Sangha News

The Green Sangha would like to thank Reverend Koraku Mikami, Ayako Nagano, Esq., and a lively group of attendees for joining us to discuss the nexus between Buddhism and climate activism. Ms. Nagano shared the recording and links from the “Ethical Practice, the Earth, and our Wallets” talk, along with other resources that she shared during the event.

Here is a link to the recording.

Here are links to some recordings that we didn’t have time to watch fully. They're worth watching if you have a moment.

What gives us joy, what gladdens our heart?

When we’re caught up in stressful thoughts it’s hard to be open and kind to what's happening, even things we normally enjoy.  When we’re able to be present we more easily find things that give us joy, and that increases our capacity to respond with kindness, and that gives us more joy.   Perhaps we can tip the balance in favor of being present, by looking for, and finding, more things that give us joy. 

We are constantly looking for ways to make our space welcoming and inclusive, and we would like to remind everyone to follow some basic mindfulness practices to keep our sangha safe. 

Vessantara led a retreat at Adhisthana exploring the Positive Emotion aspect of the Mandala of Spiritual Practice, taking it into the territory of bodhicitta - the union of compassion and wisdom. With bodhicitta, our heart is open to life and knows its true nature. So how do we open our heart? Do we prise it open, coax it, persuade it? Does it somehow open us? How do we avoid being overwhelmed when it does open? What other challenges come up, and how do we meet them?