Tuesday 20 December 2016

That's a wrap at Beaches Sangha


Well, despite the inclement weather and the last minute absence of a few of our regulars, we had a lovely end of year celebration last Thursday night with fabulous food and time to chat with each other. (It's taken me this long to figure out how to download the photos Sylvie sent me.)

As I drove home on Thursday night, I was aware of a deep sense of happiness at the existence of our sangha. It's a very good thing. Thank you for being a part of it.

I did forget to say a few words of thanks to our SOGgies (Sangha Organising Group), which we normally do at our party. A big thanks again to Betsy for organising the program...for the 8th year in a row now! I think you'd agree she does an amazing job. Thanks to Florence for being our book-keeper this year. And a huge thanks to Sylvie for being our primary key-holder and open-upper/ set-upper, as well as giving several talks throughout the year, and for generally being such a supportive, generous, reliable and committed sangha member. You've provided valuable stability this year as I've flitted off here and there.

I hope you all have a terrific, safe and mindful holiday season. Beaches Sangha will resume its meetings on Thursday 12th January, 2017. I hope to see you then.

Best wishes
Lenorë


Tuesday 13 December 2016

Last meeting for the year - Sangha Party

Hi all.

This Thursday is our last Sangha meeting for 2016. As is our long-standing tradition, we'll be having a shorter (15 min) meditation, followed by an end of year celebration. The weather forecast at this stage suggests it might be an indoor feast, rather than an outdoor picnic, but that can change of course.

If you haven't already let me know you are coming and you can come, could you bring along a savoury dish to share? We already have 3 or 4 people bringing sweets, which is probably enough. 

In line with the dharma, it'd be great if we could make our food as harm-free as possible, so vegetarian or vegan is best on that front if you can manage it. Also, it's a good idea to bring your own plate, cutlery, and drinking glass if you want one. A glass of wine is fine, so if you want to bring a bottle to share, feel free. If you've got some candles that are easy to bring along, they're welcome too.

I look forward to seeing you on Thursday to celebrate the nourishing experience that is Beaches Sangha.

LL

Tuesday 6 December 2016

This week @ Beaches - we want your input




Hi all.

This week @ Beaches Sangha, we want to hear from you. We want to hear what you've found valuable, anything you'd like more of, less of, or to make sure we keep doing. Betsy, Sylvie, Florence, Susanne and I will meet during the break to plan for next year and we want your feedback as input to those plans. Even if you like things just the way they are, we need to hear that, so please come along and tell us what you like.

Also, remember Thursday week (15th Dec) is our last meeting. We'll have a short meditation and then our end of year do. We've started a list of people who are bringing sweet or savoury things...please make sure you add yourself to the list if you are coming.

Hope to see you there.
LL


Monday 28 November 2016

This week @ Beaches Sangha - What is practice?

Hi all. 

This week @ Sangha

"What is practice?" This is a question that was raised earlier this year and I thought it was a cracker. So I'm going to facilitate some thinking and discussion on it this week at Sangha.

We often refer to our dharma 'practice'. What exactly do we mean by that as secular 'practitioners'? Is it just about meditating? Are there parts of daily life that serve as part of practice? If so, what are they? Can we discover any rules of thumb to help us be mindful of opportunities for practice?

Come along and explore with me!

Sangha party
Don't forget we have our Sangha 'do' at our last meeting for the year on Thursday 15th Dec. Please let me know if you are coming, and if you'll bring something sweet or savoury to share.

Hope to see you Thursday.
LL


Monday 21 November 2016

This week @ Sangha - Fear & Safety



Hi all.

This week at Beaches Sangha Sylvie will be facilitating a discussion on Fear and Safety. What kind of things do we fear? Which of these do we face more often? What makes us feel safer?

Our last meeting for 2016 will be on Thursday 15th December when we'll have our usual Sangha Party. This is a lovely way to end the year. We have a short meditation, then we eat and drink and socialise together. We all bring some food/drink to share and if the weather's good we sit out on the grass and have a picnic. If it's not, we'll bring the bench tables inside and have an indoor feast.

Can you please let me know if you'll be coming, and if so, whether you'd like to bring a sweet or savoury dish.

