Many of us who practice at Insight Meditation Fort Wayne identify as Buddhists.  Many of us who practice at Insight Meditation Fort Wayne identify with other spiritual traditions or no spiritual tradition.  All our spiritual identifications or lack thereof are welcome and simply fine just the way we are. 

We have some folks who practice with us who identify as Mahayana Buddhists, some as Vajrayana Buddhists, and others identify as Theravada Buddhists, plus myriad other faith traditions.  One does not need to be a member of any particular club in order to benefit from the teaching of the Buddha.

As one who does identify as a Theravada Buddhist, acts of generosity are a natural and integral part of my practice.  Our entire tradition has been historically supported by acts of dana for two and a half millennia.

Dana is a Pali word translated as generosity.  The act of giving.  Perhaps you may be familiar with another Pali word – cāga (pronounced chaah-guh).  Whereby dana denotes the action of giving, cāga is the quality of the heart/mind that underlies the act of dana.  It is its proximate cause.  Dana is the action, cāga is the quality.  Cāga was considered by the Buddha to be one of the seven treasures or the seven kinds of wealth.  Cāga is the quality of heart that delights in open-handed giving and sharing.

That sense of delight is self-perpetuating.  We feel good when we do good acts.  Meritorious giving is giving not only what we may possess in excess or something we no longer have use for, but the loving, open-handed giving of something that is of intrinsic value to ourselves. 

Currently at Sangha House, our spiritual home, we find ourselves needing some dana to address a looming concern – our roof.  While generous benefactors gifted Sangha House itself (and the renovation thereof) to IMFW, it came with an over-thirty-year-old roof.  Now it is up to us as a Sangha to respond in kind.

As Buddhists, many of us are already quite used to the practice of offering our material wealth and our time freely.  In this world, we are barraged with appeals to donate money and time to all sorts of concerns and issues.  So much so, that after a while it can begin to feel like background noise.  Like chatter.   I know that this can sound just like another appeal in a sea of appeals.  But I do appeal to you to give to this most worthwhile cause.

All operations of Sangha House are supported by generous benefactors.  Please see if it is possible for you to tap into the cāga that exists in your heart and offer your Sangha monetary support as well.  It is our spiritual home.

I would like to summarize with these words from Bhikkhu Bodhi:

“For the goal of the path is the destruction of greed, hate and delusion, and the cultivation of generosity directly debilitates greed and hate, while facilitating that pliancy of mind that allows for the eradication of delusion.”

So yes, this is another appeal.  Not merely an appeal for donations, but an appeal for us all to awaken to the benefit of the path and practice and the foundational space that cāga and dana occupy along that path.

May all beings be well and happy,

drew

We need your financial help to replace our roof.  Sangha House was renovated in 2018 – at the time we were told that the roof was okay but would need to be replaced soon.  Here we are, five years later and it is time. We’ve had three contractors look at it and give us bids.  The cost is estimated to be $16,000 to replace the shingles on the building and garage. Please let us know if your donation is to be directed to the Maintenance Fund. On line, you can designate the Maintenance Fund if you wish to contribute to it. Checks may be made to Insight Meditation Fort Wayne, or you can donate on line at: https://www.imfw.org/donate.

You can now listen to an audio recording of each IMFW dharma talk.  We are archiving the recordings of each talk and they are available on our website.

Several daylong retreats and one three-day retreat are being offered in August.  Pam and John Steinbach are the teachers hosting each event.  You can sign up on our website at: https://www.imfw.org/retreats-day-long.

An Introduction to Buddhism course, taught by the Steinbachs, is being offered every Monday evening in August.  This course is offered, in person only (no Zoom),  at 2332 Sandpoint Road.  Click here to enroll: https://www.imfw.org/intro-scheduled

Joan Staubach, a teacher from Tri-State Dharma, is returning to teach a two and a half day Fall Retreat.  Watch the website for dates. IMFW’s retreats are nonresidential and offered freely.  Please support your teachers generously with your dana.

Occasionally we send out information on a course offering that we think people might be interested in, even though it is not hosted by IMFW.  If you have an interest in those classes, please contact the instructors directly for more information or to enroll.  We will note who is hosting the class in the information provided.

We continue to add to our library.  Take a look!  We’ve added new books to our library; many that our board members felt were influential and helpful to beginning practitioners.  We continue to accept donations of any Buddhist-based books.  That has been a fascinating way to expand our library.  It is worth checking out.

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.

“What is it you plan to do with this one wild and precious life?”  -Mary Oliver

Almost all schools of Buddhism include meditation practices to directly experience the workings of the mind. Retreats are an opportunity to devote a period of quiet focus committed to introspective awareness and mindful attention.  If you decide you want to bring serious Buddhist practice into your life, two things seem necessary; a daily practice of meditation and periods of more prolonged practice to gain deeper insights into the workings of the mind. In the midst of our busy lives of gaining insights and performing outer responsibilities, a half day or full day or a short stretch of days is an opportunity to examine what this life is.  IMFW is pleased to be able to offer some intensive opportunities for inquiry.  This doesn’t mean that study of the dharma, listening to talks, and being a member of a sangha without a meditation practice is not valuable; they can all be of benefit to generate generosity, virtue, patience, meditation, and wisdom.  Occasional retreats offer deeper pondering of the teachings, observing the nature of mind, and reflecting on the activities of body, speech and mind.  Interspersed with periods of 30 minute seated meditation, these retreats include walking meditation, teachings, discussion, and yoga. 
 
One day retreats are offered at IMFW (in person only) led by John and Pamela Steinbach on Saturday, August 19, or Thursday, August 3rd.  There will also be a 3-day retreat August 31, Sept 1 and 2nd.  You are welcome to come for half a day or full days on any of these dates.  Please bring a journal or paper to briefly note insights and questions, and a lunch if staying for the full day.  The retreats are offered on a Dana basis, the practice of generosity: giving what you are able, out of gratitude, for IMFW and the teachers. 
 
Please sign up for any retreat/day that you are interested in at https://www.imfw.org/retreats-day-long.

IMFW is offering a new class: An Introduction to Buddhism. The course, taught by IMFW teachers Pam and John Steinbach, will meet on the four consecutive Monday evenings in August at IMFW in person only. The intent is for all who participate to have a better understanding of Buddhism and gain some insight into how these teachings apply to daily life. Since this is the first offering of the course, John and Pam look forward to seeing where the discussions take us and are planning to allow plenty of time for conversation.

The class will address the Four Noble Truths including the Noble Eightfold Path, the Three Marks of Existence, lists of the virtuous qualities, the Hindrances, and the different schools of Buddhism.  Introductory classes will be offered quarterly at IMFW with this class alternating with the Introduction to Insight Meditation taught by Tammy Dyer and Barb Lahman in the spring and Drew Consalvo in the fall.

Classes will be held from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm on Mondays, August 7, 14, 21, and 28. The classes are freely given. Dana (donation of generosity as you are able) is welcome and encouraged.  You can sign up here: https://www.imfw.org/intro-scheduled

Save The Date!

Joan Staubach will be offering the IMFW Fall Retreat October 20-24, 2023, entitled “You Are What You Think: Being Kind to Your Mind.”

Joan Staubach is an active member and past president of Tri-State Dharma. She is an experienced practitioner of Insight Meditation. She has been on over 30 week-long or longer residential retreats. She has taught and co-taught the New Years Retreat for many years, led daylong retreats, and taught numerous Insight Meditation classes. She has taken training retreats with Matthew Flickstein on Sharing the Dharma.