Upcoming Sangha Activities

Thursday, August 11 8:00 pm Anne Shadle’s House

Outside Under the Stars

We’ll have drinks. Bring a snack to share and lawn chairs!

213 S. Keats Ave. 40206 (South off Payne, 2 blocks from sangha) 502-897-3020

Rain date: Thursday, August 25^th, 8:00 p.m.

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Sangha members, Richelle and David Johnson have a new addition to their family! Evelyn Roseanne Johnson was born on Thursday, July 14 at 11:23 pm. 7 lbs 10.5 oz, born via C section. Congrat's to everyone on the new arrival.

A Day of Mindfulness: "The Dharma of the Country"

POSTPONED: DATE TBA (rain or non-rain)

10:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (meet at our usual meeting place at the League of Women Voters at 9:00 a.m. to carpool)

At Mark Stein's Country Place: Millennium Farm; 6167 East Speed Rd. Milltown, IN

Bring a dish to share. Beverages, plates, utensils, etc. provided.

Sitting, walking in the field and woods, dharma talk: "The Dharma of the Country."

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Directions: I-64 West to Marengo/Leavenworth Exit

Go North or Right on S.R. 66.

6-8 Miles, Right on Speed Road (Look for carpet sign on right.)

1/4 mile on right, (the driveway past the house with the lake on the right.)

cell: 502-897-3020 if you need guidance.

Sunday Meditation and Practice

Come join us for our regular Sunday session at 10:00 a.m. at 115 S. Ewing Ave..

She has Arrived!

Willa Rose Frankenberger, daughter of Jody Held and Jim Frankenberger, was born on Tuesday, August 10, 2010 at 4:01 AM. She weighed 8 lbs 14 ozs and was 22 inches long at birth. We welcome her to the Community and look forward to our first peek at her. Congratulations Jody and Jim!

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A Peace Pole was dedicated to the memory of our dear facilitator, Jon Barnes at Mt. St. Francis in Southern Indiana in the spring of '05.

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Sunset over Africa/Western Europe from the Space Shuttle

Activities of Related Groups and Individuals

Archives (Past Events)

Please join us for a Day of Mindfulness.

Date: Sunday, 29-Aug-2010

Location: Same place as Sangha (115 S. Ewing Ave.)

Lunch: Vegetarian lunch provided.

Fee: Dana offering welcome, but voluntary.

“Every day and every hour, one should practice mindfulness. That is easy to say, but to carry it out in practice is not. That’s why I suggest to those who come to the meditation sessions that each person should try hard to reserve one day out of the week to devote entirely to their practice of mindfulness. In principle, of course, every day should be your day, and every hour your hour. But the fact is that very few of us have reached such a point. We have the impression that our family, place of work, and society rob us of all our time. So I urge that everyone set aside one day each week.” Thich Nhat Hanh

Schedule of Events:

09:00 AM Meditation upon entering

09:30 AM - 09:35 AM Opening, share names, open altar

09:35 AM - 09:55 AM Sitting Meditation

09:55 AM - 10:10 AM Walking Meditation

10:10 AM - 10:40 AM Sitting Meditation

10:40 AM - 11:10 AM Morning Tea/water break in silence

11:10 AM - 11:40 AM Sitting Meditation

11:40 AM - 12:25 PM Set up and eat lunch in groups or individually and clean up

12:30 PM - 12:45 PM Sitting Meditation

12:45 PM - 01:00 PM Walking Meditation

01:00 PM - 01:20 PM Sitting Meditation

01:20 PM - 2:00 PM Afternoon Tea/water break, Dharma Talk and Sharing

02:00 PM - Put everything back in place

A Day of Mindfulness: Sunday, March 22, Mt. St. Francis, Floyd Knobs, Indiana, 20 minutes west of Louisville. Led by Dharma Teacher, Jack Lawlor from the Lakeside Sangha in Evanston, IL.

Jack's practice is deep and strong. He is one of only a few dharma teachers who represent Thich Nhat Hanh in transmitting the five mindfulness trainings.