I hope to see you on Thursday.
LL

Saturday 19 November 2016

Hi,
Just a reminder that next Sunday, the 27th, John Seed and I will be leading a mindful bushwalk at Deep Creek, starting at 10. The details are listed under 'Events' and are also on the SIM (Sydney Insight Meditators) website.
If its raining it won';t be on, if doubtful, call me: 0403 871 605.
Betsy

Monday 31 October 2016

This week @ Beaches Sangha - Jampa on emptiness

Hi all.

This week at Beaches Sangha Jampa will be giving a talk on 'emptiness' - a term you hear quite frequently in Buddhist circles. Here's his (rather poetic) taster...

Emptiness is the open-endedness of the world to change and re-definition as opposed to being forever fixed and self-defining. Normally, we suppose that the world is already and always fully real, existing independent of our minds, out there waiting to be revealed to us. That our minds are merely passive observers, like mirrors reflecting what is already there. Emptiness is the absence of just such a fantasized way of existing—independent existence: we, in fact, are continually collaborating in the creation of our world. When the mind is awakened to this newly-found reality, there occurs a fundamental transformation: the spontaneous arising of the joy that comes with the freedom from the tyranny of views and the compassionate participation in therapeutic world-making.

Here's the photo for this week.






:)  I hope you can make it.
LL

Monday 10 October 2016

This week @ Beaches Sangha



Hi all.

This week @ Sangha we have have an open discussion night. Bring any questions or confusions you have, or issues you're facing in life that you'd like a dharmic perspective on. These sessions are always interesting and relevant.

I hope you can make it.

LL

Monday 3 October 2016

This week @ Beaches - a really important topic!



Hi all.

This week @ Beaches Sangha, Sylvie is giving a talk called 'Harnessing the Wisdom of Resistance'. 
Typically, resistance has a bad name in our culture. It is seen, in many psychological approaches and meditation circles, as an impediment and something to push through or get rid of. But what if our resistance was trying to tell us something very useful? Sylvie will explore the positive aspects of resistance and how to harness its wisdom, in a way that leads to self compassion, self-awareness, and growth. 

This is a really important practice!!

I hope to see you there.
LL

Monday 26 September 2016

This week @ Beaches

Hey guys, sorry for the no-post last week again. I've been away and have family visiting now...sometimes my little sangha post just slips through the cracks.

Anyhooo....this week I'm sharing some learning I'm doing about how our minds work. In particular I want to share what we know about the way 'priming' affects our perceptions and decisions. This is quite incredible stuff, and quite important to know, I think, if we want to see our experience clearly.

Hope to see you there.
LL

Sunday 18 September 2016

The Mindful Bushwalk at Deep Creek had to be postponed because of rain. Betsy and John will try again on November 27th. See the post under 'Events'.

Monday 12 September 2016

This week @ Beaches Sangha - anything + film night & dinner

Hi all.

Some resources
Before announcing this week's topic, I want to remind you of a couple of resources at your disposal. First, you can check what's on at Sangha at any time just by looking at the 'What's on' tab on our web site. Secondly, the Secular Buddhism Australia web site has lots of resources including a glossary of terms. I'll be adding some more to the glossary soon, as Jampa has furnished me with another list, but in the meantime, a number of the common words and lists are already explained there.

This week at Beaches
...we're having our quarterly free discussion, facilitated by Neil. This is where you can bring any questions that have been brewing, or experiences you'd like to share - maybe for group reflection or input...or not. These always turn out to be really interesting and interactive.

Dinner & film night
Also, my friend Tim Goddard, who runs a big mindfulness practice in the eastern suburbs, is holding a community dinner and film night this Sunday night. The focus is on gratitude for nature and the role we can play in easing suffering. I'm going along. Let me know if you'd like to join me. Here's a link.

I hope to see you Thursday.
LL

Monday 5 September 2016

This week @ Beaches Sangha - our favourite Christian Minister

Hi all.

This week @ Sangha we have our favourite boundary-riding Christian Minister, Michael Barnes coming to speak again. This week's talk is called 'Detachment from a Christian perspective'. Let's hope we don't take the wind out of his sails when we tell him the Buddha never spoke of detachment....rather non-attachment (there's quite a difference). I'm sure we won't, and his talk will be stimulating and enjoyable as always. I hope you can join us.

Also, if you ever want to know what's coming up at Sangha, don't forget you can just click on the 'What's On' tab on the web site. Betsy keeps the program updated there. 

