TNH http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nyanasatta/wheel019.html U Silananda ebook: http://ebookbrowse.com/silananda-the-four-foundations-of-mindfulness-pdf-d195745952
20	Mindfulness of the body as a body Prajnaparamita (THN)
27	Zazenkai† Verse of Atonement  & Recitation of Precepts Prajnaparamita Sutra (UpayaZC) & Enmei Jukku Kannongyo
February
3	No Session
10	All Day Session at Richelieu-Vanier Community Center http://www.cominfo-ottawa.org/Bulletin_Board/Richelieu-Vanier%20Community%20Centre%20Map.pdf
17	Mindfulness of feelings as feelings Sandokai (ZMM)
24	Verse of Atonement  & Recitation of Precepts
March
3	Buddhism – History and Practice II
10	Mindfulness of mind as mind Prajnaparamita Sutra (TNH)
17	Practice Q & A
24	Mindfulness of mind-objects as mind-objects – five hindrances
31	Zazenkai Verse of Atonement  & Recitation of Precepts Prajnaparamita Sutra (UpayaZC) & Enmei Jukku Kannongyo
April
7	Buddhism – History & Practice III
14	Mindfulness of mind-objects as mind-objects – five aggregates
21	Practice Q & A
28	Zazenkai Verse of Atonement  & Recitation of Precepts Prajnaparamita Sutra (UpayaZC) & Enmei Jukku Kannongyo
May
5	Buddhism - History and Practice IV
12	Mindfulness of mind-objects as mind-objects – six sense bases
19	Mindfulness of mind-objects as mind-objects – seven enlightenment factors
26	Zazenkai Verse of Atonement  & Recitation of Precepts Prajnaparamita Sutra (UpayaZC) & Enmei Jukku Kannongyo
June
2	Buddhism – History & Practice V
9	Mindfulness of mind-objects as mind-objects – Four Noble Truths
14- 16	Meditation Retreat @ Galilee Retreat Center
23	Summer Solstice - Sangha Potluck BBQ
30	Zazenkai Verse of Atonement  & Recitation of Precepts Prajnaparamita Sutra (UpayaZC) & Enmei Jukku Kannongyo

* With a Movie!              ^†Audio or video dharma talk

Happy Bodhi Day!

Boundless Way Zen Center

Dear Sangha,

Rohatsu, or commonly known as Bodhi Day, is the time we commemorate the Buddha's enlightenment.  It's not a celebration of one person's achievement; rather it is a recognition of all of our capacities to move beyond the anger, greed, and confusion that rule our lives.  

Program

Throughout the Fall sessions, we have been practicing with the Anapanasati Stura, the Awareness of Breathing.  This is a foundational practice bringing us into steadiness from which we can attend to our quality of mind.  We have also explored the origins of Buddhist thought with Frank's lovely guidance and we have recited the precepts on the Sunday closest to the full moon.  It has been a rich and delightful practice!

In the Winter sessions, we will step into the Satipaṭṭhāna, the Four Frames of Mindfulness.  Together the Anapanasati, the Satipaṭṭhāna, and the Precepts form the essence of practice.  (I'll even have a lovely graph to guide your daily practice!)

Transformations at the Base (of the Septic System)

As some of you know from our gatherings, our septic system died a few weeks ago.  We will be getting the new one installed next week (Hopefully!).  In the meantime, we are deepening our practice of mindful washing of dishes in a tub of water, showering at the gym, and using the toilet with much gratitude and awareness!  Our meeting has not been too seriously affected however we would like to make a slight change:

Dec 16          Regular sitting: Cultivating calm in a frenzied world.  Feel free to bring cookies or other yummies to celebrate.

Dec 23          11:00AM - 2:00PM Holiday celebrations!  Food and cookies and fun

Dec 30          No session

Reverse Origami of Living

Our lives, lived through our practice, are a reverse origami as we unfold the complexities of the twists and bends that constructed who we are.  Some of us have but a few less folds left as we age and consider how to continue to be creative in the time we have.  We invite you to explore your unfolding life through Going Forth, a very unique program offered by the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies.  It is an online program with monthly readings to guide our practice.

Retreats

In 2013 June 14-16, we will be offering a retreat at Galilee Center in conjunction with our work at the Ottawa Mindfulness Clinic.  Details will be posted on the OMC website.  Registration is limited (35) so be sure to check for updates.  We will also send out a registration notice.

Season's Joy

Frank and I wish all of you a warm and joy-filled holiday season.  May all your connections nourish and support you.  Thank you for supporting our practice and being such wonderful spiritual friends.

Metta & Mudita,
Lynette & Frank