 In this issue:
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Seeing Yourself Exactly as You Are Now
Tammy Dyer
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“You can’t make radical changes in the pattern of your life until you begin to see yourself exactly as you are now. As soon as you do that, changes will flow naturally. You don’t have to force anything, struggle, or obey rules dictated to you by some authority. It is automatic; you just change.
But arriving at that initial insight is quite a task. You have to see who you are & how you are without illusion, judgment, or resistance of any kind. You have to see your place in society & your function as a social being. You have to see your duties & obligations to your fellow human beings, & above all, your responsibility to yourself as an individual living with other individuals.
And finally, you have to see all of that clearly as a single unit, an irreducible whole of interrelationship. It sounds complex, but it can occur in a single instant. Mental cultivation through meditation is without rival in helping you achieve this sort of understanding & serene happiness.”
Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, "Mindfulness in Plain English"
Dear Friends,
Buddhist teachings are filled with the principles of respect, tolerance, and compassion. When community members were sick, the Buddha told his followers to care for them as they would care for the Buddha himself. When those in grief and those who were afraid came to see the Buddha, he welcomed them all without exception.
Our social and cultural conditioning to separate shows up in the way we compartmentalize things. Everything around us we tend to separate out as “us and them” or “subject and object.” Separation permeates our worldview and is reinforced by the cultural milieu in which we all live, with its borders, barriers, cultural and ethnic designations, class delineations, statehoods.
Mindfulness erases all these lines of separation. Our practices of awareness and lovingkindness can steady our hearts to help us embody courage and compassion as motivations for our speech and actions in this very difficult time. Each of us express our care in many ways, and it begins with cultivating a calm and wise presence so we can realize how we each can bring benefit to those in need.
This compassionate and generous spirit has sustained the Dharma for 2600 years and is a principle that has been a part of the finest of American culture. At our best, we have welcomed immigrants, collectively cared for the vulnerable, respected human rights, and promoted tolerance. Let us sustain this spirit during this time of world turmoil.
With love and compassion, Tammy
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 Our dear friend, benefactor and Sangha member, Jack Dyer, passed August 20, 2024 after living with Parkinson’s and dementia for nearly 10 years. Jack was a great teacher, even to the end. He was such a wonderful supporter of all who attended and taught at Sangha with his energy and enthusiasm, he will be missed. The family would be honored if you would join them for a Celebration of Life for Jack, at the Clyde Theatre on Sunday, September 29th at 2:30 pm.
We have many opportunities to study and deepen our practice this fall. All are offered freely. Dana is gratefully accepted.
IMFW Fall Retreat with Carol Blotter – October 4, 5, and 6. Carol Blotter, leading teacher for Chelsea Meditation, is guiding our fall retreat. Her talk is Holding the Opposites: Joy and Sorrow. Friday night’s talk begins at 6:30 pm and is open to the public. If you are interested in attending the retreat, Saturday and Sunday, please sign up at https://www.imfw.org/retreat-fall.
Introduction to Insight Meditation is offered four consecutive Monday evenings during the month of October, starting at 6 pm and lasting about an hour. Drew Consalvo is teaching this four week course. You can see more information in our newsletter or sign up for the course on our website at https://www.imfw.org/intro-meditation.
Book Group will begin an exploration of the book You Belong: A Call for Connection by Sebene Selassie, Tuesday, October 15th immediately following the Dharma talk. The group meets every third Tuesday, October through May. Anyone interested in joining Book Group please sign up at https://www.imfw.org/book-group.
Community Events – All are scheduled at 6:30 pm, at 2332 Sandpoint Road.
September 6th is Traditional Indian Dance with Vyju Kadambi.
October 11th is Making Kombucha with Nate Gulley.
Please sign up on line if you plan to attend: https://www.imfw.org/community-night
Also offered by our teachers: It is with great joy and excitement that the Teacher Collective wishes to announce that we welcome the opportunity to join you for life transitions, such as weddings and funerals. You may contact us individually or as a group to speak with us about how we might assist you in your service. We look forward to joining you as you make this journey from life to death and the many roads it may take along the way.