LL

Tuesday 30 August 2016

This week @ Beaches - knowing our minds



Our minds are well intentioned, semi-skilled friends. Yet they are possibly the most important players in our experiences of life. We need to know them well.

I've been reading an excellent book by Nobel Prize winning researcher and author, Daniel Kahneman. It tells the story of two types of thinking that occur within our minds every day: fast thinking and slow thinking. These thinking processes work well for us most of the time. But they are also imperfect and can lead us astray...sometimes wildly!

This week at Sangha I'm going to share some of the key insights about these aspects of our minds, including some simple practical demonstrations to link it with our known experience. The better we can know our minds, the more clearly we can see our experiences as they really are - a core part of dharma practice.

I hope you can make it.

Also, a reminder that there is a family retreat being held in October out at Gorrick's Run where children are welcome to attend with parents. You can find more details here, or speak to Betsy on Thursday night.

Monday 22 August 2016

This week @ Beaches Sangha - a new speaker



Hi all.

This week @ Beaches Sangha we'll have a woman named Jill Shepherd coming to give us a talk. It's called 'The Two Wings to Awakening: Wisdom & Compassion'. Jill hasn't been to our sangha before and none of us have been to her talks, but she's done sessions with other sanghas and we've heard good things about her.

We hope you'll join us to welcome her.
LL

Tuesday 16 August 2016

This week @ Beaches Sangha



Hi all.

The dharma is about human experience which means that all of life can be dharma practice. This week at Sangha I'll be giving a talk called Track & Field Dharma. 

I've been a Masters athlete now for 5 years and my athletics has been very much a part of my dharma practice. It's been so interesting to see the teachings play out in this setting, to notice how they're helpful and... in some ways....maybe not so helpful to competitive athletic achievement.

I hope you can make it.
LL

Wednesday 10 August 2016

This week @ Beaches Sangha



Hi all.

Sorry about the late post this week... getting ready to head back to Sydney...hmmm...should probably stop looking at my weather app.

This week at Sangha we have one of our old faves, Winton Higgins, returning to give us a talk called 'Finding Your Own Dharmic Voice'. Sounds very interesting - I'm glad I'll be back for it!

Hope to see you there!
LL

Mindful Bushwalk with John Seed and Betsy Faen


John Seed and Betsy Faen will once again lead a mindful bushwalk at Deep Creek (Narrabeen) on September 18th.

We will meet at the Deep Creek dog exercise area (drive in to final parking lot) at 10:00 am. Deep Creek is off the Wakehurst Parkway, on the left before you get to Narrabeen, if you’re driving down from Oxford Falls.

After a brief introduction to the practice, we will walk in silence. There will be a couple of stops to stand and take in our surroundings with all of our senses, and then arrive at the waterfall rocks around 11:00, do a short meditation there, and have lunch together.(end of silence)

After lunch John will talk about our connection to the earth and facilitate some experiential deep ecology processes. We will then complete a loop, with the trail taking in views over Narrabeen Lagoon and over to the sea. We should get back by 3pm.

Some parts of the track can be very muddy, wet and slippery, so wear suitable shoes and clothes. Older children who are ok with periods of silence are welcome, but this one probably isn't the best for littlies. This walk is suitable for those of reasonable fitness. It isn’t too hard, but there are a couple of steep places.

Meditating in nature, and walking with all the senses attuned to the environment (instead of chatting) can be a beautiful experience.

Bring a lunch and water. There will be an opportunity to give optional dana (donations) to John’s work.We won’t go if it’s raining. If unsure, or if you’re running a little bit late, call Betsy on 0403 871 605.

John asked me to let you know that he’ll be one of the facilitators (with Will James of Tallowwood  Sangha) of a workshop called “Buddha Touched the Earth” at Bellingen  in October. Here’s a flier and an essay he wrote about this form.

Monday 1 August 2016

This week @ Beaches Sangha - Gawaine



Hi all.

This week at Beaches Sangha we have Gawaine Powell-Davies coming to give a talk called 'Uses and Abuses of Meditation'. Sounds intriguing! I believe the weather's been on the chilly side down there in Sydney (I'm a little daunted at the idea of returning), but don't let that deter you! I hope you can make it.

Also, the Spring Retreat is coming up and will be taught this year by Winton Higgins and our very own Sylvie Vanasse. It'll run from 15-18 September out at the beautiful Gorrick's Run  (camping-lite....see the photos from the Beaches Sangha retreat earlier this year). Click here for more info and to register.

