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Two sits to end the week! Keep Holding the Date, October 24
Published 11 days ago • 6 min read
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.
Dear Sangha,
This Saturday, October 10, we will meet online only at 10:30 am.
It looks like this beautiful fall weather is going to stay with us for a few more days, so Lee will once again host a Sunrise Sit this Friday morning at East Haven Town Beach (150 Cosey Beach Avenue).
Sunrise is just before 7:00 AM, and we’ll gather around 6:30 AM, sitting together as the morning light begins to emerge. We’ll likely conclude around 7:15, but please feel free to come or go according to your own schedule. There’s no need to confirm your attendance—just come if you can.
Afterward, anyone who would like to linger a little longer is invited to join us for coffee and breakfast at Twin Pines Diner (34 Main Street, East Haven). It’s a lovely opportunity to continue the morning together, share some conversation, and enjoy the beginning of the day.
We hope you can join us for this simple and beautiful way to practice together—quietly welcoming the morning, the changing season, and one another.
And if you can’t make it to the beach, no worries! Our regular weekday online sit will still take place on Zoom at 7:30 AM.
We look forward to sitting together, wherever you join us.
** Don't forget it is cool and windy. Bring layers and a cushion or blanket for the benches to stay warm.
Food Program Volunteer Sought
We are looking for ONE great volunteer to join our feeding program who can join us for approximately 90 minutes, alternate Tuesday mornings, with a vehicle. The person should be able to lift a case of bottled water.
If you are interested or have questions please contact Lee at lee3bar@gmail.com.
In the context of a Buddhist community, volunteering is a freely given gift of one’s time and labor that supports people’s ability to learn and practice the Dharma, and develop supportive practice relationships with others in the community. The Buddhist word for “volunteering” is seva, meaning “support,” “service,” and “assistance.” The English word, “volunteering” reminds us how we serve, i.e., freely from generosity. The Buddhist word, “seva” emphasizes that volunteering is for the sake of benefiting others selflessly.
"Often, wholesome and unwholesome motivations for volunteering coexist."
There is a dynamic interplay between developing one’s wholesome qualities as a volunteer and volunteering in unselfish ways. This interaction makes volunteering an invaluable arena for Dharma practice. The selfless part of volunteering does not mean we can’t personally benefit; it means we learn to let go of unhealthy attachments and unwholesome motivations while growing in wholesome inner qualities and healthy forms of community kinship. Growing in joy, happiness, goodwill, wisdom, and freedom are some of the personal benefits of volunteering.
"Friendship ripens and deepens our capacity for compassion."
These days we talk a lot about “relationships.” The word usually suggests romantic relationship, but we might also mean our connections with parents, children, siblings, and colleagues. But we don’t hear so much about friendship.
Yet friendship may be the most wonderful form of human relationship. Emerson called it “the masterpiece of Nature.” That we and our friends can communicate intimately with one another and support each other unselfishly come what may—this truly is a masterpiece of Nature, and one of our brightest human achievements. It is also, I believe, our best hope in troubled times. When things are tough, having a trusted friend to help shoulder the burden makes survival not only infinitely more possible, but also much lovelier.
The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination, known as Pratītyasamutpāda in Buddhism, represent the foundational blueprint of how suffering and rebirth occur. Rather than being a set of moral commands, this teaching maps out the precise psychological and existential chain of cause and effect that binds individuals to the cycle of existence.
While it is distinct from the general concept of karma, the two are deeply intertwined, as the twelve links illustrate the exact mechanism through which karmic actions are generated and experienced. Understanding this intricate framework is considered essential for identifying the root causes of human suffering and ultimately achieving liberation.
The 12 Links show the exact psychological mechanism of how karma works.
The chain it describes operates like a wheel, where each link gives rise to the next:
Ignorance (Avidya) – Not understanding the true nature of reality (The Four Noble Truths).
Mental Formations (Samskara) – Volitional actions or impulses; this is where karma is actively created.
Consciousness (Vijnana) – The spark of awareness that connects one life to the next.
Name and Form (Namarupa) – The mind and body developing in the womb.
The Six Senses (Shadayatana) – Sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and the mind.
Contact (Sparsha) – The meeting of a sense organ, an object, and consciousness.
Feeling (Vedana) – The immediate physical or emotional sensation (pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral).
Craving (Trishna) – The desire to hold onto pleasant feelings or push away unpleasant ones.
Clinging/Grasping (Upadana) – The intensification of craving into a mental attachment.
Becoming (Bhava) – The shaping of a new existence or identity based on that attachment.
Birth (Jati) – Entering into a new life or a new state of being.
Old Age and Death (Jara-marana) – The inevitable decay, grief, and suffering that follows birth.
An in-depth talk from Joseph Goldstein about how this blueprint keeps the wheel of rebirth spinning is available at Dharma Seed. Just click the link below:
Would you like to add your feedback to the Sangha Survey? It isn't too late. We really want to hear from you. Of course, your response is the one we are missing out on. Head to the website and click the link.
To sign up and join the parent dharma group...
Keep an eye out for any last minute changes in our events and activities!
Day Long Updates for October 24th
Sadly, we will not have DaRa to join us for Saturday, October 24. She needs to support her family's demanding schedule at this time.
Please keep your calendar marked for an event. We will keep this newsletter and the website updated.
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
Melanie Stengel 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 by clicking here: SanghaGoodwillAmbassador. 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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