If you are interested in attending our Introduction to Buddhism and Meditation Class at the Mindful Heart Buddha Sangha, please register by stating your intention in an email to mindfulheart@gmail.com

For information of the Sangha or the classes please call (812) 434-6643.

Mindful Heart Buddha Sangha is offering an Introduction to Buddhism and Meditation Class which will consist of three sessions on the following dates and times:

> Sunday September 11 4:30-5:45pm
> Sunday September 18 4:30-7:00pm
> Sunday September 25 8:00am to 1:00pm (mini-retreat & potluck) Led by Mary MacGregor

• All are welcome to participate at no charge.
• The mini-retreat on the final class session is open to all, not just participants in the
introduction class.
• To register for the class please go to mhbsangha.com and click on the classes tab.

For more information email us at mindfulheart@gmail.com or call (812) 434-6643.

This past weekend John (who is a leader at the Mindful Heart Sangha), took the 58 Brahmajala precepts and was ordained as a priest in the Five Mountain Zen Order at the Chua Tu Bi temple in Kansas City Missouri.
Congratulations John!!

Past members Katelyn Sandy and Caleb Tomlinson visited us back in June and talked about their 2 month long Insight Meditation retreat and their practice. They sent this photo of themselves with renowned meditation teacher Sayadaw U Pandita after completing their 60 day meditation retreat at Panditarama Forest Center. Katelyn’s parents studied with U Pandita, and she grew up calling him her Dhamma Grandpa. He has recently died. Sayadaw U Pandita was one of the foremost masters of Vipassanā. He trained in the Theravada Buddhist tradition of Myanmar.

For more information about the retreat center, click on this link saddhamma.org. Also Panditarama.net and tathagatameditationcenter.com have links to reading and practice information.

Mindful Heart Buddha Sangha raised $855 to help Habitat for Humanity build a home in partnership with a local family. This particular project is a joint effort between Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus, Unitarian Universalists, Humanists, and Buddhists. The Sangha greatly thanks the seven people who donated. More information will be forthcoming about how you can help to actually construct the home.

There is still time to contribute to our sangha’s fundraiser for this year’s Interfaith Habitat Build. If you want to be a part of this, please send a check to Mindful Heart Buddha Sangha and write “Interfaith Habitat Build” on the memo line. Local Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, Universalists, and Humanists are working together to raise money and then build a home with and for a local family who is in need of a decent and affordable place to live. Our sangha’s financial part of the Build will wrap up at the end of June by our sending a check from Mindful Heart Buddha Sangha to Habitat of Evansville. Hopefully soon, but after a total amount of $80,000 has been raised from all the groups, a schedule of workdays will be published. Stay tuned for more information. It will be a fun project!

FYI: Families receiving Habitat homes sign a 25 to 30 year contract to pay for their home. They also invest 300 hours of sweat equity before they move into it. These homes are affordable because the loans are interest free, much of the labor is done by volunteers, and the homes are energy efficient. The money from the homeowners’ payments actually goes forward to building a home for someone else, because their homes have already been paid for by donors…like you.

Past members Katelyn Sandy and Caleb Tomlinson are returning to the sangha for a visit on Sunday June 5th at 6pm. After the regular 40 minute sitting they will talk about their 2 month long Insight Meditation retreat and their practice. Finally there will be light refreshments and time to visit. All are welcome.

Practicing Compassion and Generosity through the Interfaith Habitat Build

Last year Habitat for Humanity of Evansville formed an Interfaith Advisory Council. This council’s mission statement is: We are dedicated to providing affordable housing through interfaith builds, advocacy, and awareness. We will model interfaith understanding and cooperation where people of all faiths and beliefs are celebrated and integrated into the community. In 2015 this interfaith council worked closely to build its first annual home for Aireal Hall and her daughter, Olivia. This group is currently raising money to build the 2016 Interfaith Habitat Home.

The Mindful Heart Buddha Sangha has received a generous gift of $500.00 from a member to be contributed in the name of our sangha to the 2016 Interfaith Habitat Build of Evansville, in hopes of encouraging other sangha members to contribute to this project in the sangha’s name. There will also be opportunities to do the hands-on work of building the house or preparing food for the workers, but this will be posted after the fund raising portion has been accomplished. At the end of June, the Sangha will send a check in the total amount it received for the “Interfaith Build” to Habitat of Evansville. If you would like to contribute, send a check to The Mindful Heart Buddha Sangha, writing on the memo line, “Interfaith Habitat Build.” (The contribution is tax deductible.) Participating in this project is a good way for the Sangha to help build a home for a deserving family, form new friendships with people of diverse backgrounds, and help build a stronger and more vibrant community. This is an opportunity to practice compassion and generosity in a very tangible way in our local community.

On May 5, 2016 Mary Lee McManus represented the Mindful Heart Buddha Sangha for the National Day of Prayer Ceremony held at the Four Freedoms Monument in Downtown Evansville. The ceremony celebrates the unity and the diversity of all religions in the United States.