On October 26, 2024, the Connecticut cohort of the DTO got together for the first time in 1701 days, but who’s counting…..Craig is!
That the days between our being together in person are noticed, felt, and recognized says so much about what happened when we were together once again. We took refuse in the Sangha. We felt and shared each other’s joy, gratitude, wisdom and kindness.
Our Day of Mindfulness was held at Temple Vinh Minh Tu Vien, in Hartford, CT. We were welcomed by Ven. Thich Nguyen Dung and his translator Lelap Le and joined by our Ven. Thich Tri Hoang.
The following is a brief account of the day, and reactions and reflections about it, that were submitted to me by some of the attendees.
On arrival at 1115 Broad Street in Hartford, several of us were on the sidewalk wondering where the entrance to this seemingly abandoned church was. Had Craig not emailed us photos the day before, we might have thought we were in the wrong place, what with the plywood and chain-link fencing blocking the windows and front entrance. We tentatively wandered up the side driveway, wondering where to enter. There we no signs of recent attention having been given to the property. We found ourselves in a small parking lot behind the building, and found Thich Tri Hoang there, smiling and solid and welcoming us, ushering us inside.
Once inside Thay immediately wanted to show us the meditation hall, a lofty, white and gold work in progress. The Buddha statue at the altar was hooded in white and framed in wooden scaffolding. Although a strange and evocative scene, Thay explained that the hood was only to keep the dust out. In the silence of the vaulted room, lit by antique stained glass windows depicting scenes from the Bible, the walls were tiled with white plaques of Buddhas in relief, hundreds and hundreds of them. Someone mentioned “inter-faith”, in this room that held the space and stillness of a Buddha field. At the other end of the room there was a choir balcony, complete with pipe organ. In contrast to the exterior of the building, this was all fresh, and precise, and welcoming.
We then went into a large side room, where another Buddha altar was set at the back of a stage. Here we set up a circle of chairs and cushions for our day. We were welcomed formally by Ven. Thay, and the abbot, Ven. Thich Nguyen Dung, who opened the Day with a short talk on mindfulness and the closeness of the Buddha. The day proceeded with a schedule of liturgies and meditation practices, all familiar, all new. Richard Zipoli gave us Dharma talks and led meditations on Field of Care and Nondual Awareness practices, Craig led us in Touching the Earth, Deborah McDonald gave us a new way to approach Beginning Anew. We sat, and walked, and drank tea. We had lunch, both silent and with communication. We shared the Dharma and the Merit with each other.
The following are reflections from several people who participated in the Day of Mindfulness:
“At several points during the day, such as when Deborah was giving her talk and when I was cleaning up, I was reminded of the importance of fellowship, sangha, and new states. At every moment we start from a new state. We drink our tea, eat our lunch, clean the tables, and start over….I think one of the messages from Richard Z’s mindfulness exercises was when we really do something completely, nothing remains…..Like the temple, we also change over time. We begin anew, and our old selves only exist in memory. As Dogen taught: “To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be enlightened by all things….And this trackless enlightenment continues forever.”
Richard D.
“I am totally grateful to have been with my dharma friends once again after a 4 year absence due to the pandemic. I was delighted to see the Ven. Thich Tri Hoang and be in his presence. ….This is what I received from my sangha, a caring, accepting, welcoming energy which connected us once again. My heart space goes to all of them. The dharma refreshed me and the retreat nourished me. May we be at peace.”
Janet C
“…our last in-person Connecticut practice was on Leap Day in February 2020. Despite the 1,701 days that elapsed between the two, it seemed that no time had passed- the bond of familiarity and trust was immediately there. What a lesson it is to experience the best version of myself emerge spontaneously when with sangha.”
Craig H
“I felt a profound sense of appreciation for the recent retreat at the new Vietnamese temple in Hartford. It was deeply joyful to reconnect with Connecticut Sangha members and to get to practice with people new to me as well. I feel a sense of opportunity and gratitude for a new welcoming place to keep our practice and Sangha thriving. It was also nice to feel the support and encouragement of out monastic mentors.”
Is it possible to summarize a day that leave such a strong after-glow? Walking out to leave at the end of the day, multiple members expressed the desire to more, and more regular DOM’s at this temple. There is plenty of renovation still to do there. We were the first group of people to use the space for practice, and bow to Thich Tri Hoang for making the connection, Richard Zipoli and Craig for initiating and visiting with Ven Thich Nguyen Dung, and Richard, Craig, and Deborah for organizing an inclusive schedule.
While preparing to write this submission, I googled the temple. I found a sketch of the completed outside that had been submitted to the city for a permit to install fencing. It depicts a temple all decorated and thoughtfully manicured. I’m glad I got to see Temple Vinh Minh Tu Vien in October 2024. It reminds me that our transformation needs to start and proceed on the inside.
With much Metta,
Bobbie M
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