Triangle Insight Meditation Community |
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July 2021 Newsletter
triangleinsight.org
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Our home is the Episcopal Center at Duke
505 Alexander Ave. | Durham, NC 27705 (when safe to gather in person)
Morning meditation: Monday and Thursday
Wednesday evening meditation with Dharma Talk, or Insight Dialogue (below)
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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. Thought now is being given to continuing Zoom meetings in addition to in-person gatherings.
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).
Information about participating in all sessions is posted on the TIMC Website.
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Reopening Triangle Insight: Survey Report and Decision
As many of you know, TIMC sent out a survey on June 20 to assess the interest and willingness of our sangha to again meet in-person at the Episcopal Center. The board is deeply grateful to all those who took the survey, and grateful again for the many thoughtful comments to express personal concerns, suggestions and a great desire to help with the mechanics of meeting at the EC, as well as on Zoom.
After discussing the responses, percentages, and comments, the board found that, as expected, there was enough interest in continuing with Zoom, even after starting to meet at the EC, to support keeping this option going forward. The board is actively pursuing how to make Zoom a permanent part of our sangha experience.
Because the coronavirus pandemic is still active in the larger community and there appears to be a local increase of the Delta variant (with other coronavirus variants possible), the likelihood of infection discourages indoor gatherings, even though it appears many of our sangha are fully vaccinated. WHO and CDC pronouncements on Delta's transmissibility are in flux as more information is analyzed world-wide, but considering the overall connections that our sangha has with the larger community, the board has, with regret, decided to delay reopening in-person meetings at this time. Our promise is to revisit this situation over the summer months and reconsider our status in late August or September, when Duke is back in session and other schools start classes. We will be required to follow both the Duke and Episcopal Diocese guidelines as the building is on Duke property but owned by the Diocese.
Here are a few statistics from the survey:
We sent the survey to subscribers of the Newsletter email list, as well as the two Zoom lists. The total number of surveys sent was 689, with just under half opening the email. Of the 325 recipients who opened the survey, 107 clicked to open the survey, and 82 people thus far responded to one or more of the six questions. About two-dozen survey-openers also left comments where this was available.
The survey remains open until July 3, at 7pm, so these figures are preliminary. However, the statistical average of responders to the number of participants who opened the survey, about 25% so far, was deemed adequate for drawing some conclusions. First, this is what the survey reports:
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Q1 “How likely are you to attend sangha meetings in person…?” demonstrated that 35% of respondents were either Extremely or Very Likely to attend in person, while 27% were Moderately Likely. Nearly 38% were Slightly or Very Unlikely to return in person.
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In Q2, a large majority, almost 64%, replied "Yes" to volunteering for the setup/takedown team.
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Q3 asked about vaccination status. 97.5% of respondents checked they are fully vaccinated. All 82 respondents to the survey answered this question (none skipped).
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When asked, in Q4, if there were one or two additional precautions that might make in-person attendees feel more secure, the vast majority said "No" and, of those who checked "Yes," 16 left thoughtful observations and practical suggestions.
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For Q5, of respondents who indicated in Q1 that they were Slightly or Highly Unlikely to return to sangha in person, 39% pointed to the ease of attending Zoom meetings as their most important reason; 9% had concerns about COVID safety. 18 people left a comment with the most frequent concern being about too many restrictions and specifically, having to wear a mask.
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SCHEDULE
Wednesday Evenings
6:30 - 8:00 PM (Insight Dialogue from 6:30 - 8:00 PM)
July 07 - Ron Vereen
July 14 - Scott Bryce
July 21 - Karen Ziegler (Guest Teacher)
July 30 - Phyllis Hicks (Insight Dialogue)
August 04 - Ron Vereen
August 11 - Scott Bryce
August 18 - Emily Griffith Burke (Guest Teacher)
August 25 - 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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If you would like to receive an invitation to one or both Zoom meditations, please subscribe on our Schedule webpage, or 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 the info email above.
If you would like to change any part of your subscription(s), please email us and we will make this change for you.
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The Practice of Insight Dialogue at Triangle Insight |
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.insightdialogue.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. Note that the ID practice goes from 6:30 to 8:00 pm while meeting on Zoom. When it is possible to resume in-person meetings the time will return to 8:30 pm, to allow for more spaciousness and time for questions. We hope you will be able to join us.
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Reference Notes for Wednesday Dharma Talks
Triangle Insight Meditation teachers invite us to consider these notes to the references they used for their Dharma talks. Please click on links below to see teacher notes for the current month.
June 02 – Ron Vereen
June 09 – Scott Bryce
June 16 – Cornelia Kip Lee (Guest Teacher)
June 30 – Jeff Brantley (Guest Teacher)
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RETREATS and SPECIAL EVENTS |
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Insight Dialogue, an interpersonal meditation practice, brings the Dhamma to life relationally in the body and heart as intuitive wisdom. This online retreat will have spacious periods of silent practice, meditating in dialogue, Dhamma talks, and mindful movement.
Ample scholarships are available for those in financial need.
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THE HEALING JOURNEY, a Wisdom 2.0 webinar for Exploring Trauma, Resilience & Transformation
A Daylong Training Workshop on Collective Trauma, with Thomas Hübl
Thomas Hübl is an internationally known teacher of mediation and core principals from the wisdom traditions. He is the founder of the Academy of Inner Science, as well as the Pocket Project, a non-profit research and study effort dedicated to understanding collective and intergenerational trauma. Hübl is the author of Healing Collective Trauma: A Process for Integrating Our Intergenerational and Cultural Wounds.
