Triangle
Insight
Meditation
Community
July 2020
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No culture has yet solved the dilemma each has faced with the growth of a conscious mind: how to live a moral and compassionate existence when one is fully aware of the blood, the horror inherent in all life, when one finds darkness not only in one's own culture, but within oneself. If there is a stage at which an individual life becomes truly adult, it must be when one grasps the irony in its unfolding and accepts the responsibility for a life lived in the midst of such paradox.
There are simply no answers to some of the great pressing questions. You continue to live them out, making your life a worthy expression of leaning into the light.
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An Online Coursera Course with Certificate
A Shramadana Initiative
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Upcoming
Karen
Bluth and Laura Prochnow Phillips
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Ongoing Classes and Programs
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Now on Zoom
2nd, 4th Tuesdays
Now on Zoom
1st and 3rd Tuesdays
All are invited,
contact Robert
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Triangle Insight
Meditation Group
s
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All levels of meditation experience are welcome and the teachings are offered free of charge, with donations accepted to cover costs of using the facility and to support the study of the teachers.
In this time of continuing uncertainty, Triangle Insight is committed to offering a safe and stable refuge for the Sangha as a whole.
Until we are able to meet again at the Episcopal Center, Triangle Insight will use
Zoom for meditation meetings and for study or social group activities. Please refer to the Zoom information below.
This new way to connect is evolving through practice and compassion as we look inward and outward for the clarity that vipassana practice will bring.
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Schedule:
Information about participating in all sessions will also be posted on the
TIMC website
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Wednesday Evenings
6:30 - 8:00 PM
July 1: Ron Vereen
July 8: Scott Bryce
July 15: Emily Burke (Guest Teacher)
July 22: Phyllis Hicks (Insight Dialogue)
July 29: Sarah Bryce (Guest Teacher)
August 5: Jean Hamilton (Guest Teacher)
August 12: Scott Bryce
August 19: Sarah Gardner (Guest Teacher)
August 26: Phyllis Hicks (Insight Dialogue)
Monday and Thursday Morning Meditation
7:00 - 7:45 AM (click
here for more info)
Zoom locations to be emailed.
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Zoom connections are emailed one day before the
Wednesday evening sangha (meditation and dharma talk, or insight dialogue) and the
Morning Meditation sessions (meditation and heart practice).
If you would like to receive an invitation to one or both Zoom meditations, please subscribe to the relevant form on our
Schedule webpage, or send an email to
info@triangleinsight.org and tell us the Zoom list(s) you would like to join.
To receive this monthly newsletter, please complete the newsletter subscription on our
Newsletters webpage, or send your request to us, at the
info@ email above.
If you would like to change any part of your subscription(s), please email us directly and we will make this change for you.
Episcopal Center at Duke
(when safe to gather in person)
505 Alexander Ave.
Durham, NC 27705
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Triangle Insight Welcomes You
Welcoming Committee News
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Sangha means spiritual community, and it is treasured because without it awakening cannot be sustained."
Jack Kornfield,
After the Ecstasy, the Laundry
The Welcoming Committee wishes to foster the experience of belonging to a diverse, tolerant community connected through mindfulness practice, where all feel welcome and safe. We seek to link all members and newcomers to ongoing activities and to ensure the Zoom connection is available.
- We have developed a brochure to give an overview of our sangha and some of its activities. You can
- Someone from the Welcoming Committee will remain on the Zoom connection at the end of Wednesday evening sangha meetings, should anyone have a question or want to talk about a sangha-relevant topic.
- A Welcoming Committee member now monitors the all-purpose email: info@triangleinsight.org to answer questions about the sangha, newsletter subscription, teacher availability, and Triangle Insight's meeting schedules. If we don't have an answer, we will put you in touch with someone who does.
- If you would like to join the Welcoming Committee as a dana gesture of support for the Triangle Insight Community, please let us know through the still-active email: welcome@triangleinsight.org.
With shared commitment to the dharma, we hope our work will be of benefit to all who join us in this practice.
