When Avalokita says that our sheet of paper is empty, he means it is empty of a separate, independent existence. It cannot just be by itself. It has to inter-be with the sunshine, the cloud, the forest, the logger, the mind, and everything else. It is empty of a separate self. But, empty of a… Continue reading Quote for the Week
News
Meditation Retreat on Saturday, March 23, 2024
Chris Murray will lead an Insight Meditation retreat on Saturday, March 23, 2024, from 9:00 am until 4:30 pm. The retreat will be conducted at All Saints Episcopal Church, 1322 Kimball Avenue, Richland, in the Parish Hall. The topic for the retreat is “A Day of Mindfulness: Exploring the Body, Heart, and Mind.” This in-person… Continue reading Meditation Retreat on Saturday, March 23, 2024
Sangha News 2/20/24
Thursday evening Info: After the 7:00 pm online meditation on Thursday, 2/22/24, Chris will give a talk that will discuss the Buddha’s teachings on the ways we construct our sense of self, and how that’s related to our incessant mental chatter, and to dependent origination, the Buddha’s main teaching on causes and conditions, and clinging… Continue reading Sangha News 2/20/24
New Treasurer Needed for Meditation Group
Li and C.T. have been supporting the meditation group as treasurer for the last two years, but need to step aside now. I’m very thankful for their support! Now IMMC, the non-profit corporation that is the support for the meditation group, needs a new treasurer. The job is not very demanding because our budget is… Continue reading New Treasurer Needed for Meditation Group
Updated Resources for Meditation and Support
One of the processes that the Buddha describes as a way in which we construct our sense of self is the endless proliferation of thought in our minds. In the Pali language, this is known as papancha. Andrew Olendzki describes the mental proliferation that occurs all the time and we often observe during meditation in… Continue reading Updated Resources for Meditation and Support
Quote for the Week
What dependent origination actually describes is a vision of life or an understanding in which we see the way everything is interconnected—that there is nothing separate, nothing standing alone. Everything effects everything else. We are part of this system. We are part of this process of dependent origination—causal relationships effected by everything that happens around… Continue reading Quote for the Week
Meditation Support Group Meets at the Tri-Cities Cancer Center 2/15
We’ll continue our monthly mindfulness meditation support group meeting at the Tri-Cities Cancer Center, 7350 West Deschutes Avenue, Kennewick. The meeting will be on Thursday, 2/15/2024. The sessions, which are held on the third Thursday of each month, are meant for cancer patients, cancer survivors, and their caregivers. If you have a serious illness other than cancer, or are a caregiver for someone who is… Continue reading Meditation Support Group Meets at the Tri-Cities Cancer Center 2/15
Sangha News 2/6/24
Thursday evening Info: After the 7:00 pm online meditation on Thursday, 2/8/24, Chris will give a talk that will discuss the roles that we play in life, as parent, child, spouse, employee, and others, as well as the views that we hold about the way life should be. We tend to identify strongly with our… Continue reading Sangha News 2/6/24
Updated Resources for Meditation and Support
Phillip Moffitt wrote a piece that includes a discussion of roles and learning to hold them lightly rather than cling to them. You can find that post here: Understanding Your Sense of Identity Tara Brach gave a talk and offered a guided meditation on the persona, the mask we develop based on our roles in… Continue reading Updated Resources for Meditation and Support
Quote for the Week
The development of a mask or persona based on our activities and roles is a natural way the ego tries to protect and enhance itself. Yet unless we wake up from our identification with the mask, we are unable to discover the truth and wholeness of what we are. Behind the Mask ~ Tara Brach