Dear Dhamma Friends,
As one of the most remarkable years of my life, I pause to reflect on all that has happened. In doing so, I experience deep gratitude for the Buddha’s teachings, the Buddha's practices, and the Buddhist spiritual communities that have nourished me through these turbulent times.
I missed you all this year, your smiling faces arriving at Sangha House, the hugs and well wishes shared, your physical presence as you choose your space in the meditation hall, and sit quietly in meditation and receive the Buddha’s teachings.
With physical distance mandates, we have not met in person to meditate since March. However, Tuesday night Sangha, book group, KM groups, Parami study group, and individual dharma discussions with me have continued via Zoom during all those nine months.
We are hopeful to be able to reopen Sangha House in the near future but will not do so until the Board of Directors feels it is safe to do so, fully aware that we each feel the hunger for personal connection.
In the meantime, I want to express sincere gratitude to the Board of Directors, Barb Lahman (Book Group and KM coordinator), Gary Hogle (Building Manager), Matthew Katinsky (Media Coordinator) and my dear husband, Jack Dyer (Supplier of Love and Confidence) for their unbound commitment to our Sangha and efforts to assist our continued connection.
For each of you who participate in the IMFW offerings, we are grateful. The best laid plans bare no fruit without those who support what we have to offer. You adjusted, with smiles and an open heart, early on as our policies and procedures changed weekly. We all had to learn how to use new technology. Many of us realized, as we struggled to learn, it really was a blessing that bore fruit.
While many in our community have suffered deeply through the pandemic, with the physical, emotional, and financial impact associated during this most difficult time, even those of us who are normally cushioned by sufficient means, whiteness, and jobs we can count on, have discovered our usual coping mechanisms and dharma practice sometimes proving to be powerless. It’s been humbling. We have been schooled in the truth of our own lack of control and the impermanence of all phenomena.
And yet, often, there’s been this mostly invisible, overwhelmingly beautiful way we have had of weathering the year. We have come together in community (albeit through social media), reconnected with some long-forgotten friends and family for the first time in years, found refuge in generous acts of words and action. We've deepened and broadened our metta practice and found profound gratitude for the many blessings we have. We’ve learned a lot about the powerful refuge of the Buddha’s path of practice. And for that, we are grateful.
For now, on behalf of all the leaders and teachers of the IMFW community, I send you our warmest December wishes for peace and ease, and hope for good health and light hearts in 2021.
Venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side and said: "Bhante, this is half of the spiritual life, that is, good friendship, good companionship, good comradeship."
"Not so, Ānanda! Not so, Ānanda! This is the entire spiritual life, that is, good friendship, good companionship, good comradeship. When a monk or nun has a good friend, a good companion, a good comrade, it is to be expected that they will develop and cultivate the noble eightfold path."
- Samyutta Nikaya 45:2
With Kindness, Tammy
Founder and Guiding Teacher, IMFW
tamaradyer6@gmail.com
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