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Scholarship Support for Training Programs and Workshops in Racial Justice and Diversity Engaging Buddhist teachings and real-world issues |
Aligned with our efforts to engage Buddhist teachings with real-world issues, the TIMC Board would like to offer financial assistance to sangha members who wish to participate in training programs or other activities designed to address racial conditioning, implicit bias, and racial inequality.
A General Scholarship Fund for this purpose exists through donations from the TIMC General Fund and the generosity of several Triangle Insight members.
In previous years, this Scholarship Fund has helped offset registration fees for some Sangha members who attended the anti-racism
training program offered by the non-profit, Organizing Against Racism NC. It also supported the participation of TI members in a 3-day Mindful of Race workshop with Ruth King.
White Awake
is another organization that holds ongoing courses. They are currently conducting an online study group that has filled, and is now closed, but will be offering more online programs in the fall.
If sangha members would like to receive scholarship support for training with OARNC, White Awake, or other programs addressing racial injustice
, please email the Board at
board@triangleinsight.org
.
We are also interested in your suggestions for other training programs that might be of interest to sangha members, including training in climate-related problems.
- The goal of this scholarship initiative is to help individuals and the community deepen their understanding of how unexamined views of race can limit the mind and human systems.
For questions about this initiative, if you would like to be considered for a scholarship, or wish to contribute to the Scholarship Fund, please connect with us by email:
board@triangleinsight.org.
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Behind-the-Scenes DANA Who's Doing What (a growing list)
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YOGA for JUSTICE,
a fundraising class in gentle yoga
led by
Marci Lew,
Certified Yoga Instructor and TI Sangha member
On Saturday July 18th (Nelson Mandela Day)
3:00-4:00 PM on Zoom, with link provided following donation
Marci's desire to actively support and be an ally to the Black Lives Matter movement inspired her to use her talent for teaching yoga to benefit the Freedom Fighter Bond Fund, a project that provides bond money and legal defense costs for activists facing arrest and legal jeopardy for causes related to racial, social, gender, economic, and environmental injustice." The Freedom Fighter Bond Fund is a timely project of Emancipate NC, a Durham-based non-profit whose mission is "Dismantling Structural Racism and Mass Incarceration Across North Carolina."
All Yoga for Justice registration fees will support the Freedom Fighter Bond Fund.
- Contact person for this event: Marci Lew
Your dana inspires us and we want to get your ideas posted.
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Recent Dharma Notes and References A place to source material from recent dharma talks
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In future months we hope to provide notes and references from Dharma talks on our website so this material can reach you more quickly.
With many thanks for their generous response, the Insight Meditation teachers for Wednesday evening sanghas in June have provided an extensive list of their working materials. Please have a look at the
June 2020 Dharma Notes document for Notes from these teachers:
June 17, Francesca Morfesis (Guest Teacher)
June 10, Scott Bryce
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Buddhists Help Get Out the Vote
Please be reminded
The Triangle Insight Board wants you to be aware of an open letter penned by Buddhist leaders on May 13th, encouraging Americans to vote in the upcoming elections, along with other steps that may be taken related to this effort. We fully endorse and wish to disseminate this message as much as possible.
An Open Letter to Buddhist Communities |
This is a truly critical time in American society. We are in the midst of a global pandemic, financial collapse, climate change emergency, and approaching a November election that threatens to exclude many eligible voters. As Buddhist teachers and leaders, we recognize that every vote and voice needs to be heard to help guide the next years of our society wisely.
A mutual caring community is one of the central teachings of the Buddha. In these times so marked by divisiveness and a lack of compassionate leadership, many of you have wondered how you and your whole community can help move us in this direction. Here are two crucial activities to encourage for everyone in your community:
❖ Register to vote; and sign up for an absentee ballot: You and your community can do this through Vote.org. Over thirty states now have no-excuse absentee voting, and many others are considering allowing COVID-19 as a valid excuse.
❖ Get your friends and family to register, sign up for an absentee ballot, and vote.
FOR MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO ACT in Voter Registration and Support, please read the full CALL with the names of 100+ Buddhist leaders, published in full on Tara Brach's website.
