Please join us for a three class sequence on developing a meditation practice.  The classes will explore meditation practice as a support to living more mindfully.  Also contained in the classes are discussions of basic Buddhist teachings and the role of meditation and mindfulness in the personal investigations of these teachings.  The class will take place February 2^nd, 9^th and 16^th from 4:00 pm to 5:45 pm.  Directly after the February 16^th session there will be a potluck dinner which all are invited to participate.  

There is no fee for the course, but we welcome donations.To register please send an email to: mindfulheart@gmail.com.  It would be useful to the class teachers if you include in your registration email some basic information on your level of experience with the class topics.

Mindful Heart Buddha Sangha will host a residential retreat with Donald Rothberg on May 1-3, at the Sarto Retreat Center in Evansville. The retreat will be centered on the 4 Brahmaviharas: Buddhist Virtues and will begin Friday evening and closing around 2pm on Sunday. Meals will be catered by the Common Ground Community Kitchen. Keep posted for more information to follow.

Please join us for a potluck picnic at Wesselman Park on Sunday October 27 from 4:00 pm until 8:30 pm. We will be in Shelter House #2 North….that’s the one that faces the tennis courts. All are welcome. Please bring a vegetarian dish to share and your own drinks. The sangha will supply plates, napkins, cups, and knives/forks/spoons. At 6:00 pm we will build a fire in the fireplace and have a 40 minute sitting meditation. Bring lawn chairs to use for the meditation. We look forward to seeing you there!

On September 12th, we will begin using a new book to guide our Dhamma talks: Old Path White Clouds: Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha by Thich Nhat Hanh. This book is available for purchase on Amazon, new and used, if you would like a copy. Please reach out if you have any questions.

Please join us for a potluck picnic at Wesselman Park on Sunday October 27 from 4:00 pm until 8:30 pm. We will be in Shelter House #2 North….that’s the one that faces the tennis courts. All are welcome. Please bring a vegetarian dish to share, and your own drinks. The sangha will supply plates, napkins, cups, and plastic knives/forks/spoons.You are welcome to bring a game or Frisbee. At 6:00 pm we will build a fire in the fireplace and have a 40 minute sitting meditation. Bring lawn chairs to use for the meditation. We look forward to seeing you there!

Glenda Hodges Cook and Phil Lloyd-Sidle are leading a retreat entitled “Wholehearted Living” July 24-28, 2019, a silent four-day or weekend retreat on the grounds of the Loretto Community.

It is a retreat with two options:

• Option One — from Wednesday evening July 24 to Sunday noon July 28 — a four-day silent retreat.  The first two days will be devoted to deepening our meditation practice.  The last two days (the weekend) will focus on the “three commitments” or vows in Buddhist practice (mentioned above) that lead us into wholehearted living.
• Option Two — the weekend only from Friday evening July 26 to Sunday noon July 28 — a two-day silent retreat devoted to the “three commitments.”

At this point there are still have a few openings.  If you are interested in this retreat, see the flier attached or go directly to the LVC website: http://www.louisville-vipassana-community.org and click the “Retreats” link.   The deadline for registration is June 30 (not June 15).

Vesak, often referred to as Buddha Day, occurs on the first full moon of May. This holiday celebrates the life (the birth, awakening and death) of the historical Buddha (Shakyamuni Buddha). Please join us on Sunday May 19th, 6 PM to celebrate this important event.

The evening will begin at 6 PM with a potluck dinner. Bring a vegetarian dish or treat to share. Water and tea will be provided. Please join us even if you cannot bring food as there is always enough to share. Following the meal there will be a short sitting period followed by a discussion of the Buddha’s awakening.

The evening also offers the opportunity for individuals to take refuge and precepts. Taking refuge and precepts is a public ceremony that allows one to express their willingness and intent to work with the teachings and practices of the Buddha. Taking refuge means seeking comfort and inspiration in the “Three Jewels” of the Buddha (the physical embodiment and example of the teachings), the Dharma (the teachings on awakening and liberation), and the Sangha (the community of practitioners). The Five Precepts are areas of one’s life, behavior, and habits that have the potential to generate suffering or awakening with which one commits to work. These include working on refraining from killing and supporting life, respecting the property of others and refraining from stealing, being truthful and refraining from lying, regarding all beings with respect and dignity and refraining from objectifying others (especially through sensual misconduct), and working to maintain a clear mind and refrain from harming ourselves and others with intoxicants. Those who take precepts will receive a commemorative certificate. If you have questions about taking refuge and precepts, please contact Rev. Ryongwan Karuna (nirvanasamurai@aol.com) or talk with him at an upcoming weekly sitting. Those who have taken the precepts before but who would like to do so again please let him know so that he can prepare certificates.

A common Vesak practice is to offer flowers, which are placed near the statue of the Buddha. Please feel free to bring flowers if you choose.

We look forward to celebrating with you!

Thank you to everyone who came out and/or donated to the second annual Buddhist Global Relief fundraiser. The night was a great success and we raised over $800 for this wonderful cause. If you did miss out and still wanted to donate, we have a Dana box at the Sangha for cash donations. 

Below you will find information on a small residential retreat in Excelsior Springs with Burmese monastic Sayadaw U Indaka and western lay-teacher Kate Dresher. Space is limited, so if you are interested please reach out soon to retreats.kd@gmail.com. Application and information is available below.

Where and when: Lake Doniphan Retreat Center, Excelsior Springs, MO May 19-26, 2019

You are invited to participate in an 8-day/7-night intensive insight meditation retreat with Burmese monastic Sayadaw U Indaka and western lay-teacher Kate Dresher.

This east-west fusion retreat will support participant’s growth in the contemplation and understanding of the Buddha’s teachings. Sayadaw’s approach is straightforward and clear; his guidance, precise. He will be speaking thru a translator, inviting a broad receptivity. Kate’s teaching will augment and complement, enhancing the supportiveness and accessibility of the retreat.

The retreat will include periods of sitting and walking meditation, Dharma talks, and daily, one-on-one meetings with the teachers. It is suitable for students who are committed to deepening their spiritual practice and inspired by this opportunity. Both beginning and experienced meditators are welcome. Space is limited to 20 and is available on a first-come, first-served basis.