Dear Dhamma Friends,

A few weeks ago, some of us participated in the annual refuge ceremony. It's an opportunity we offer each year at IMFW to remind ourselves of the true refuges our practice offers us. Refuge in the Buddha; Refuge in the Dharma, Refuge in the Sangha. (my translation: Refuge in our Buddha nature, the truth or the path, and love)

Given all that has entered our hearts and minds this year, it felt particularly important at this time, to pause and reflect on what really matters. To connect with one another and recognize the blessing that we have our Sangha community as support for our practice. And to participate in a ritual that reminds us how to cultivate the wisdom and the lovingkindness that can help heal ourselves and our world.

We forget, don't we, this ground of goodness that is our true nature? At least I do. But in moments of presence, we can re-connect with the love and the goodness that's here.

Our habit is to forget and get lost in obsessing, angering, worrying, blaming, "othering". It's like getting lost inside a cloud and forgetting the sky is still there. But each of you have times when you remember. You wouldn't be reading this right now if you haven't known the blessing of remembering. Remembering that goodness is our true nature. Everyone's true nature. It's that remembering that draws us to practice.

Many of you have spoken to me of your deeply felt urgency of these times and a renewed inspiration to turn toward practice. As part of the refuge ceremony on January 19, we took a few moments to reflect on ways we might commit to practice and meditation in the coming year.

Insight Meditation teachers throughout the United States, more than ever before, are offering home teachings, retreats, podcasts, and books to continue to help us see more clearly what the Buddhist teachings are waking us to. And many are designed to include what is happening all around us ... the pandemic, the challenges of isolation, the unknown ahead.

I invite each of you to take a few moments to reflect on the three refuges. How might you deepen your practice to take refuge in the path, in love, and in your Buddha nature. In the year ahead, how you might deepen your dedication to live from love, to live a path of loving awareness and compassion. So that you can bring these refuges alive in a way that ripples out in a way that will serve all beings.

IMFW will continue to be a light in our community, to respond to constantly changing conditions, and to nurture the internal life in support of external service. In this way, together with you, we practice not for ourselves but for the welfare, happiness, and safety of all life in this year ahead.

Please join us on Tuesday nights. We offer Sangha and the Buddha's teachings as support of your practice, inspiration and wellbeing.

With lovingkindness,
Tammy
tamaradyer6@gmail.com

Dear Friends,

We continue to discuss, as a Board, when it will be safe to gather in person. As of right now, we are still holding Tuesday night Meditation followed by a Dharma talk, via Zoom. It has been a wonderful way to stay connected. I encourage everyone to join, maybe even especially if you have some curiosity and have not attended a Zoom Sangha yet! It is an easy way to get a feel for our Tuesday night gatherings, in a one hour format, from the comfort of your own home! Participants are muted and you are not required to speak!

I asked the Board members to share with everyone what they have been reading during this time of slowing down. Hopefully, you will see a recommendation that interests and excites you!

Alex Belyaeva: I've found author Dr Shefali Tsabary, who is a clinical psychologist and a long time Vipassana practitioner, she has a great book on conscious parenting that is on my list, but plenty of free videos on youtube. Her book titles include: The Conscious Parent, and The Awakened Family.

Ellen England: I'm rereading Bhikkhu Analayo's Rebirth in Early Buddhism and Current Research. I first learned about it from a book review in Lion's Roar (https://www.lionsroar.com/the-case-for-rebirth/) and became interested in the topic after reading it. I'm also exploring the case for rebirth with a small study group from Indiana Buddhist Temple. Bhikkhu Analayo's book delves thoroughly into the topic's history, the debates both for and against, and the evidence based on near death experiences, early childhood memories, and the like. It's a fascinating subject.

Nancy Tompkins: I'm reading Mindfulness In Plain English by Bhante Gunaratana and Listening To The Heart by Kittisaro and Thanissara. The first is actually a rereading because a friend is now reading it and wanted to talk about it. The second, of course, is Barb's excellent book study selection.

Deb O'Kelly: Mindfulness in Plain English, by Bhante Gunaratana – The book is so clearly written and his wisdom comes through so easily that it has been a delight to read this book. Also, as fate would have it, I had just finished Sharon Salzberg's Real Change - Mindfulness to Heal Ourselves and the World on January 6 when the crowd stormed the Capital. I picked the book up and read it again! I knew that the book would have an even deeper meaning to me and I was right! The book is a wonderful exploration of working for social justice while also taking good care of yourself by using a meditation practice to ground ourselves and our actions. This book, coupled with Parker J. Palmer's Healing the Heart of Democracy - The Courage to Create Politics Worthy of the Human Spirit, (which I am rereading) has helped me to be more centered, grounded and come from a spot of goodwill. This has been no small task, so for this I am very grateful.

Our mission is to share the Buddha's teachings with all those who are interested, to provide support to deepen our meditation practice, and to bring wisdom and compassion into daily life.

“ . .  . the time we live in is a fertile ground for training in being open-minded & open-hearted. If we can learn to hold this falling apart–ness without polarizing & without becoming fundamentalist, then whatever we do today will have a positive effect on the future. Working with polarization & dehumanization won’t put an immediate end to the ignorance, violence, and hatred that plague this world. But every time we catch ourselves polarizing with our thoughts, words, or actions, and every time we do something to close that gap, we’re injecting a little bodhichitta [awakening mind] into our usual patterns. We’re deepening our appreciation for our interconnectedness with all others. We’re empowering healing, rather than standing in its way. And because of this interconnectedness, when we change our own patterns, we help change the patterns of our culture as a whole.”

Pema Chodron from "Welcoming the Unwelcome"

Tammy Dyer, guiding teacher at IMFW, and Barb Lahman are offering an Introduction to Insight Meditation Class, beginning Thursday, April 8, and running for four weeks. Tammy and Barb will be teaching the Four Establishments of Mindfulness based in Theravada Buddhism.

We will look at mindfulness of body and breath, thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Through these classes you may discover ways to wake up to your true nature, start a meditation practice and learn more about Buddhism.

At this time, we plan to offer the class via Zoom, as Sangha House remains closed due to the guidelines recommended for public space. Please join Tammy and Barb every Thursday, April 8 through April 29, 2021, 7:00- 8:00 p.m. and learn about meditation from the Theravada tradition.

To register, please fill out the form at https://www.imfw.org/intro For further information, contact Tammy Dyer at tamaradyer6@gmail.com

This is class is offered freely. Please consider making a donation to IMFW to help us continue to offer programs like this one.

We are offering an evening of chanting following our Tuesday night Sangha on February 16 at 7 p.m. We'll begin with some simple chants, ones that any skill level may join in on! No musical talent necessary.

Following last month's refuge ceremony when we chanted the refuges, some of you mentioned how much you enjoyed the chanting and would like more opportunity to explore moving your practice towards different forms of chanting.

Many Insight Meditation sanghas and retreat centers offer the opportunity to chant the metta sutta regularly or periodically. I am going to introduce chanting, exploring the English translation as well as the Pali words of the metta chant as it is done at Insight Meditation Society, Forest Refuge, Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, and Spirit Rock.

If you would like to know more about chanting, practice chanting, and expand your practice in that form, please join us after Sangha on the third Tuesday of the month, February 16 at 7:00.

For more information, you might check out the website Asheville Insight Meditation for some recorded chants at https://www.ashevillemeditation.com/buddhist-chants, or contact Tammy at tamaradyer6@gmail.com.