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Contract Tracing CoVid 19
A Coursera Course with Certificate,
online and fully subsidized
Still Open, with full
scholarship
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Earn a Certificate in Contact Tracing, and help reduce the spread of Coronavirus
COVID-19 Contact Tracing
is a 5-part, online course offered through Coursera.org and Johns Hopkins University. This course and certificate are FREE through June 31st, thanks to BloomberPhilanthropies.
The course delivers basic but well informed knowledge about the virus in short, very clear lecture segments; it details how tracing can be done effectively, with special attention to ethical considerations, to provide the skills needed for actual contract tracing.
Length of time: approximately one hour per segment, or one week overall.
Click on this LINK to register for both course and certificate of accomplishment. All fees are covered by Bloomberg Philanthropies.
[
I have completed and personally
recommend
this course, Leah Rutchick]
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Caring Circles
A Sangha Support Initiative
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To keep the Sangha connected and strengthen the bonds of our shared practice, several years ago Triangle Insight created a mechanism for the exchange of services called Caring Circles. Although we have not often used this initiative of the currently inactive Shramadana Project, the time has come to revive it to our mutual benefit in the face of coping with COVID-19 uncertainties.
Now, as then, its goal is to offer a simple means for members of the Triangle Insight community to request aid for everyday concerns from a roster of other members who wish to volunteer their assistance as a form of dana service.
Assistance can take as many forms as there is need, such as:
- Grocery shopping or prepared meals
- Laundry help, if no machine available
- Help with transportation to grocery store
- Pick up Rx or other items
- Connect by telephone, Zoom or another safe means to talk, listen, and just share time
- Computer fixes that may be done remotely
- Lawn care that may be needed
- Supplement toys or other diversions for children.
When the sangha returns to the Episcopal Center, you will still be able to email requests. You also can put your request in a box on the bookshelf (back hallway), or hand it to either coordinator.
Responding to a Request
Upon receiving a request, a coordinator will verify the information with you if necessary, then send it to the list of Sangha member volunteers. Anyone on the list may contact you to discuss your request. Specific plans are entirely up to you.
Please note in your initial communication if the request is of a sensitive nature; the coordinator will make special arrangements with you.
Caring Circles coordinators welcome your requests.
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- At least two weeks prior to the month in which you wish your announcement to appear, submit new items to info@triangleinsight.org.
- New requests submitted in the last week of any month may not be accepted if time is a factor in preparing a final copy.
- Changes to existing entries may be incorporated if submitted early in the last week of any month.
- Entries that have not been updated since COVID may be removed. All authors are encouraged to update their newsletter entries and to resubmit, including TIM committees and groups.
- Keep the text crisp and short, but include important details and attachments. Instead of longer texts, refer the reader to websites for additional information.
- Indicate how many months you want your entry to be published, and
- Stay in touch with updates if any specific details change. You are responsible for calling in changes and end dates for ongoing classes, groups or other continuing entries.
- Special circumstances may require adjustment of the deadlines indicated here; early submission is a best practice and helps the newsletter editors determine where, how and if the item submitted shall be published (please see #1 in the Guidelines).
- Please contact us through info@triangleinsight.org and include "Newsletter" in your subject line. We will help you get your item published.
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Postponed until December 4-6th
Resonant Body, Spacious Awareness:
The Synergy of Continuum and Mindfulness Practice
A Non-Residential Retreat
with Sabine Mead and Ron Vereen
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For more information about the teachers, please click on the following links for
Sabine Mead
and
Ron Vereen
.
For additional information, please go
here.
Friday, Dec. 4th - Sunday, Dec. 6th
Fri., 7-9 pm, Sat., 9 am -5:30 pm, Sun., 9 am - 4:30pm
Cost: $145 (partial scholarships offered on need basis)
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Retreats are announced in this space when offered and available
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TIM SPIRITUAL FRIENDS GROUPS
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Having admirable people as friends, companions, and colleagues is actually th
e whole of the holy life.
- The Buddha
Our Kalyana Mitta and Racial Affinity groups are small peer groups of individuals who are committed to supporting one another in their practice and spiritual journey.
