When a person doesn't have gratitude, something is missing in his or her humanity. A person can almost be defined by his or her attitude toward gratitude.
--Elie Wiesel

The Latin root of the word gratitude is grata, meaning, a gift freely given that is unearned. Gratitude is a feeling that spontaneously emerges from within, an attitude, an emotional response that arises when we see life as a gift that has been freely given. It is a gift that has been unearned.

However, gratitude is not simply an emotional response; it can also be a choice we make. We can choose to be grateful, or we can choose to be ungrateful -- to take our gifts and blessings for granted. As Einstein wrote, “We can see life as though nothing is a miracle, or as though everything is a miracle.” It’s a choice we make.

When our minds are contracted with stress and filled with fear and negativity there is no room to appreciate all the gifts that are a part of our life each day, gifts that we often just take for granted. So, it takes practice to get into the gratitude habit. As we cultivate the habit of being grateful, the mind naturally comes to rest on the goodness in our lives.

The Buddha reminds us that the expression of gratitude opens the doors of the heart that do not otherwise open. By simply taking time to marvel at life’s gifts and give thanks for them, we activate opportunities to increase their influence in our lives. Intentionally creating a daily gratitude practice reminds us to cherish our lives and be grateful for the life we have been given.

And when that sense of gratitude is alive in us, there is a real sense of homecoming. Because, in those moments when we are really appreciative, we get in touch with whom we really are. Through intentional and sustained practice over time, gratitude and all its related qualities like thankfulness, appreciation, compassion, generosity, love and joy can all become an integral part of our daily lives.

The tendency for most of us each day is to focus on life’s problems. More often than not, we find ourselves lamenting the difficulties of our long-term relationship rather than stopping to appreciate its strengths; the moments of incredible boredom at work seem to outweigh the interesting aspects. We’re wired with what’s called negativity bias — an evolutionary instinct to look out for threats so that we can escape them unharmed.

But we can learn to work with negativity bias, and that doesn’t mean that I think that we can all just flip the gratitude switch on. Gratitude can seem like a glorified form of denial, a way of papering over problems by posting inspirational quotes to social media, by labeling everything in life “a blessing.”

But each time that dismissive instinct kicks in, I encourage myself to remember that being grateful doesn’t mean I have to keep a gratitude jar that counts my blessings. It just means I can reset my thoughts. Just like in meditation, I can choose instead to gently settle my attention on something positive.

We don’t erase the pain — it’s still there — but we can broaden our perspective by opening to our pain and also opening to things other than the suffering we feel. Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more.

The Blessed One said, 'Now what is the level of a person of no integrity? A person of no integrity is ungrateful and unthankful. This ingratitude, this lack of thankfulness, is advocated by rude people. It is entirely on the level of people of no integrity. A person of integrity is grateful and thankful. This gratitude, this thankfulness, is advocated by civil people. It is entirely on the level of people of integrity.'
--Katannu Sutta, Thanissaro Bhikkhu translation

With Metta,

A week of meditation opportunities to deepen your practice is being offered November 15 through the 19th. Join us to sit and do a walking meditation in the morning 6 – 7am and again in the evening from 6 – 7 pm. These are drop-in meditation times and you can join us for one time or as many as you like. It is interesting to notice how different it feels to meditate with others. All are welcome. See the article in the newsletter for details.

I offer a deep bow of gratitude to all of the Sangha members that helped to make our fall retreat with teacher, Carol Blotter, a warm and welcoming retreat.

Thank you to Carol, herself, for offering the teachings in a down to earth and accessible manner. She has a nice countenance and teaches from her life experiences. Her teaching style is insightful and impactful.

Thank you to Caran Ross for being the retreat coordinator! She managed the behind the scenes work to ensure that everyone was comfortable and well cared for. She was the first in to turn on the lights and the last out to lock up the door. Thank you for your attention to detail and making sure everyone was able to feel safe and nurtured.

Thank you to JD Nye and the lawn rangers; Charlie Byrd, Dan O’Kelly, gardeners; Barb Lahman, Mandy Waters, Tammy Dyer and countless people who clean and care for the building and gardens. Your work was noticed.

Thank you to each participant.

A special thank you to Matt Katinsky, our webmaster, who devotes his time and talents to make sure our newsletter and website are full of current information.

Our mission is to provide for the study and practice of Insight (Vipassanā) Meditation according to the Theravāda Buddhist religious tradition and to support and encourage the development of community based upon Buddhist ideals, teachings and practices.

IMFW is entirely supported by voluntary donations that embody the ancient practice of dāna or generosity. The teachings are always offered freely and practitioners are invited to offer support that matches their own financial means, and/or by volunteering time and talents to support the teachers and the upkeep of Sangha House.

At this time of year as our thoughts turn to giving thanks for our blessings, I invite you to consider joining Insight Meditation Fort Wayne's Gratitude Group.

As you may know, some of us in the Sangha participate in an email Gratitude Group, wherein we send out a daily email observing three things for which we are grateful. It has been a wonderful practice, allowing us to increase mindfulness of our blessings and also giving us the chance to know each other on a more personal level.

This is an invitation to anyone in the Sangha who would like to join the group. If you're interested, please send an email to ifw-gratitude+subscribe@googlegroups.com.

Once you have signed up you can send your gratitude post to ifw-gratitude@googlegroups.com and they will be delivered to all of the participants. You can unsubscribe at any time, as described at the bottom of each email. There is no requirement that you participate every day. Some of us faithfully send daily emails, others only send occasional emails, and some just like to read others' gratitudes, but we all benefit from reading whatever emails are delivered to us each day.

