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We are a Theravada Buddhist community based in New Haven, Connecticut that seeks to create an inclusive space for all to learn about and practice meditation. |
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Dear Sangha,
This Saturday, May 23, from 10:30 am to noon, we will hold a Simple Sit at the New Haven Free Public Library and online via Zoom. A Simple Sit is a day when we meditate for a longer period with minimal instruction.
Join us in person at the New Haven Free Public Library or online by clicking below:
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In Person and Online FREE Retreat, May 30
"This Insight Dialogue retreat will hold the context of the Four Noble Truths."
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Rohini ~ Wandering Star
You don’t become the cloth
just because you put on robes.You don’t turn into empty space
just because you carry a bowl.The sun doesn’t bow down.
Trees don’t throw flowers at your feet.
Birds don’t start answering when you call.The Path will hold even the biggest mistakes.
The Path will make room for even your deepest regrets.But you don’t become
the cloth of the robe
overnight.It can begin very quietly.
Something you barely even notice.Like the touch of water on your skin,
like a knife in a drawer,
like the next five minutes—
unless they’re your last.The Path isn’t a line on a map.
It’s a great shining world.
Enter wherever you like.You might get thrown back once or twice,
but if you push through
the outer layers—
oh, my sisters,
then
you will know
the true welcome
that is the very essence
of the Path.
The First Free Women: Poems of the Early Buddhist Nuns, Matty Weingast
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Embracing Sangha, Meditation, and Love in Hard Times – Wisdom from Thich Nhat Hanh
By Sarah C. Beasley, Buddhistdoor.net, Nov. 2024
I have written before about the power of mantra, visualization, and the camaraderie we find in the sangha. All of these resources are more important now than ever, but I also wish to underscore the vitality of love, humor, and joy. Thich Nhat Hanh, known to his followers as Thay, was a major proponent of Buddhism in action and an advocate for love—expansive love. Love is something that we give and that we enact; love is a verb. Love is hardest to enact toward those people or events we fear, despise, or do not understand. Therefore, it is even more powerful when we can do so and do so bravely.
I have been reading quotes from Thay’s book Teachings on Love to my parent meditation group. These folks want to talk about parenting, the highs and lows, and especially the unknowns. No one receives a handbook on how to parent and none of us receives a guidebook on how to be human or how to navigate this human journey interpersonally.
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ECI Weekday Morning Sits
- Community meditation
- Monday through Friday, 7:30–8:30am
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Sangha NOTES
Dana
Dana, the practice of generosity, supports teachers in continuing practice and the lineage of Buddhist teachings. If you benefit from these practices and from this community, please consider supporting us. Dana is currently used to support our website, arrange visiting dhamma teachers, help to feed the New Haven community in need, and support the New Haven Free Public Library in gratitude for their generosity in providing our Saturday meeting space.
The easiest way to contribute is through this link where you can make a donation via Venmo or with a credit or debit card (via PayPal, no account required). Alternatively, if you want to send a check, please address it to:
Elm Community Insight
PO Box 6195
40 Putnam Ave
Hamden, CT 06517
Volunteering
We are seeking volunteers to assist with future Saturday Sangha meetings, including setting up, greeting visitors, and providing technical support at the Library. One way to help is to arrive early at the Library (~10:10 am) to help set up the room for Saturday Sangha. Thank you!
Community Resources
Annette Szczesiul is the Sangha's Goodwill Ambassador: if have a need for concrete support (e.g., dog care, food, furniture moving) or emotional support (e.g., going through a hard time, would appreciate check-ins or visits), please reach out to her for coordination at annettesaid22@gmail.com.
For supportive telephone conversation, warm lines are another resource. These phone lines are staffed by people with expertise in providing mutual aid. A list of Connecticut's warm lines is available here.
Our Community
Find more information about us, learn more about community meditation resources, or subscribe to our newsletter, visit our website at: elmcommunityinsight.org
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