In her article,
Belonging: Polishing the Third Jewel - Sangha
,"
Ruth King notes that,
". . . we need each other to wake up, to know intimately whether our practice is actually our practice. We discover this from our relationship to life and to each other. . . . Your practice is not just about you or your individual awakening; your practice is about how you benefit (or not) the quality of our collective - of sangha."
This is the heartfelt intention of our Kalyana Mitta and Racial Affinity groups, in which we are committed to our own path, to the spiritual growth of all members, and to the awakening of the larger community.
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Known as RAGs, Racial Affinity groups allow people to deepen self-awareness around issues of race in small, racially homogeneous groups. As we face our long history of systemic racism and violence against people of color, RAGs provide a safe space where members can integrate the dharma into their exploration of racial belonging and racial habits of harm.
Waking up to the realities of racial legacy, conditioning, and systems is a challenging process, and the acceptance we bring each other, as well as our shared understanding of the dharma, help us to heal and act more skillfully in the world.
To support this process, groups follow Triangle Insight's
Mindful Sharing Guidelines
and
Ruth King's Racial Affinity Group Guidelines
.
If you are interested in joining a Racial Affinity group or would like more information, please contact Beth Lauderdale, our RAG Coordinator. She can be reached at
marybethboswell@yahoo.com
.
Helpful articles and other resources are available on our
Racial Affinity Groups
web page.
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We currently have openings in three Kalyana Mitta (KM) Groups: Insight Dialogue, Secular Dharma, and Raleigh.
The Chapel Hill-Carrboro and Durham Young Adults groups each have a waiting list.
Details about each group are on the "
List of KM Groups" web page.
If you would like more information or want to join a group, be on a waiting list, or start a new group, please speak with Sarah Tillis, KM Coordinator, or write Sarah at
sarah@triangleinsight.org.
Information about the KM program is available on the KM web page.
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The KM-RA Coordinating Team of Sarah Tillis, Beth Lauderdale, and Tamara Share expresses deep gratitude for the dedication of our sangha. May our Kalyana Mitta and Racial Affinity groups be of great benefit to all.
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NOTES and REPORTS from the TIMC BOARD
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Notes from the TIMC Board
The board is engaged in several mini-retreats to continue the work done with our facilitator. We appreciate the sangha's patience as we continue this work, which we hope will support us in better serving the sangha and the wider community.
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Information about the Board
may be found on the TIMC Board of Directors webpage
, including Board members' names, contact information, meeting information, and relevant links.
Board meetings will be open to non-Board attendance, with scheduled time provided for specified presentations from Sangha members. If you have questions about Board procedure at this point, or have a topic for the Board to consider, please contact us using the emails below.
TO CONNECT WITH THE BOARD
Keep in mind these two email addresses:
Your input is always welcome on matters concerning the Sangha and its activities. Please send us your questions, concerns and new ideas. Let us know, and we will respond. You are welcome also to contact me at
leah@triangleinsight.org
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MINUTES from TIMC BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETINGS
are available on the
Board webpage.
The most current Minutes will be posted when approved by the Board at the next meeting. Upcoming Meetings will be announced at least two weeks in advance on the TI website and by email to the Newsletter subscription list.
Leah Rutchick,
TIMC Board Chair
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Please
send your suggestions, ideas for what you would like to find on the website, and other website concerns
to our Board email: board@triangleinsight.org, or to me,
-Leah Rutchick
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Triangle Insight Meditation FB Group
on Facebook
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TIM now has a Facebook Group where members can post information updates, ideas and articles pertaining to our practice, and events of interest to the Sangha. This is a private FB group, viewed by members only.
VISIT the website and request membership, here.
Yes
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- you also need to be a FB member, and if you click on the website link, you will see another link to create a FB account.
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UPCOMING CLASSES and EVENTS
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Making Friends with Yourself: A Mindful Self-Compassion Program for Teens,
with
Karen Bluth, PhD and
Laura Prochnow Phillips, MA
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August 3 - 27
Online class for teens age 12-15
Mondays and Thursdays from 4:30 - 6pm
Zoom invitations will be sent to participants upon registration.
For more information and to register, please visit this website.