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Friday, JULY 16, 2021
Presented by Wisdom 2.0
A LIVE Interactive EVENT
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General Admission
$50.00 + $3.49 Fee
- Sales end on Jul 16
- Select your language
Discounted: Student, Senior, Low Income
$25.00 + $2.24 Fee
- Select quantity
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Discounted: Student, Senior, Low Income
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Event Schedule
The programming will be held over Zoom.
All sessions will be recorded and provided to attendees after the event.
All times listed below are in Pacific Daylight Time (PDT):
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9:00 - 11:15am: Interviews & conversations
11:30 -12:45pm: Small group breakouts
12:45 -1:30pm: Break
1:30 - 4:15pm: Interviews & conversations
4:15 - 5:30pm: Small group breakouts
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Please use these links to visit the website for this information |
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Welcome Committee and TEAM INFO
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.
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Having admirable people as friends, companions, and colleagues is actually the whole of the holy life. - The Buddha
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Kalyana Mitta
As we approach the celebration of Independence Day, we might remember the Buddha’s teaching in the Satipatthana Sutta that, “One abides independent, not clinging to anything in the world.” A beautiful aspect of our practice is that this independence is cultivated not by separation and isolation, but through connection and community.
As Gil Fronsdal notes in Theravada Practice Off the Cushion, “The foundation of the path is establishing healthy relationships with the people around us - dharma relationships. Such relationships inform the deep contemplative practice that we do in a more solitary way. We’re not just doing our practice for ourselves. We’re also doing it in a field of other people.”
Members of our spiritual friends groups have a special opportunity to strengthen this relational foundation. As we practice in a small group of trusted dharma friends, our mindful sharing and listening help all members abide more independently, and we experience the joy and gratitude of sharing our spiritual journey, the radiant third jewel of sangha.
KM Group Openings
Openings in : Insight Dialogue and Raleigh
Waiting Lists in : Chapel Hill-Carrboro and Secular Dharma
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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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Racial Affinity
Racial Affinity groups, known as RAGS, allow people to deepen self-awareness around issues of race in small, racially homogeneous groups.
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. RAGs provide a safe space where members can integrate the dharma into their exploration of racial belonging and racial habits of harm.
The current RA Group coordinator is Beth Lauderdale. Please contact Beth for more information about Triangle Insight's RAGS: marybethboswell@yahoo.com.
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Sangha Support: Caring Circles
A TIM Sangha Initiative connecting and strengthening the bonds of our shared practice.
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Caring Circles offers the Triangle Insight Meditation Sangha a simple framework for requesting and providing services to cope with the uncertainties and needs of everyday life. In this time of the coronavirus pandemic, knowing there is a helping network for sharing and receiving is a great joy and safe haven.
Currently, two TIM Sangha members coordinate service requests with other TIM members who are ready to volunteer their assistance as a form of dana service.
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To request aid, contact Mary Mudd, one of the Caring Circle coordinators, or
In your initial communication, please let us know if the request is of a sensitive nature. The coordinator will make special arrangements with you.
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Financial Support
Scholarships for Training Programs and Workshops in Racial Justice and Diversity
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Our goal:
To help individuals and the community deepen their understanding of how unexamined views of race can limit the mind and human systems.
A Scholarship Fund for this purpose exists through donations from the TIMC General Fund and the generosity of several Triangle Insight members.
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.
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We invite the community to join this initiative by contributing directly to this scholarship fund.
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For your convenience, you may use the dedicated PayPal portal,
Or visit our website
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TIMC BOARD | NEWS AND REPORTS |
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Board Meetings
Cynthia, Leah, Martin and Ron convened a Special board meeting on June 27, 2021, on Zoom. This was Martin Steinmeyer's first meeting as a new director on the board, and 3 people from the sangha also attended. The board called this meeting to discuss the results of the Triangle Insight Reopening Survey, emailed to the TIMC Newsletter subscription list and to the two Zoom meditation lists on June 20. Please see the opening section of this newsletter for a more specific discussion of the survey results.
After some discussion of the survey results, and weighing multiple factors involving institutional, personal and community responsibilities, as well as concerns from the sangha for mask wearing protocols (gleaned from the survey), the board decided to delay in-person sangha meetings at the Episcopal Center (EC) until the danger from the Coronavirus Delta variant and other variants can satisfactorily be assessed. The board's decision will be reviewed over the summer months and will be revisited in the fall (late August/September, coincident with reopening of schools.
Because we will not be using the EC's rooms for several months, it was decided to offer a money donation to the EC in good faith for our eventual return, and as contribution toward their finances. TIMC's annual helping project for the EC was also raised for future consideration as a gesture of community dana.
Other business of the meeting included discussion of questions related to how to continue Zoom meetings after the eventual restart of EC meetings. Martin volunteered to look into this more closely, using some resources Ron offered. Finally, the board decided upon monthly standing meetings, usually on the 3rd Saturday, with some flexibility of date, in case of non-negotiable schedule conflicts. Meeting dates and agenda will continue to be announced on the Events page of the website.
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Newsletter Submission Pointers |
- 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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Under Construction, builders needed |
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This newsletter continues on its journey, looking for responses from you, its readers, on what things it does well, does NOT do well; let us know what you are looking for, and looking forward to. If you are interested in contributing to this newsletter's development and longer-term website development, please get in touch with the BOD (Board of Directors) and consider serving on a communications committee. The direct connection to the board is www.board@triangleinsight.org. Thank you!
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In the meantime, and at any time, send your comments about the newsletter and website to board@triangleinsight.org. You are welcome to contact me directly. At this point I'm designing the product and implementing a suite of new editing features for both the newsletter and the website. As ideas emerge from experience and sangha feedback, these tools may change or be replaced.
With good heart and great hope,
Leah Rutchick, leah@triangleinsight.org
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