Warm (27 degree) regards,
Lenore

Friday 22 July 2016

Workshop on mindfulness, compassion and relationships

Hi guys.

Here is a link to a workshop called Loving, Resilient Relationships Through Mindfulness and Compassion. It's being run in September, led by Subhana Barzaghi and Sabina Rabold, both of whom have put in an appearance at our Sangha in the last year. I haven't been on the course myself, so I can't offer any personal reflections on it, but if you found Subhana's and Sabina's sessions valuable, you might want to check it out.

LL

Wednesday 20 July 2016

This week @ Beaches Sangha

Hi guys.

This week at Sangha it's poetry sharing night. Bring along a poem you'd like to share that is related to the dharma in some way. Given that the dharma is all about the human experience, that leaves the choice of topics pretty wide e.g. compassion, warm friendliness, the trouble that our egos get us into, the nature of everything being dynamic and always changing, kindness, presence to current experience.....really, most stuff is linked to the dharma somehow.

I won't be there, but I'd throw in a suggestion to articulate before or after each reading, what you see that link to be. Of course you're free to ignore that suggestion.

I hope you have a good night. I'm sorry I'm missing it. See you in 3 weeks.

LL

Monday 11 July 2016

This week @ Beaches Sangha



Hi all.

This week Sylvie is leading a talk called: Turning 'Should Arrows' into Nutrients. My guess is that this talk will be about looking at the things we do because we 'should' and getting curious about the choices we make in those situations. I've found 'shoulds' really interesting and fertile ground for investigation in my own practice, and I'm sure Sylvie's session will be an engaging one.

I hope you can make it.
LL

Tuesday 5 July 2016

This week @ Beaches - seeking the dharma in nature

Hi all.

Sorry for the lack of an update last week. I was road tripping to Cairns and I tend to lose track of what day it is when I'm doing stuff like that. However you'll be happy to know I'm currently sitting writing this in bare feet, shorts and a t-shirt. Loving it baby!

Now that you're nashing your teeth, let me soothe you with an update on what's happening at Sangha this week. Selena, who has recently finished her studies in landscape design and horticulture (I hope I got those details right Selena!), is going to give a talk about seeking (and perhaps finding?) the dharma in nature. It's called: Meditations in Green - Seeking the Dharma in Nature and Gardens.

I hope you can make it.
LL


Wednesday 22 June 2016

This week @ Beaches - facilitated discussion

Hi all. 

This week at Beaches Sangha we're having our quarterly facilitated discussion which Neil will run. Bring any questions, or things you're struggling with, or would simply like to discuss some more. Our group dialogue is often really valuable and interesting, so I hope you can come and participate.

Also, I migrate north as of this weekend, so it'd be helpful if someone was able to put their hand up to do the weekly blog post (this email) for the 6 weeks I'm away, as I often forget when I'm travelling or out of my home routines (like this week when I was in Hobart for the Dark MOFO Festival!). The posts are super easy to do, so just let me know at Sangha if you're happy to do it and I'll show you how.

Hope to see you then.
LL

Tuesday 14 June 2016

This week @ Beaches - Winton Higgins



Hi all.

This Thursday night we have one of our faves returning - Winton Higgins. Most of you know Winton, but for those who don't, he used to be a regular teacher at Beaches Sangha, leading our monthly bout of Sutta Study. 

Winton will be giving a talk titled: The Dharma as a Culture of Awakening - Beyond Individual Solution'. I've been thinking a lot lately about our human need for connection and belonging, for community, and how much dukkha is generated when we live out of sync with that need. It sounds like Winton's talk might be relevant to this, so I can't wait to hear it.

I hope you can join us.
LL

Monday 6 June 2016

This week @ Beaches Sangha

Hi all.

We've had a bit of a last minute program change, (not that I believe anyone actually looks at the program??) and this week Sylvie is going to run a session called Mindful Seeing.



With our busy lives, and when under stress, we often cannot seethings as they are and our perception can lose its depth and even blind us from what is right before our eyes. To a certain extent, this is normal and part of our evolution. As Rick Hanson, neuropsychologist and author of the Buddha's Brain, says: "Before we can focus on what we'll have for lunch, we have to make sure that we're not going to be someone else's lunch". The good news is that our meditation practice can help us broaden our vision so we can see more deeply what surrounds us. 