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Previous and recently started "Upcoming Classes and Events" may be found in earlier issues of the TIMC Newsletter HERE on our website
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TIM PROGRAMS and COMMITTEES
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The Shramadana Project
A Volunteer Initiative
of Triangle Insight
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NEW
The
Caring Circles Initiative is being revived, and is ready to receive requests for assistance from Sangha members. See above for information.
HISTORY
The Shramadana Project (SP) has been a volunteer initiative of the Triangle Insight Meditation Community to address some of the interests for connecting within the sangha and for outreach to the community-at-large.
This project has outgrown its current form and now needs to evolve into a more meaningful structure. Some activities including Media Night, workshops and retreats would fit well with a "Programs Committee," yet to be formed. Other volunteer opportunities might better fit with a group or committee for "Engaged Buddhism" or "Community-at-Large Activities," or others yet to be created.
ARCHIVE
Past activities, meeting minutes and the list of community organizations for the SP are available on the
SP webpage.
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If beings knew, as I know, the results of giving
and sharing, they would not eat without having given...
-the Buddha
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The Practice of Insight Dialogue
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Insight Dialogue is an interpersonal meditation practice and is offered at Triangle Insight once monthly, usually on the fourth Wednesday of the month. It brings the mindfulness and tranquility of silent meditation directly into our experience with other people. The new website for Insight Dialogue is an excellent resource for learning more about the practice:
www.metta.org.
The evening begins with silent meditation practice, followed by gentle mindful movement, and then shifting into dyad practice where interpersonal mindfulness is explored with a partner in response to a contemplation that is offered. The dyad practice is optional so that anyone who chooses to remain in silent practice may do so, rather than shifting into dyad practice. One can investigate the guidance of the contemplation internally, noticing the moment by moment unfolding of internal experience. Also note that the ID practice goes from 6:30 to 8:30 PM to allow for more spaciousness and time for questions. We hope you will be able to join us.
Fourth Wednesdays
(unless otherwise indicated)
Triangle Insight, Episcopal Center at Duke 6:30 - 8:30 PM
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OTHER SITTING OPPORTUNITIES
During this period of COVID-19 limits, please contact the individual or organization for alternative meeting arrangements
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Triangle Insight
Morning Meditation Group -- Now using Zoom platform
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This early morning sitting group led by Ron Vereen meets Mondays and Thursdays from 7:00 - 7:45 AM. The group begins with silent, unguided practice, with Ron giving a guided heart practice during the last 10-15 minutes. There is no charge for participation, and donations are accepted. For more info contact Ron at
ron@triangleinsight.org
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Zoom invitations will be emailed to those who have subscribed to the Morning Mediation list. Please contact Ron at the email above to be added to the list, or subscribe through the appropriate
web form on our website.
When we resume meeting in the Episcopal Center:
*Important note:
Only four parking spaces in the parking lot at the Episcopal Center are designated for our use at this hour and are clearly marked. Overflow parking can be found on the west side of Alexander Ave.
Monday and Thursday Mornings Episcopal Center at Duke 505 Alexander Ave. Durham, NC 27705 7:00 - 7:45 AM
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During this period of no or limited social assembly, if you are interested in any of the following sitting opportunities, please contact the individual or organization to determine its status or alternative arrangements
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Teacher: Callie Justice
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Dharma Friends Community offers a range of groups and events designed to support everyone from newcomers to seasoned practitioners. Drawing on Early Buddhist sources, these groups focus on teaching core practices in a way that relates to the needs of each individual participant in an open welcoming environment.
Durham Friends Community Meditation Hall
Located near the NC Science and Math in Durham.
Dates: n/a Cost: donation
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Mindful Families of Durham
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Currently consisting of ~ 16 families, this group is dedicated to creating a warm, loving community for parents and children to learn and practice together. Adults meet for one hour for meditation and discussion, while the children learn about meditation and Buddhism in Sati School with our marvelous (non-parent-member) teachers.