Jack will lead us in a day of sitting and walking meditation, a dharma talk and other practice exercises. This is a unique opportunity for us to practice in Thich Nhat Hanh's tradition with a skillful teacher. Jack is light and fun, so don't come expecting piety and solemnity ;)

Here's Jack's bio':

Jack Lawlor, True Direction, has been practicing consistently in organized Sanghas since 1975. He has served as President of the Buddhist Council of the Midwest, an association of over forty Buddhist temples and centers. He also served for six years on the National Board of Directors of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship. Jack was ordained by Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh as a Dharma teacher in 1992 at a Transmission of the Lamp Ceremony in the Plum Village practice center in France, and, in addition to facilitating Lakeside Buddha Sangha in the Chicago area, has led numerous retreats and Days of Mindfulness in the American Midwest and northern Rocky Mountain States. In 2002, he collaborated with Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh and practitioners from Sanghas throughout the world to compile "Friends on the Path", a book on Sangha building published by Parallax Press. He has been married for thirty-five years and has two adult children.

A vegetarian lunch will be provided for $8.50 per person (or you can bring your own). 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Please try to plan to attend the entire event. But if you are unable to stay for the entire event, please consider joining us for whatever length of time you can.

Note: There will be no regular sangha sit that day in Louisville.

DIRECTIONS TO MT. ST. FRANCIS

From Louisville:
Take I-64 West (across Sherman Minton Bridge).
Continue on I-64 West (4 miles) to Hwy. 150 West
(Greenville-Paoli) Exit 119.
Hwy. 150 West (2 miles).
Mount Saint Francis is up the hill a mile or so on the left.

Hope to see you there.

Dear Mark,

Thanks for your question about the Five Mindfulness Trainings Ceremony. Let me offer a few observations in response.

The Buddha offered the Five Mindfulness Trainings, in part, in response to questions from lay people about how to live a wholesome life. It's important to recognize that they were articulated in response to a request for help. As such, they provide guidance, and are not intended to be dictates. Several of the Trainings are nearly impossible to practice 100%. For example, it is difficult for us to live day-to-day without inadvertently killing insects and other tiny forms of life despite our best intentions.

In my experience, the Mindfulness Trainings: 1.) enhance our meditation and mindfulness practice by transforming the dispersion in our lives made only worse by unhealthy conduct; and 2.) comprise a form of engaged spirituality: i.e., when we live a life informed by the Mindfulness Trainings, we dwell in equanimity, see things more clearly, and are more equipped to see and understand the impact of our actions on others, providing us insight into what to do and what not to do, and the compassion to conduct ourselves accordingly.

Many conscientious people are reluctant to receive all five Mindfulness Trainings because they may not feel motivated to experiment with changing their lifestyle by, say,

letting go of the use of alcohol. Yet, these same people may feel inspired by other aspects of the Trainings. In this situation, I suggest that people first reflect on whether they are willing to experiment with Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh's interpretation of the Trainings as presented in his wonderful book, For a Future to Be Possible. If the practitioner has a genuine willingness to experiment with all Five Trainings, it can be very helpful to receive all five of them. If a practitioner has no intention of experimenting with Thay's interpretation of a Training, and is -- say -- unwilling to experiment with whether letting go of social drinking helps enhance their clarity of mind or mood, then Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh suggests that the practitioner refrain from taking that particular Training while taking the remaining Trainings, leaving open that the possibility of receiving the remaining Training in another ceremony at another time.

Those wishing to receive the Mindfulness Trainings are invited to send me a letter describing the aspiration leading them to receive the Trainings, whether they'd like to receive all five Trainings ( as opposed to reserving certain Trainings at this time ), and whether or not they'd like to receive a Dharma name. Dharma names are designed to be sources of inspiration; there is no need to change your voter registration or passport!

I hope this is some help!

In gratitude,

Jack Lawlor, True Direction

jlawlor@sonnenschein.com

Dear Mark,
You might want to describe to the Sangha how The Three Refuges are part of The Five Mindfulness Trainings Transmission Ceremony: "I take refuge in the Buddha, the Buddha takes refuge in me; I take refuge in the Dharma, the Dharma takes refuge in me; I take refuge in the Sangha, the Sangha takes refuge in me."

This comprises a public affirmation that you will be mindful of the resources which the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha provide, and what you can contribute in return. It does not, however, in the tradition of Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh mean that the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha must of necessity become your sole spiritual resource. This was brought home to me most strongly when at our 1991 retreat with Thay in Chicago involving 262 practitioners, five Roman Catholic priests received The Five Mindfulness Trainings and took the Three Refuges, one of whom was a Trappist monk in full medieval monastic garb.

        Hope this helps!
        In gratitude,
        Jack Lawlor, True Direction

A Sangha Gathering and Reunion

Saturday, July 19th, 2008

5:00 p.m.-

Mark Stein's Pad

17518 Mimich Way

directions/map

Vegetarian Potluck, Big Screen Movie.

Bring family and lawn chairs.