This week, Sylvie will invite you to participate in a short research experiment followed by a "mindful seeing" exercise. So, come and see for yourself what we mean by mindful vision.

Also, for those interested, there is a Buddhism & Psychotherapy conference on in Sydney the weekend after next. Click here for more details.

I hope you can  make it on Thursday night.
LL

Monday 30 May 2016

This week @ Beaches Sangha....

Hi all.

Sorry for the missing message last week....it seems that a couple of times a year I get too busy to remember to do it, or I remember and then forget, or I forget what day of the week it is! 

Anyhoo....this week we have a woman by the name of Diana Levy coming to Beaches Sangha for the first time, to do a dharma session with us using Haiku poetry. 



Diana is a teacher and author. She has been a student of zen for 38 years, and insight meditation more recently, in the last 13 years.  Her haiku and poems have been published in Australia, Japan, and America. In the last 15 years she’s taught the art of haiku to all ages. She founded and led the Blue Mountains Yatras from  2010 to 2014, leading mindful meditative walks. In the Blue Mountains Diana leads walks with various bushwalking groups. She is finishing a book about her walks there, in the haibun (haiku and prose) form.

I hope to see you there!
LL

Monday 16 May 2016

This week @ Beaches....



Hi all.

Well, 'Compassion Without Agenda' was such a hot topic that we didn't get through it all. I have to admit I've thought about it many times since last Thursday. Fortunately, we had a spare spot on the agenda (yes, we have one, and that's ok!) this week, so we are going to fill it with Part II of 'Compassion Without Agenda'.

I've also added a few more photos here (artsy ones courtesy of Mark) from the Beaches Sangha Retreat a few weeks ago.

I hope to see you there.
LL

Monday 9 May 2016

This week @ Beaches - Compassion without agenda



Compassion Without Agenda

Hi everyone. This week @ Beaches Sangha we have Sylvie giving a talk on one of our favourite topics - compassion. The term compassion comes from the Latin roots “cum”, which means “with”, and “passus”, which means “suffering”. So, to be compassionate, is to be able to “suffer with” and wishing all sentient beings to be free of suffering. Many times however, when we think that we are being compassionate, we aren’t. Our intention of wanting others to be “free of suffering” might be such that we are unable to actually “be with” their suffering more than a few seconds! In such times, we might eagerly take on the role of helper or expert. That becomes our agenda, whether we set it up consciously or not. We try to give advice or solve the other person’s problem. In doing so, we might feel quite good, but the other does not. In fact, they might feel diminished. Has that ever happened to you? This week, come and join Sylvie in an exploration of how we can be compassionate without agenda.

Also, this is the last call for anyone who'd like to attend this weekend's workshop: A Street Guide to Meditation & the Buddha's Teachings. There are only 3 places left, so please let me register a.s.a.p. if you'd like to come. (Mick, why isn't your name on this list? You're part of the reason I decided to run it!!)

See you Thursday.
LL

Monday 2 May 2016

This week @ Beaches

Hi all.

I'm looking forward to hearing about last week's talk! We had a lovely time on the Beaches Sangha retreat. There are a few photos here if you're interested.


This week we have Jonathan Page coming to give us a talk called 'Samvega and Pasada'. I have no idea what those words mean or what it's about, so it'll be an interesting surprise!

I hope to see you on Thursday night.
LL

Monday 25 April 2016

This week @ Beaches Sangha



Hi all.

This week at Beaches Sangha we have Victor von der Heyde returning to give us a talk called 'Eros and Practice'. I'm rather disappointed that I'll be missing this one as it sounds super interesting! (A few of us will be away on the Beaches Sangha Retreat.)

I hope you'll come along to ensure a good turn out for Victor in the absence of a few of us regulars.

See you next week.
LL

Monday 11 April 2016

This week @ Beaches Sangha



Hi all. 

This week at Beaches we have Jampa giving a talk on gratitude. It's a great way of 'taking in the good', and in my experience is a real game-changer in terms of how you think about and receive life. 

I hope you can make it.
LL

Monday 4 April 2016

This week @ Beaches Sangha

Hi all.

