Island of Self

Dear Friends,

Beste Vrienden,

 

Last week we practised coming home to ourselves, being at home at our selves.

While recognising our roots and drawing nourishment and strength from our roots.

Like a tree digs its roots in healthy soil and becomes firm.

 

This week we focus on the place in ourselves where we feel safe, at ease and at home.

Thich Nhat Hanh calls this place "The Island of Self"

This is the place that is unmistakably yours.

The place where you can relax and heal.

It is accessable anytime, instantly because It is who you are.

It is so liberating to be who you are,

like Thay jokingly said: "If a tree wants to be something else than a tree, we would be in trouble"

 

Leo will lead the meditation and doors will be open at 19h30 for settling down and tea.

Guided sitting will start at 20h

followed by :

Silent walking and silent sitting.

As usual we will close with Dharma sharing.

Afterwards we will have social tea.

 

Have a wounderfull weekend,

Enjoy!

Hans

knowing that a number of members of our Sangha are ill and struggling to recover

We will be practicing this monday in the Kapel during our regular Sangha evening.

We have chosen the theme of the meditation to be:

our roots, our foundation

We are all seeking stability and solidity, especially in times of adversity.

The best place to find stability and peace is in yourself, here and now.

The place where trust and love lives, from this place we can find many sources of support and nourishment.

One of the places where we can find support and nourishment is in our roots and our foundation.

Like a tree draws its nourishment and firmness from its roots.

In Buddhism three kind of roots can be recognized:

Our biological roots

Our roots in our environment, like our friends and colleagues , but also doctors and nurses, teachers

And our spiritual roots, our sources of wisdom

Doors will be open at 19h30 for settling down and getting to know new participants

Guided meditation will start at 20h

after that Silent walking

and silent sitting.

Last part of the evening will be Dharma Sharing (until l about 21h30 -21h45)

We will close with informal tea.

I wish you a wonderful weekend,

Filled with care and compassion, with dear friends,

with beautiful blue sky, and many other opportunities to enjoy.

Kind regards,

Hans

Dear Friends,

 

Summer is treating us with wonderful days and warm nights.

Some of us have swarmed out to enjoy and explore new places.

Others have stayed close to home and enjoyed the relaxed pace of life during the summer time.

 

Our Sangha continious to grow and is getting stronger.

New people are joining, bringing new energy, experiences insights and friendship.

To better communicate in the Sangha and facilitate sharing during the week we have thought of using the internet.

We have opened a blog where some basic info on our group is posted, and these weekly announcements can be read.

please check out the following link:

http://ehv-uni-sangha.blogspot.nl/

This blog is an experiment and work in progress, so share what you think and advise on how it can be improved.

 

Tomorrow we will have a normal meditation evening:

Doors open 19h30 for calming down and getting to know the new participants

followed by guided sitting (20h)

silent walking

silent sitting

Dharma sharing.

 

The theme will be in line with last week where we practised stopping relaxing concentrating.

Tomorrow we will add to this: Enjoying!

According to the advice of Thich Nhat Hanh: your practise should bring you Joy, so that it is easier to integrate it in your dayly life.

Also in the sutra on mindfull breathing, one of the explicit steps is experiencing joy.

 

 

I wish you a wonderful weekend

Hans