#TheSuchnessofSangha – Page 2

on refuge + resistance | surviving to sustain skillful action

Revolution is not a one-time event.
It is becoming always vigilant for the smallest opportunity
to make a genuine change in established, outgrown responses;
for instance, it is learning to address each other’s difference with respect.
We share a common interest, survival, and it cannot be pursued in isolation
from others simply because their differences make us uncomfortable.

We know what it is to be lied to.
The 60s should [have taught] us how important it is not to lie to ourselves.
Not to believe that revolution is a one-time event,
or something that happens around us
rather than inside of us.
Not to believe that freedom can belong to any one group of us
without others also being free.
How important it is not to allow even our leaders to define us to ourselves,
or to define our sources of power to us…

Each one of us must look clearly and closely
at the genuine particulars (conditions) of his or her life
and decide where action and energy is needed
and where it can be effective.
~ Audre Lorde

Post-Women’s March Deep Refuge + Restoration Circle
yesterday, we marched.
today we rest, take deep refuge and restore ourselves in the full embrace of sangha
to rise up and take action again.
~t. scott-miller

sangha study schedule

Join us in February, as we complete our three-month journey along the Noble Eightfold Path with a study the faculties of Skillful Effort, Skillful Mindfulness, and Skillful Concentration. The following month, we’ll deepen our contemplation of Justice, Liberation, and Healing — the focus of our annual call-to-action, March Mindfulness — and close out our winter series with a special full-day workshop on the topic on 3/19. View: Upcoming Practice Dates.

special sangha event [1/22]: deep refuge + restoration circle

Harnessing the energy and light of the Women’s March in Washington as well our very own March on #LoveLansing, Sangha will draw closer together to shine our beacon of refuge, resistance, and restoration.

Living Into Community, Building Our Capacity with the Noble Eightfold Path.

11 am – 12:30 pm | Meditation + Dharma Discussion

12:30 – 2:00 pm | Feast + Fellowship Circle

We gather at Heartdance Studio – 1806 E. Michigan Avenue. Doors open just before 11 am. Centering begins at 11:10-ish.

RSVP/UPDATES: 3 Jewels Yoga Sangha

Other Community Events:

14 January – National Day of Action for Flint | Capitol Building

17 January – Our Dream: Lansing United | Lansing Center

19 January – Ghostlight Project | Peppermint Creek Theatre

21 January – Children’s Social Justice Reading Group | East Lansing Public Library

21 January – Women Organize Michigan Summit

the eightfold path: on skillful speech, skillful action + skillful livelihood

Sangha is studying how we “live into community” and the purpose of gathering as spiritual friends to build our capacity for skillfulness and resilience. To that end, we’re contemplating the Eightfold Path as a set of embodied practices that help us develop wisdom, ethical action, and various faculties that support our meditation.

The Eightfold Path is the fourth of the 4 Noble Truths:

There is Suffering.
There are Causes of Suffering (craving/attachment).
There is an End of Suffering.
The Noble Path is the End of Suffering.

The wisdom pair of Skillful Understanding and Skillful Thinking carries us to gates of the three ethical actions where we may examine how silence and discernment give shape and dimension to:

Skillful Speech — What we choose to say, how we choose to say it, and when we choose to say it. Speech is a form of action (the cause of karma) that is fueled by the quality of our understanding, thinking and intentions. It may be guided by factors that create a more skillful impact (the effect of karma) in the world.*

*(I use world here to encompass our daily encounters with people, places, and all manner of things.)

Skillful Action — How we choose to respond to the world as embodied in our conduct (direct/indirect; personal/interpersonal; private/public). The behaviors/activities we engage in and abstain from that reflect the quality of our understanding, thinking, and intentions.

Skillful Livelihood — I am compelled to expand livelihood beyond its common denotation as the work we do to earn a living. This is also coupled with a desire to suss out the snares of privilege and shame that arise when we narrow in on ethical employment without considering socio-cultural and economic factors that influence where and how we work. Looking deeply at the root meaning of the word itself unearths a broad view of how we cultivate our “way of life” and includes all the choices/actions we make to nourish and sustain a sense of living well (values, interests, experiences and relationships). Our livelihood then reflects and is informed by the quality of our understanding, thinking, intentions and actions.

Our contemplation draws on Audre Lorde’s essay, The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action:

What is the quality and impact of our silence?
Where does our silence show up as fear or avoidance?
When can it cause harm? When can it be a tool for healing?
Where can it be shaped into a tool of resistance — a healthy boundary to guard against toxic communication? A way of standing in our commitment to non-violent, compassionate action?
In what ways do we use meditation and practices of discernment as skillful means to transform silence into skillful speech and skillful action?

other liberating actions of the eightfold path

on skillful understanding + skillful thinking
on skillful effort, skillful mindfulness + skillful concentration

words to live by | omid safi

“Let us mourn the ending of one world together, even as we anticipate the arrival of other, more joyous worlds to come.

Let us not suffer in the shadow, alone.

Let our grief be as public and shared, loved and supported, as we insist our joys be.