This week @ Beaches we have a talk called 'Mindfulness & Self Compassion' by a woman named Sabina. I can't tell you anything about her because it's her first time at Beaches and I haven't been furnished with any info to pass on to you, so we'll have to introduce her properly on Thursday night. However, suffice to say, Betsy usually lines up great speakers for us, and I'm sure Sabina will be no exception.  

I hope to see you there.
LL

Monday 28 March 2016

This week @ Sangha - Awakening



Hi everyone. 

This week @ Beaches Sangha we have one of our old regular teachers, Winton Higgins, returning to give us a talk that we requested. It's on the topic of 'awakening', otherwise known as liberation, or nirvana.

For those of you who haven't met Winton before, we have an ongoing challenge to ask him a question to which he doesn't know the answer. We haven't managed it yet. 

Winton's talks are always highly educational and enjoyable. I hope to see you on Thursday night, armed with every question you've ever had about awakening.

LL

Wednesday 23 March 2016

Two Day Workshop: A Street Guide to Meditation and the Buddha's Teachings



REGISTRATIONS ARE OPEN

Two Day Workshop
A Street Guide to Meditation and the Buddha's Teachings

Hi all. I've mentioned a few times lately that I was organising this. It's a two day non-residential workshop I'm running on Sat 14 and Sun 15 May. It'll be like an expanded version of my One Page Dharma talk, with an experience of some different approaches to meditation mixed in as we go. Click here for more details and to register. 

I'd be really grateful if you'd pass the link on to anyone you think might be interested.

Warm regards
Lenore

Tuesday 22 March 2016

This week @ Sangha


Hi all. 

This week @ Beaches Sangha we have Gawaine Powell-Davies returning to give a talk called 'Dharma doors'. The concept of 'doors' to the dharma is that there are many ways to access it or tune into it. Gawaine's talks are always stimulating. I hope you can make it.

LL

Wednesday 16 March 2016

Diana Levy, a member of the Sydney Zen Centre, will be teaching 'Japanese Poetry - Haiku Ginko' at the WEA starting April 7th: www.weasydney.com.au - a 5 week course.
She will also be coming to speak about haiku at Beaches on June 2nd.

Monday 14 March 2016

This week @ Beaches

Hi all.

This week @ Beaches Sangha Neil will be facilitating an open discussion. We hold these sessions a few times a year to give space to any questions, confusions, issues that are bubbling around for you, or situations you'd like to share where you're trying to apply the dharma. It's really a session designed to allow for whatever might be helpful in your path and practice.

Also two reminders:

Beaches Retreat - a reminder to regular Sangha members to let me or Sylvie know in the next fortnight if you want to come to the Beaches Sangha retreat from 28 April-1 May.
Beginner's Workshop - I'll be holding this on the weekend of 14-15 May. Please let me know if you'd like to come along.

The weather has been delightful lately, and we've been meditating on the deck. I hope you can join us.

Lenore

Monday 7 March 2016

This week @ Beaches + Beaches Sangha Retreat + Beginner's Workshop

Hi all.

This week @ Beaches Sangha we have Sylvie sharing a podcast on self compassion. So bring your yoga mats, cushions etc. again, to make yourselves comfy as we listen to that. A discussion will follow as usual.

We also have a couple of events you may be interested in:

Beaches Sangha Retreat
We will be having our very own 3 day retreat from Thu 28 April to Sun 1 May at Gorrick's Run (Zen Centre property) near St. Albans. The retreat is open to regular Sangha members and is an unusual one in that it's self led (there won't be structured teachings or teachers). 


Participants can either bring their camping gear and camp in the cleared area around the meditation hall, lay a swag on the deck of the meditation hall (which is covered), or there are a few indoor sleeping spaces/ mattresses/ beds available. 

The property is rustic but lovely. It has fire-powered hot showers, drop toilets, a well equipped kitchen and a beautiful meditation hall surrounded by bushland. It's about a 2.5 hr drive. It will be self catered - we'll finalise those arrangements once we know how many people are coming. The cost is $90 per person for the 3 days. 

If you'd like to come, please let me or Sylvie know by the end of March.

Weekend workshop - 
I'll be running a weekend workshop on 14/15 May that offers an overview of both meditation and the Buddha's teachings. It is suitable for beginners and also for those who've had some experience with the teachings but would like to get a sense of how it hangs together. We'll also try a number of different approaches to meditation. 

