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Comments on the CT Day of Mindfulness

Nourishment

Our Connecticut Day of Mindfulness was this past Saturday. The intention was to provide an opportunity to ‘provide more spiritual nourishment to our sanghas.’ In this regard, and many others, it was successful.

Tom Duva and Mike Geres organized and led our time together. We shared a variety of practices that were grounding, thought-provoking, and inspiring. It was a time to reflect, revise, and renew our aspirations. It was fitting that this was the first full day of summer and the weather was all that one could wish for in a summer day.

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Posted in Buddhism, CT Sangha, NY Sangha

June Day of Mindfulness in CT

This will be a day of mindfulness primarily for the Connecticut and New York DTO sanghas to practice together, but is open to all. If you would like to join us, but are not familiar with with the Dharma Teacher Order, please read the overview information page on our website at https://dharmateacherorder.org/about/.

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Posted in CT Sangha, NY Sangha

Indra’s web

Craig Hannah Reporting, Connecticut Sangha

The subject of Connecticut’s Dec. 1st practice was an introduction to aspects of the Avatamsaka sutra.

One of the memorable images from that sutra is a metaphor used to illustrate the concepts of [paraphrasing from WP] Śūnyatā (emptiness), dependent origination, and interpenetration in Buddhist philosophy. “Indra’s net” is an infinitely large net of cords owned by Indra, a Vedic deva.  In this metaphor, Indra’s net has a multifaceted jewel at each vertex, and each jewel is reflected in all of the other jewels.

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Posted in Buddhism, CT Sangha

CT sangha visits the Chuang Yen Monastery

Craig Hannah Reporting, Connecticut Sangha

On Sunday, June 10, 2018 a group of nine CT people made a day trip to the Chaung Yen Monastery in Carmel, NY. This monastery was started by the Buddhist Association of the United States (BAUS) in November 1975. Its buildings are in the architectural style of China’s Tang Dynasty, but the programs offered seem to span the range of all the Buddhist schools. (more…)

Posted in Buddhism, CT Sangha

Tao Te Ching and the Chuang Tzu

Craig Hannah Reporting, Connecticut Sangha

On April 17, 2018 the CT sangha was privileged to receive an extended dharma talk by Richard Zipoli. Richard outlined the theme and content of the two most well known of the Taoist texts, the Tao Te Ching and the Chuang Tzu. In doing so he also pointed out their remarkable similarities to early Buddhism and how fundamental Taoist thought was to the development of Zen.

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Posted in CT Sangha

Our (choose one: herd, sedge, sege, siege, swoop) of cranes

Michelle Hartel Reporting, Connecticut Sangha

During a recent class, the CT DTO Sangha was treated to a wonderful lesson on Buddha-Nature by our presenter, Richard Downey. Richard is a fabulous storyteller and an experienced artist. During his presentation of the Sutra of Hui Neng, also known as the Sutra Spoken by the Sixth Patriarch, the Platform Sutra, or the Altar Sutra, Richard used his artistic teaching abilities to help us all experience Buddha-Nature.

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Posted in CT Sangha

Connecticut sangha procures a new bell

Craig Hannah Reporting, Connecticut Sangha

With the expert advice of Noble Silence and Thay, Ct sangha member Deborah McDonald selected a new bell and inkin while at the winter retreat in Pearland. It received its inaugural use at our December 16th practice. Its tone is magnificent and truly is a call to mindfulness.

Posted in CT Sangha

Buddhist Global Relief Walk to Feed the Hungry

Bobbie Martin Reporting, Connecticut Sangha

CT Sangha Walk for Hungerunger
On September 24, 2017, Lao Lane Xang Temple in Willington, Connecticut hosted Buddhist Global Relief’s Connecticut Walk to Feed the Hungry. The event began with a short talk by Bhikku Bodhi, explaining that other walks around the country were held in public parks where participants walked in pairs or small groups, chatting and keeping up a normal walking pace. Here in Willington, the walk was unique, single file, slow, a form of meditation that took us across the lawn and into the forest. We were instructed to consider those who would benefit from our efforts, the girls able to stay in school with donations of food to their families, the children able to receive a daily meal in Haiti, schools in impoverished regions that would be sup-plied with supplies, teachers and administrators, to name just a few. And so we stepped along the path, one foot-fall following the next, all following the monks and nuns that led us. (more…)

Posted in CT Sangha