There is healing and redemption in that togetherness.”

~Omid Safi

Read the full column at the On Being blog: If Community Were A Safe Place to Fall Apart

special event | mindfulness immersion

3jewels-immersion

This special event provides an opportunity for newcomers to learn about the foundations of our practices and for continuing practitioners to receive a refresher. There will be a chance to share insights, challenges, basic techniques and tips, and to ask questions. Enjoy the full experience or participate in either our regular Sunday morning session or the afternoon’s orientation and refresher.

UPCOMING DATE: DECEMBER 18

ALL ARE WELCOME!
Open to those of all faiths + philosophies + religious traditions who wish to cultivate compassion + skillful understanding.

FOUNDATIONS OF PRACTICE
Sitting Meditation + Group Reflection Rooted in the Zen tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh.

♥ Who We Are, Why + How We Practice: 3 jewels yoga sangha
___________________________

FLOW OF PRACTICE

#WHOLYHAPPYHOUR | 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
Welcome | Centering + Introductions
Call to Mindfulness | Sharing Intentions/Aspirations
Guided Meditation + Silent Practice
Dharma Discussion
Closing/Transition

#IMMERSION | 1:00 – 3:00 PM
Food + Fellowship
Orientation to Foundational Practices — walking meditation, sitting meditation, and the criteria for skillful communication.
Q+A — on foundational practices and sangha’s current study series.
Closing

Some cushions/chairs are available. But if you have your own “sit upons” (cushions/benches/blankets), please bring them!
___________________________

DANA/DONATION: $5 – $10
In the Buddhist tradition, contributions are made as a practice of generosity and are joyfully accepted to help sustain the community. Practitioners are welcome to give as they are able — whether donating money, time, or other skillful resources.
___________________________

RSVPs REQUIRED:
Via Facebook – Select “Going”
Via Email – tara@3jewelsyoga.com
___________________________

PARKING:
Heartdance is located at 1860 E. Michigan Avenue and has a parking lot around the corner on Leslie Street — look for the RED posts. Street parking is also available on Leslie.

wisdom files

This is a living “library” comprised of suggested readings for Sangha and the frequently-referenced texts used in our practice, which I have also linked throughout my various writings over the years. It is certainly not intended to be comprehensive.

Rather it reflects my personal approach to this spiritual path of study and practice — informing what I teach and how I facilitate the rich conversations that support our learning and growing together as a spiritual community.

Foundational Wisdom Teachings

3 Jewels/3 Refuges: The Buddha, The Dharma, The Sangha

— The Three Jewels | Buddha 101
— Taking Refuge | Plum Village
— The Three Refuges (Audio) | Plum Village

4 Noble Truths: There is Suffering, There are Causes of Suffering, There is an End of Suffering, The Noble Path is the End of Suffering

— The Buddha’s Four Noble Truths | Sylvia Boorstein
— True Love + the 4 Noble Truths | Thich Nhat Hanh
— What Are the 4 Noble Truths? | Melvin McLeod

4 Foundations of Mindfulness: Contemplation of Body, Contemplation of Feeling, Contemplation of Consciousness, Contemplation of Mental Objects

— Embodied Practice: 4 Foundations of Mindfulness | 3 Jewels Yoga
— Embodied Practice: Sutra on Mindful Breathing | 3 Jewels Yoga
— Transformation and Healing: Sutra on the Four Establishments of Mindfulness | Thich Nhat Hanh

5 Mindfulness Trainings: Reverence for Life, True Happiness, True Love, Loving Speech + Deep Listening, Nourishment + Healing

— 5 Mindfulness Trainings | Plum Village
— For A Future To Be Possible | Thich Nhat Hanh
2 versions: Commentaries on the 5 Mindfulness Trainings [1993]
Buddhist Ethics in Everyday Life [2007]

5 Spiritual Faculties: Trust, Wisdom, Mindfulness, Concentration, Diligence
— Perspectives on the 5 Spiritual Faculties | 3 Jewels Yoga

8-Fold Path: Skillful Understanding, Skillful Intent, Skillful Speech, Skillful Action, Skillful Livelihood, Skillful Effort, Skillful Mindfulness, and Skillful Concentration
I have a particular fondness for the use of the word “skillful” here; various translations of the Buddhist Canon also describe these eight practices of the “Middle Way” as “right” or “wise.”

