At our Sunday practice meetings, sangha facilitators are careful to explain the agenda and give enough instruction so that newcomers can follow along. If you would like to know more, however, this page provides the details.
We meet at The Dwelling Place, which is a building immediately north of the historic First Congregational Church on the northwest corner of Tejon St. and St. Vrain. Free parking is available across St. Vrain from the church, in the lots for Pike's Peak Realtors' Association or Colorado Bank. If you park on the street in front of the Dwelling Place, you need to pay at the parking meter.
Please arrive by 3:45 to find a comfortable seat. At 3:50 we begin Noble Silence, a quiet period before the meeting begins. If you arrive during Noble Silence, we will still greet you! We have both chairs and floor cushions for sitting. If you are joining us on Zoom, please mute yourself when you join the meeting.
New to our sangha?
A Typical Meeting
4:00 pm - The facilitator for the week will invite a sound of the bell to bring us back to our breath. Then we have introductions and a question. It is always ok to pass on the question and only introduce yourself.
When we speak at the meeting, we do it this way: we put our palms together in front of our chest, bow slightly from the waist, and say "<name> bowing in." Then we speak and we have the floor, without interruption, until we end our speaking by bowing again and saying, "<name> bowing out."
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We sing a song together from the Plum Village tradition. You can listen to the ones we sing most often by going to our Resources page.
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Guided Meditation with the facilitator leading. If you have not meditated before, or not much, a guided meditation will help you.
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After the guided meditation, we do walking meditation for about 10 minutes. Sometimes we go outside if the weather is nice.
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After walking meditation, we recite as a group one of the Five Mindfulness Trainings from Thich Nhat Hanh's Order of Interbeing. We display the text on a big TV screen so that everyone can see the words.
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Following the Mindfulness Training recitation, we have a period of silent meditation, usually 10 to 15 minutes. Individuals follow their own (silent) methods of meditation during this time.
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By the time we finish silent meditation, it's close to
5 o' clock. The facilitator will commence a discussion of our reading for the week. This is usually from a book we are studying. We study one book at a time and the readings are short, anywhere from 3 to 8 pages. If you don't have the book, or didn't get to the reading, the facilitator will give a summary of the material and then provide some commentary. We are not looking to become great scholars. We read to keep our minds open and to improve our practices of looking deeply and living mindfully.
What we are reading now
The Eight Realizations of Great Beings assures us that anyone, anywhere can walk the path of mindfulness and embody the powerful insights that make us “great.” Thich Nhat Hanh authorized Brother Phap Hai to teach in 2003. Brother Phap Hai calls this book his “Desert Island Sutra” because it distills the essence of the Buddhist path. In his words, "It is everything you need in a practical meditation manual."
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After the reading presentation, we enjoy open discussion. Anyone can "bow in" to discuss whatever is on their mind and/or heart. Even when the topic is difficult, we practice deep listening and loving speech to view all beings with the eyes of compassion.
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The meeting concludes with prayer requests followed by announcements and then we dedicate the merit. We are pretty good about wrapping up right at 5:30, but those who wish can hang around for 15 or 20 minutes to visit.
Potluck
Every third Sunday, the meeting is followed by a vegetarian potluck. We always have plenty of food, so don't worry if you don't have a dish to bring. It is helpful if you can bring your own plate and eating-ware, but there are supplies at the Dwelling Place. We recite the Five Contemplations Before Eating and eat in Noble Silence for 5 minutes or so to truly appreciate our inter-being with our food. Then we all get to visiting and exclaiming over how good the food is!
Our community strives to live according to the gentle example set for us by Thich Nhat Hanh. Living responsibly, mindfully, and with kindness for all beings is our focus.
We hope you will join us!
art by Ann Grant Martin