If you prefer you can adjust your Google groups setting so you receive the gratitudes in digest form so you receive all that day's messages in just one email a day. To do this, do the following:

• Go to groups.google.com/g/ifw-gratitude
• Go to My Membership Settings
• Under Subscription choose Digest

If you have any questions or encounter problems, you can contact me at eeengland@gmail.com. Please do consider joining. If you're already a member of the group you don't need to do anything, but perhaps recommit to the practice!

We are offering a Practice Week

We are offering a week dedicated to deepen the practice of anyone who is interested and all are welcome! November 15-19, Monday through Friday, at 2332 Sand Point Road, Fort Wayne will be open for meditation from 7-8 am and 6-7 pm. The hours will be structured with 25 minutes of sitting, 10 minutes walking meditation or break, and another 25 minutes of meditation. Tuesday night will be the regularly scheduled meeting; meditation followed by a dharma talk.

You are welcome to come at any time that works with your schedule. You can join as often as you wish to meditate with the support of others and to deepen your practice of meditation.

On Saturday, November 20, 9-noon, we will meet to celebrate the week for a walking and sitting meditation. We’ll close with an opportunity for discussion.

If you have questions or would like basic meditation instructions, please call or text Pamela at (260) 414-4428.

Because cost should not be a barrier to growing one’s practice and in keeping with the spirit and practice of generosity (dana), Insight Meditation Fort Wayne (IMFW) offers financial assistance for Buddhist retreats.

COVERAGE

IMFW financial assistance is offered to support individual’s attendance at retreats and to support the growth of our sangha overall. This assistance is therefore offered to those who are regular attendees at IMFW meditation classes, Tuesday meditation sessions, or our Sangha House retreats.

We offer financial support for retreats in Theravada, Zen and Vajrayana/Tibetan Buddhist traditions.

IMFW financial assistance is available to fully or partially cover the cost of registration and transportation to a retreat. It is a long-standing tradition that teachers offer the teachings at no cost and that attendees freely offer generous dana (donations) to the teacher at the end of retreats. As generosity and contemplation of the value of the teachings is a key part of retreat experiences, we encourage yogis to give what dana they can offer to support the teacher.

APPLICATION PROCESS

If you would like to apply for financial assistance, please complete the scholarship application form and mail it as far as possible in advance of the retreat to:

Retreat Scholarship Application
Insight Meditation Fort Wayne
2332 Sandpoint Road
Fort Wayne, IN. 46809

If you are applying for scholarship funds from the retreat organizers, please complete that process prior to applying for assistance from IMFW.

HOW FUNDS ARE AWARDED

Once an application has been accepted, the recipient will be provided with a check made out to the retreat center to submit with their registration. Transportation cost support will be paid directly to the applicant. For air fares, a receipt for the fare should be provided to IMFW as soon as booking is confirmed. For other costs such as shuttle busses, an estimated amount will be provided prior to the retreat.

SCHOLARSHIP LIMITS

We can offer up to two scholarships per person per year. First consideration will be given to individuals who have not received a scholarship within the past 12 months.

The Sangha and/or Teacher Collective welcomes feedback on your experience after the retreat but it is not mandatory.

If you have any questions, please contact InsightMeditationFW@gmail.com

Beginning Saturday October 2 at 9 am, Lisa Selby, 200 hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT), will be offering a Yoga class, in the basement of Sangha House. Class will be a one hour, all levels, flow class. All are welcome! Bring your mat, and any props you have, and start your weekend off right!

Please drop in, no pre-registration required. This class is offered freely. A donation of any kind is welcome.

If you have any questions you can email me at lisa@lisaselby.yoga.

A friend invited me to my first yoga class 4 years ago. After going back the following week, I knew that yoga was something I needed in my life, as often as possible. A year after that, I knew I wanted to learn everything I could about yoga and share it with as many people as I could! I am a 200 hour yoga teacher, registered with The Yoga Alliance. I studied therapeutic yoga and I believe yoga is for every body! There is no age or flexibility limit! I truly endeavor to empower my students, in every class, by teaching with proper alignment, muscle engagement (I will tell you to spread your toes 50 times!) and lovingkindness. I can't wait to see you on your mat!

Lisa Selby

We have welcomed several wise and delightful teachers to Insight Meditation Fort Wayne. John Steinbach and his wife, Pam Steinbach, along with Caran Ross, all were willing to share teaching responsibilities with Tammy Dyer and Drew Consalvo while we were meeting via Zoom. Now all are teaching live and in person at 2332 Sandpoint Road! Each month, we'll be featuring one. They each have a special way of teaching and interpreting the teachings. Each one is worth coming to hear and experience their special insight into ways to live the teachings of the Buddha.

Drew Consalvo

Drew has been studying Buddhism since the early 1990’s and is a student of the Pali Canon. Although largely an autodidact, Drew has studied with many of the leading teachers in the Western Theravada Buddhist lineage at Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA and elsewhere around the country. Drew has been a member of the group now known as Insight Meditation Fort Wayne since 2009 and as a senior student, assists the Guiding Teacher by offering talks rooted in his exploration and investigation of meditation and the Buddhist teachings found in the ancient scriptures. Drew has filled the role of Secretary for the Board since 2015 and has continued as such at Insight Meditation Fort Wayne following its official inception in 2018.

Drew chooses to serve on the Board of Directors for Insight Meditation Fort Wayne as a way of giving back to the Sangha which he holds dear while helping to promote its mission in which he believes strongly.