The
mission of this group is to provide a "sangha" or a spiritual
community for persons following any meditative path but especially
Buddhism in any of its forms. Anyone interested in practicing meditation
and the Dharma is welcome to attend. We
are an informal, egalitarian, democratic group, where most everything
just "happens" without being announced. Our hope is that this
unusual format will foster inclusivity of all those interested in a sangha
or spiritual community.
There is no leader for the group, nor do we follow a
specific Buddhist tradition. Everyone is actually a leader - and can
make changes themselves if they wish!
We
are a diverse group, in terms of Buddhist traditions, backgrounds and
practices. We meet together, quite frankly, because there are not
enough of us in any separate tradition to make a viable group.
The form of our meetings has evolved
over the years we've been together. We now gather around 7 pm in the dinning
room of the
Interfaith
Center
. The meditation
room is a special place and we do ask that silence be observed until after
the meditation period and that you remove your shoes and leave them at the door. Talking and visiting happen outside the
room and silence/meditation once we're inside - which also allows one
to meditate longer if desired.
Members may sit
on the floor or in a chair, as suits their needs and practices. We
have a formal period of meditation between 7:15 and 7:45. From 7:45 to
about 8:30 we read a dharma text or listen to a tape. During the
discussion which often follows, we do request that comments relate to the
Dharma reading and that you speak from your own experience.
Questions about Buddhism or meditation may
also be asked after the sit and the
group will do our best to either answer them or direct you to source
information. The library at the Interfaith center has a nice collection of
Buddhist texts which are available for check - out.
Buddhist magazines are also available.
After
the meditation, members are free to leave whenever they need to leave.
Members who are "host for the evening" are responsible for putting things
away and locking up the Center.
We
collect donations or "Dana" in a basket for our rent
to the
Interfaith
Center
.
Our web site (www.shawnee-dharma.org) lists many other Buddhist
resources and acts as a newsletter and bulletin board for the group.
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