We are all just walking each other home.
- Ram Das
With metta,
Tammy, Drew, Pam, John”
The Board of Directors for IMFW, which is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization:
Tammy Dyer, Founder and Guiding Teacher
Deb O’Kelly, President
Pam Steinbach, Secretary and Teacher
Monica Cardenas, Treasurer
Drew Consalvo, Teacher
Nancy Tompkins
Josh Smith
Dora Rogers
Matthew Katinsky
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.
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An Introduction To Vipassana (Insight) Meditation
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 Drew Consalvo, a teacher at Insight Meditation Fort Wayne, is offering an Introduction to Insight Meditation Class, beginning Monday, October 7th, at 6 pm and continuing for the next three Monday evenings in October. The course meets for four weeks. Drew’s teaching will be based upon the Four Foundations of Mindfulness as practiced in Theravada Buddhism.
This course will offer an introductory look at mindfulness of body and breath, feeling, mind, and phenomena. These classes may help you discover ways to benefit from a dedicated meditation practice and perhaps learn a bit more about Buddhist practice in general.
These classes will be offered at Sangha House, 2332 Sandpoint Road. Please join Drew every Monday, October 7th through October 28, 2024, 6:00 - 7:00 pm, and learn about meditation from the Theravada tradition.
To register, please fill out the form online here.
This is class is offered freely. Please consider donating to IMFW to help us continue to offer programs like this.
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Fall Retreat 2024
Carol Blotter
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Holding the Opposites: Joy and Sorrow
Dukkha, suffering, is the main teaching of the Buddha – that it exists, its causes, and that it is possible to live a life without it. Why is it so hard to do? Why does our life still have moments of resistance, stress, malaise? Why does the world’s suffering sometimes seem so overwhelming?
The most common word in the Buddha’s teachings is mindfulness – being present non-judgmentally to what is occurring in this moment. Resting in this moment can bring gratitude, awe and joy. Can we live from that space in joy and remain present to the suffering?
This weekend retreat will study how to hold them both – the joy and the sorrow – in a heart broken wide open, therefore allowing our gifts to pour into the world.
Please join us for Carol’s opening talk, on Friday, Oct 4 at 6:30 pm till 8:30 pm. Offered in person only (no Zoom) at 2332 Sandpoint Road. You need not attend the retreat to come to the Friday night talk. Retreatants are encouraged to attend.
The retreat is on Saturday, Oct 5, 9 am until 5 pm (bring a sack lunch both full days) and on Sunday, Oct 6, 9 am until 3 pm.
While there is no fee for the class, donation boxes will be available for those who wish to express their gratitude to the teacher or to the Insight Meditation Fort Wayne community for freely offering this class. Please register for this retreat online here.
Carol Blotter has led more than 100 retreats across the United States and has taught classes in meditation to spiritual seekers, schools, universities and medical groups over the last 25 years. Her 30+ years practice and study has led to a blending of Insight (Vipassana) Meditation and non-duality teachings from various spiritual traditions. She is the primary teacher of Chelsea Meditation Group.
Since 2004, Carol’s primary teacher and mentor has been Matthew Flickstein. She has studied under Matt for over 20 years, has been with him at over 60 weeklong retreats, has taken numerous teacher training programs and has co-led retreats with him. Carol has also studied with a variety of other teachers including Francis Lucille, Rupert Spira, Leigh Brasington and Father Thomas Keating.
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You Belong: A Call for Connection
by Sebene Selassie
Join us for an exploration of the book You Belong: A Call for Connection by Sebene Selassie. We begin meeting on the third Tuesday of October, the 15th. We meet monthly on the third Tuesday, immediately following the dharma talk, usually around 7:15 to 8:15 pm. You need to have your own copy of the book and have the first chapter read by the October meeting.
Anyone interested in doing this study of the book, please sign up online here. We ask that you do sign up in order to receive any communication about this meeting. As always at IMFW, all courses are offered freely. Dana is gratefully accepted. This course is offered in person only (no Zoom) at 2332 Sandpoint Road, Fort Wayne, IN.
You can find the book on Amazon here or at Bookshop here.
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