Gas Saving Carpool from Clifton Center at 4:15 or from Oxmoor to the Right of Von Maur at 4:30

RSVP steinm@bellsouth.net

502-897-3020

Next Day of Mindfulness: Sunday, October 23, Mt. St. Francis, Floyd Knobs, Indiana, 15-20 minutes west of Louisville.

A vegetarian lunch will be provided for $8.50 per person (or you can bring your own). 10 AM to 4 PM. If you are unable to stay for the entire event, please consider joining us for whatever length of time you can.

Note: There will be no regular sangha sit that day in Louisville.

The day will include an outside walking meditation, a dharma lesson on the Diamond Sutra by Tony Glore,
experiential movement meditation, silent sits, a community lunch, singing, chanting, and shared readings.

Everyone is invited to bring one or more of the following offerings:

1) altar decorations (please plan to arrive early to help set up the altar);

2) a snack to share (cookies, dried fruits, nuts, juice, etc.) during our afternoon tea; and

3) any reading that has influenced your practice that you would like to share with the sangha.

Please bring/wear layers of comfortable clothing so that you do not become cold or overheated throughout the day, and bring any sitting materials (blankets and cushions) that you might need.

Please RSVP by October 16 to Jody Held at jodyheld@mac.com or (502) 899-7515.

Directions to Mt. St. Francis: DIRECTIONS TO MT. ST. FRANCIS

*From Louisville:*
Take I-64 West (across Sherman Minton Bridge).
Continue on I-64 West (4 miles) to Hwy. 150 West
(Greenville-Paoli) Exit 119.
Hwy. 150 West (2 miles).
Mount Saint Francis is on the left.

Sangha Members Marvin and Tim Share Pic's and Stories of Travel To Vietnam and Green Mountain Dharma Center in Vermont

The first of two travel logs will be next Sunday, September 18^th, following our Sunday session. Please join us to hear of the travels of sangha members who were fortunate enough to travel Vietnam and to Thich Nhat Hanh’s dharma center in Vermont. Immediately after sangha make your way to India Palace at 9424 Shelbyville Road (just past Hurstborne Lane). We can enjoy a $6.95 buffet in their meeting room and see images, hear of their observations and insights.

Lunch with Kate Adamak: Our dear sangha member, Kate Adamak, who has moved to Alaska is going to be visiting Louisville and joining us for sangha on Sunday, June 19th. Please join us for lunch at a location tba, immediately following sangha.

Planning Meeting- Sunday, June 26, immediately after sangha.

See Postings of Previous Planning Meeting Minutes and Previous Sangha Newsletters.

Sangha Potluck Picnic:

Tom & Chris Eubank invite members, attendees, families, and friends of the the Louisville Community of Mindful Living to a Potluck Picnic on Sunday, June 26, 2005 at 5:00 pm at their home at 3930 Old Brownsboro Rd, in Louisville. (This is near the intersection of Brownsboro Rd and Chenoweth Ln.)

Please bring a homemade vegan or vegetarian entre, salad, desert, relish tray, fresh fruit, etc. If you cannot do so, please come anyway.

Beverages (water, tea, coffee, etc.), plates, and utensils will be provided. Pots of plain brown rice will also be provided.

The dinner will be outdoors, weather permitting. Children are welcome, and games will be available.

If you can easily bring a collapsible canvas chair, please do so to ensure seating for everyone.

Please RSVP to Tom or Chris at (502) 897-2634 or rsvp@afcon.com.

**Regional Day of Mindfulness in Indy: Nov. 13-14. We have just received an invitation from the Mindfulness Group in Indianapolis (Friends of Awakening) to join them for a retreat facilitated by our regional Dharma Teacher, Jack Lawler from Chicago. It will be held Sat. Nov. 13th from 6:30 p.m. (dharma talk and vegetarian dinner) through Sunday, Nov. 14, 7:15 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (breakfast and lunch included)

It will be held at a beautiful home of the Sato's with a wonderful Japanese garden. I attended a similar retreat with Jack at this spot several years ago. The sangha members are welcoming and delightful. It will be a rare opportunity to meet and learn from Jack so close to home. I would suggest that we postpone our sangha reading group for that day (see below) and see if we can carpool together. I will be glad to coordinate this for now. Please send emails with your interest and when you would like to go to me at steinm@bellsouth.net. Phone: 502-897-3020. - Mark Stein

Friends of Awakening Retreat. 4370 Cooper Road, Indianapolis, IN. Contact: Ingrid Sato, ingsat@aol.com, 317-291-1776.