It will be at our normal venue and will run from 10am-4pm both days. I'm just ironing out the remaining details at the moment, but if you're interested or know someone who might be, please put the date aside or pass along this info. I'll let you know further details and when and how to enrol shortly.

Hope to see you Thursday.
Lenore

Monday 29 February 2016

This week @ Beaches: One-page-dharma



Hi all.

This week at Beaches Sangha, I'll be doing my talk called One-Page-Dharma. It's a talk I give each year where I attempt to summarise the core teachings of the Buddha, including a few of his key lists. 

It's a good talk for people who are new-ish to the dharma but it's also a good refresher for those who've been around for a while - a chance to see whether more of it is feeling familiar now, or maybe where there are still some confusions. It's also a good way to get a feel for how the other topics throughout the year hang together - how they are relevant to the dharma.

We've been getting some lovely weather and lots of meditations on the deck. I hope to see you there.

LL

Tuesday 23 February 2016

This week @ Beaches Sangha - Dependent Arising


Hi all.

This week at Beaches, Jampa is going to give a talk on a topic that is absolutely central to the dharma (teachings of the Buddha). In fact, the Buddha said that if you truly see it, you see the dharma. That topic is 'dependent arising' and refers to the way every single thing, every single experience, is the product of other causes and conditions coming together. You might think 'yeah, so what?'...well, the 'so-what' is quite profound.

Hope to see you there.
LL

Tuesday 16 February 2016

This week @ Sangha...our regular unusual Christian Minister

Hi all. 

Each year for the past few years we've had the pleasure of Michael Barnes coming to give us a talk and discussion. Michael is a Christian minister, only he kind of doesn't really believe in God...well the kind of God most Christians believe in anyway. 

You'll probably gather from that introduction that he's a rather unusual Christian Minister. His talks are always stimulating and the discussions likewise. I hope you can join us for this year's talk:

'Looking Again at the Garden of Eden Story: The Emergence of Consciousness of Self'

Hope to see you on Thursday night....and yep, we'll be sure to ask him about his attire in this photo (amazing what you find on Google Images isn't it?!)



LL    
                         

Monday 8 February 2016

This week @ Sangha - Letting go of Reactivity


Hi all.

This week at Beaches Sangha we're going to be listening to a podcast by Stephen Batchelor, or 'the Bat Man' as some of us affectionately call him. Stephen is the unofficial lead bush basher of the Secular Buddhist movement. He's an Englishman who's been both a Tibetan and Korean Zen monk, but disrobed many years ago. He actually made a guest appearance in 2014 which was terrific.

Stephen's talks are always engaging, stimulating and educational. I've listened to this one a couple of times already and am looking forward to giving it another run. It's a 40 min talk, so feel free to bring yoga mats, rugs or cushions to sit/lie on while we listen. We'll then have a discussion.

Hope to see you there.
LL

Wednesday 3 February 2016

This week @ Sangha - hearing meditation



Hi all.

This week at Beaches, Betsy is going to run a session on using sound as a focus for meditation. She's also happy to address any questions people have about meditation generally.

The hope is that we'll be able to do this session outside, so please bring a yoga mat to sit or lie on if you have one. Don't let the forecast scare you off...even though there's rain forecast, it's expected to clear up in the afternoon. If Google weather is wrong, we'll do it inside.

I hope to see you there.
LL

Tuesday 26 January 2016

This week @ Sangha - Expanding our Self Awareness



Hi all. 

This week @ Sangha we have Sylvie running a session on expanding our self awareness.

Awareness is a central practice of the Dharma; awareness of both our inner world as well as what's going on outside of us. A powerful way of increasing our awareness is asking for feedback.


Sylvie has worked for more than 30 years with individuals and teams on how to give and receive feedback. She has used several self-awareness tools and will present us with one that has stood the test of time called the "JOHARI Window". She will also share some tips on how to solicit feedback and receive it graciously.

I hope you'll be able to come along to this highly practical session.
See you Thursday.
LL

Tuesday 19 January 2016

Beaches Sangha resumes this week



Happy new year everyone! I hope you've all had the kind of summer break you needed.

Beaches Sangha kicks off for 2016 this week on Thursday night. We thought with the start of a new year it'd be a nice time to connect by sharing a bit about ourselves and what brought us to the dharma. I'm looking forward to hearing your stories - even those of you who I've known for a while.

I hope to see you there.
LL