For more information, visit:
Mindful Families of Durham Sunday Mornings 10:30AM-12:00 noon For info please contact admin@mindfulfamiliesofdurham.com
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Tuesday Nights
7:30 - 8:30 PM Chapel Hill Zen Center 5322 NC Hwy 86 Chapel Hill, NC 27516
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Buddhist Meditation Community at Duke Universit
y
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The
Buddhist Meditation Community at Duke provides the opportunity for currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students to learn about Buddhist teachings and practice meditation. Our Monday evening meetings include quiet meditation, group study and discussion, and we regularly host local Buddhist teachers from across traditions to share their teachings with the group. Morning meditation on weekdays is also available. We are a culturally diverse student group that welcomes the curious, beginners, experienced Buddhists, and those of other religions equally. We deeply value the role of friendship and community in supporting a thoughtful spiritual path of wisdom and compassion.
Open to Duke University Faculty, Staff, and Students
Mondays from 7:00-8:00 pm in the
Wellness Center, Rm 148/149 on West Campus.
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In addition to Triangle Insight, there are a variety of other meditation opportunities of which we would like for you to be aware. Rather than list them all here, we wanted to point you to the "l
inks" section of our website at
Triangle Insight
. There are other sitting groups in the community whose practice is similar to ours, as well as resources for retreat centers and other websites, both locally and nationally. We do not offer an endorsement of these sites, but rather a suggestion for your exploration to see if any may have useful information to support your practice of insight meditation.
For any questions please contact us at
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ONGOING CLASSES and PROGRAMS
Unless indicated, please contact the individual or organization for alternative meeting arrangements
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xxx
Men's Sharing Group
Now using Zoom platform
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New Start Time: 6:30-8:00PM
This
group is open to ALL
MEN regardless of their tradition or path, or affiliation with the Triangle Insight Meditation Community. Our intention is to hear each other's interests, c
oncerns, and ideas about forming and sustaining a
group
, all while getting to know each other. There will be a short period of meditating. A couple of us will help moderate the discussion initially but going forward, the leadership could be something collaborative,
shared
by all participants. It's a work in progress.
At its core, the group should be a space where men can share from their hearts about their experiences being men, following a meditative path -- and offering support to one another along the way.
Some dana to defray expenses is welcome, but, of course, optional. Let us know if you think you'll attend.
2nd and 4th TUESDAYS, every month
6:30-8:00PM, now on ZOOM platform
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x x
Engaged Buddhism Group
Now using Zoom platform
The Engaged Buddhism group is open to anyone interested in how we connect our interior spiritual journeys to the world we live in. We welcome a diversity of opinions and experiences.
Our meetings will focus on sharing, affirming, and supporting one another. Each meeting begins with a short meditation period, followed by lightly facilitated discussion. You are also invited to bring something of significance to you to place on the altar for the evening.
We are now meeting on the second and fourth Thursday of each month
from 6:30 - 8:00 pm in the Conference Room of the Episcopal Center at Duke.
Organizers: Karen Ziegler, Marilyn Hartman, Rich Bell and Robert Seyler
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2nd and 4th THURSDAYS, every month
6:30-8:00PM, now on ZOOM platform
RSVP
for ZOOM Information
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Mindfulness Awareness Training
with Tamara Share, PhD
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T
amara Share will be offering an ongoing group for developing skills in mindfulness awareness practices. The group will meet twice monthly, and is open to those 18 years of age and older. A pre-group consultation is required, and you may contact Tamara at 919-442-1118. T
he cost is $45/session if pre-paid in 6 session blocks ($270), or $60 if paid per session (sliding scale available).
Tamara L. Share, PhD is a Counseling Psychologist with more than 20 years of training and experience in human development, group facilitation, and personal growth. Tamara's diverse background includes education/training in physics, psychology, wellness, philosophy, and complementary approaches to healthcare.
2nd and 4th Thursdays
HRC, Behavioral Health and Psychiatry 100 Europa Dr., Suite 260, Chapel Hill 27517 4:45 - 6:00 PM
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Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Classes & Events
at Duke Integrative Medicine
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Please click on the following link for a variety of programs related to the practice of mindfulness:
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at UNC Integrative Medicine
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Please click on the following link for a variety of programs related to the practice of mindfulness:
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