Festival of Faiths

Our Sangha was invited by The Cathedral Heritage Foundation to be a part of the 8th annual Festival of Faiths. The festival began on November 9th with a speech by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and ran through November 18th. We were invited to be part of a museum display featuring "Faith and Justice". Please plan to visit the foundation's museum to view the display that includes The Louisville Community of Mindful Living. Tony Glore (pictured above) created this beautiful display and coordinated the sangha's presence at the festival. The display will be available for other such events.

Engaged Buddhism Resource Dinner

Buddhism and Mindful Social Activism. Our next resource dinner be on Friday, October 24, at 6:30 p.m. at the Wild Oats Natural Foods Store and Restaurant, 4500 Shelbyville Rd. (next to old Hawley-Cooke). The topic is Buddhism and Mindful Social Action. George and Jean Edwards, representatives of the local chapter of the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) will lead us in an exploration of the myriad of local opportunities to do good work for society and ourselves. Bronson Rozier will set up the Buddhist context on the topic and will introduce our speakers. Please confirm name and number attending to Mark Stein at steinm@bellsouth.net.

(Photo's) Local Day of Mindfulness. Our next Day of Mindfulness (DOM) is Sunday, August 24. Hemlock Cliffs in Southern Indiana is the venue.

(Photo's) Day of Mindfulness June 22, 2003. Mount St. Francis in southern Indiana, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.. The theme was interdependent origination.

Day of Mindfulness. Sunday, January 26, 2003. 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. At Thich Hang Dat's new dharma hall and retreat center in Corydon, IN. Photo's, a thank you from Thich Hang Dat, and agenda.

Quarterly Dinner Gathering. Friday, March 7th at 6:30 p.m. at India Palace, 3315 Bardstown Rd. The speaker will be Terry Taylor, Executive Director of the Cathedral Heritage Foundation. His topic will be "The Joys and Challenges of Inter-Religious Dialogue."

Please view and print the flyer attached for more information. If you can post the flyer in your favorite bookstores, coffee houses, and other spots where like-minded folks congregate, we can build turnout. The last one on "Mindful Consumption" drew about 50 people! Flyer.

DOM "Lite": This Sunday, March 30, we will have a 1/2 Day of Mindfulness at Orbis. The extended time will be from 10 am to 2 pm, and we will be having a picnic lunch. Please bring eating utensils, and your own lunch or a cold dish to share with others. If you would like to extend your Day of Mindfulness even more, a group of sangha members will be attending the Museum of Faiths at 5th and Muhammad Ali Blvd for a multi-faith
meditation service at 3 pm the same day.

Join The Louisville Community of Mindful Living for

A Day of Mindfulness: Buddhist Basics

Sunday, September 30^th – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Location: The Rainbow Spiritual Education Center

2701 Lindsay Avenue, Louisville, KY 40206

1/2 mile North of Brownsboro Road, at corner of Lindsay & Hite Avenues

With Special Guests:

Thich Dong Tien – of the Louisville Vietnamese Buddhist Center

And

Geshe Sangay Gyatso – of the Drepung Gomang Institute in Louisville

For both new and continuing practitioners of Buddhism. The day will include:

² The Refuge Chant

² Centering Sitting Meditation

² Heart Opening Movement and Stretching

² Lunch

² Meditation on Happiness

² Walking Meditation

² Teaching on Tibetan Buddhism

² Shared Readings

- bring a favorite poem or short written piece to share

Comfortable, loose fitting clothing is recommended. If you have a sitting cushion or bench, please bring it. A limited number of cushions and mats will be available. Chairs will also available for use.

The Louisville Community of Mindful Living is a lay Buddhist practitioners group where participants help one another live in a more mindful and meaningful way while exploring Buddhist teachings in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hahn, as well as other great teachers.

Tune In

One of our facilitators, Jody Held, will be a contestant on the game
show Wheel of Fortune on Friday, November 28, which is the day after
Thanksgiving. It airs on WLKY at 7 PM.

And a Sangha Holiday Party

What? Sangha Party (organized by Jackie Thomas)

Where? My house, 3622 Windward Way, Louisville (near Bowman Field)

Who: You OR ....... you and your spouse, partner, friend, etc.

When? Saturday, Dec. 6, from 7:00 p.m. until..... ?

Why? To put joy and equanimity into action!

To bring? Something fun to eat. I'll furnish major snacks and beverages.

For more information about this retreat, or the Louisville Community of Mindful Living, call 259-5373.