Minutes
of the Community Gathering
of the Washington Mindfulness
Community
At
the Buddhist Vihara, Washington,
DC July 10, 2005.
Notes
by Bill Menza
The Practice
Council reported
on the WMC survey on the
agenda and structure of
the Sunday night sitting.
There were 25 responses.
Some thought that there
were too many dharma talks
or other special events
and some want longer sittings.
The Community is already
experimenting with three
sitting periods on the
second Sunday of the month
and the PC will collect
opinions on what members
think about this longer
sitting. Three sittings
was chosen over two 45-minute
sitting periods in consideration
of new attendees, especially
those new to sitting meditation.
Dharma talks will be spread
out over the year and
will be limited to 45-minutes
(so that the usual sitting
meditation periods will
be maintained). Dharma
talks and other special
events (e.g. panel presentations,
invited special guest
Dharma talks, the three
meditation sitting periods,
etc.) will be limited
to the second Sunday of
the month.
Fund
raising for
dana to the Buddhist Vihara
will continue as it has
been conducted. Plans
for long-term fund raising
for the WMC in general
and for special needs,
such as a scholarship
fund will be investigated.
This includes special
fund raising events, such
as tea/coffee house parties.
Fund raising will remain
limited to a few specific
situations each year.
Fund raising plans will
include raising the consciousness
of Community members about
the donations needed.
Bell Masters will be informed
so they can tell attendees
at the Sunday sittings.
Richard
will be asked to find out
if Plum Village still needs
a DVD burner. If it does
the PC and WMC Board will
be asked for a fund raising
plan to obtain one for them.
Another
fund raising need the PC,
Board and the Community
may want to consider is
that of the Green Mountain
Dharma Center and the Maple
Forest Monastery. It was
suggested that one way to
raising interest in giving
donation to the Center,
Monastery, PV and so on,
is for members to share
personal stories of their
good experiences at these
places at WMC events and
in WMC newsletter.
If
there is a decision to help
raise funds for the GMDC
and MFM, it may be worth
while to invite Sister Annabell,
the Abbess of the GMDC to
visit the Washington, DC
mindfulness communities
and participate in a joint
retreat and Dharma talk.
Not only would this be important
to any fund raising effort,
but it could also establish
closer ties among all the
mindfulness sanghas in the
WDC area, and in turn to
their ties to the GMDC and
the MFM.
The Operations
Committee has
been working on the special
events for the second
Sunday sittings, training
Bell Masters, the Charter
Hall retreats, and the
function and use of the
Community library. One
special interest is having
loaned books and tapes
returned to the library.
A theme focus for the
Charter Hall retreats
has been found to be very
helpful. Some suggested
for future retreats were:
body practices & yoga,
singing & chanting,
poetry & writing,
poetry and gathas, sutra
writings, and the Mindfulness
Trainings.
The Community
Care Committee is
attending to Second Body
Practice (a new session
begins in the Fall), dharma
classes (on the third
Sunday of the month),
Touching of the Earth
practice, and Pot Luck
Sundays. Special attention
will be given to Pot Luck
Sundays as attendance
at them has dropped off
significantly. Community
members will be encouraged
to bring snacks to share
during the social time
each Sunday. Members might
want to share snacks when
it's their birthday or
for some other special
event they might have.
A book discussion group
using the book Living
Buddha, Living Christ
was completed . Plans
to form a new group around
the book Transformation
At the Base has been proposed.
The two couples discussion
groups continue to meet.
Except one will not meet
during the summer. It
is looking for new couples
to join it. Couples who
join these groups are
asked to make a one year
commitment. A community
volunteer list has been
completed and printed
copies are available.
It will be post on the
WMC web site. It tells
members about organizations
that are looking for volunteers.
The Community Care Committee
is looking into having
a Day of Mindfulness Practice,
a tea ceremony, and celebration
of milestones with the
Community.
The
Community is also looking
into participating in the Washington,
DC Interfaith Council.
Dharma Teacher Tara Brach
of the Insight Meditation
Community of Washington
has suggested Buddhist representation
at the Council. The Council
meets to share information
and has a yearly fund raising
event.
A Parenting
Group formed
at the Stillwater Mindfulness
Practice Center and which
WMC members are part of,
continues to meet. On
July 13 Steve and Annie
Sibley will host a music-children
celebration day at their
home in Bethesda.
The Clearness
Committee is
studying pastoral care
practices by various spiritual
traditions to draft procedures
to follow.
The Communication
Committee continues
to maintain the WMC web
site and its newsletter.
The Committee
on Mindful Politics met
some time ago during a
retreat at Claymont Court.
It has been looking for
specific areas where it
might be of service.
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