Our Meetings
Our model is based around the ideal of fellowship. There are no gurus here, only fellow wayfarers searching for truth and meaning and sharing friendship along the way. Wherever the Dharma has taken root, it has lead to unique manifestations of the Way. We have been told we are not like some other Buddhists. We admittedly take that as compliment.
Our meetings begin with a check in. We are in this together. If something is bothering one of us, we want to know. Sometimes this leads directly into the Dharma discussion. We tend to be informal.
As the discussion winds down, the bell is struck and the incense is lit. We chant a short text which rotates from week to week. The Heart Sutra and the Ten Vows of Samantabhadra are frequent choices. Then we practice about 25 minutes of quiet sitting.
Next we recite the Bodhisattva Vows and the Dedication of Merit. Simple is good and our practice reflects this value. The first Thursday of each month is our Pure Land practice.
Afterward sometimes there is more discussion. Sometimes we visit the nearby Krispy Kreme and have coffee and donuts. Sometimes we get together before practice and hang out at the Louise Kreher Forest Ecology Preserve or some other place.
From time to time we hold small retreats either in the area or the Nortthern part of the state where we have family. All of our events are free of charge and open to the public.