— Contemplations on Skillful Understanding + Thinking | 3 Jewels Yoga
— Contemplations on Skillful Speech, Action + Livelihood | 3 Jewels Yoga
— Contemplations on Skillful Effort, Mindfulness + Concentration | 3 Jewels
— The Eightfold Path | Buddha 101
— The Way to End Suffering | Bhikku Bodhi
— Discourse on the Middle Way | Plum Village
— Beyond the Self: Teachings on the Middle Way | Thich Nhat Hanh

The Dhammapada

— Annotated + Explained | Max Müller + Jack Maguire
— Access to Insight
— BuddhaNet
— Gil Frondsal

Insights on Practice + Study

On Sangha + Spiritual Friendship

Works by Zenju Earthlyn Manuel

— Tell Me Something About Buddhism

Works by Thich Nhat Hanh

— Breathe, You Are Alive!
— Friends on the Path: Living Spiritual Communities
— Living Buddha, Living Christ
— Zen Battles: Modern Commentary on the Teachings of Master Linji
[alternate title: Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go]

Related Eastern Wisdom Teachings

Bhagavad Gita
— Annotated + Explained | Shri Purohit Swami + Kendra Crossen Burroughs
— Stephen Mitchell

Tao Te Ching
— Annotated + Explained | Derek Lin
— Stephen Mitchell

Radical Bodhicitta Reading History

In 2014, I facilitated a community-based dialogue entitled Toward Wholeness on the intersections of spirituality, identity (ability, race, culture, gender, sexuality) and embodied awareness. Sangha deepened its inquiry and study of our complex embodied experiences with the study of Zenju’s book, The Way of Tenderness, in the winter of 2015. Contemplations on how we are seen, heard, felt, understood, cared for and supported — and cultivate the capacity to extend such care to others — have become integral to Sangha’s practices of healing, transformation and liberation.

3 Jewels Yoga Sangha
— Body As Nature Series
— Transformative Love Series
— Embodying Refuge, Resistance, Resilience + Radical Self-Expression Series

Buddhist Peace Fellowship
— Gender Dysphoria and The Dharma
— White Privilege + the Mindfulness Movement

Everyday Feminism
— 9 Ways We Can Make Social Justice Movements Less Elitist + More Accessible
— I’m Not a Person with a Disability. I’m a Disabled Person.

Zenju Earthlyn Manuel
— I Can Breathe: A Meditation Surviving Acts of Hatred
— The Way of Tenderness

Relevant Magazine
— 4 Misconceptions About Mental Illness + Faith
— How Church Can Lead Racial Reconciliation
— Why Are Sunday Mornings Still So Segregated

The Body Is Not An Apology
— Did You Do Any of These 6 Activities Today? Then You Have Class Privilege
— Lucky To Be Alive: The Everyday Ways We Tell People with Disabilities They Should Not Be Here
~ Nobody Bothers To Ask: The Challenges of Being Sexual in disabled/trans/genderqueer/etc..Body

angel kyodo williams
— Radical Dharma
— Social Justice + Buddhism

Tim Wise
— Fighting the Normalization of Inequality

Larry Yang
— Awakening Together: The Spiritual Practice of Inclusivity + Community
— Directing The Mind Towards Practices in Diversity
— Remembering What It Means To Be Gay
— Toward A Multicultural Buddhist Practice

Updated 15 February 2019

beyond asana

If you’re finding 3 Jewels Yoga for the first time or visiting after an absence, you may be wondering where the “yoga” classes can be found.

For 10 years, I’ve been cultivating my teaching practice on the foundations of Movement, Mindfulness + Meditation. Of these three, the movement has transformed the most — expanding from asana-on-the-mat to meaningful movement in our daily life to the dynamic force of gathering as community to generate the energy of mindfulness and embody compassion, skillful understanding and authentic connection.

Over the course of two years, I gradually scaled back my schedule from a full roster of weekly asana (yoga) classes down to seasonal workshops and programs. This was essential not only to discern what I felt most compelled and committed to teaching, but also to honor my long-held desire to homeschool my son. With time and space reclaimed, it became clear to me at the end of 2015 that I had to respond to a deep call to focus on and lift up what first drew me into this practice: its potential to unify, reconcile and restore us to wholeness!

Sri Aurobindo’s adage “all of life is yoga“ has been a centering mantra for my learning and teaching endeavors. As with so many of life’s lessons, we journey through and cycle back to explore, transform, release, refine, and renew our understanding and practice of each of the 8 limbs of yoga. It is how we live fully into the depth and breadth of our human being-ness. We grow and let go, making space for new possibilities.

While I am not eliminating movement-based programs entirely, I have let go of asana as the primary focus of my teaching and am not centering yoga as a fitness/movement format in my public programs. I will continue to offer meditation-focused workshop and will consider requests for private lessons in asana and other movement-based formats. These changes enable me to expand my capacity to hold space for what has deep heart and meaning at this juncture in my life.

In November 2016 (which officially marked my 10th year of teaching), I announced that I would be renewing my commitment to community wellness by exploring professional opportunities to broaden my facilitation skills in health equity and social justice. That decision necessitated changes to the description and design of 3 Jewels Yoga that align clearly with my original vision for teaching. Inspired by Thich Nhat Hanh’s evocative words about the powerful role a Buddhist practice community serves:

3 Jewels Yoga continues as a Sangha —
a Community of Refuge, Resistance + Resilience
for Good Spiritual Friends.

Here’s how you can connect with us and learn, grow, and live into beloved community!

STUDY + PRACTICE IN COMMUNITY:
3 Jewels Yoga Sangha
Workshops

STUDY + PRACTICE PRIVATELY:
Private Lessons for individuals or groups
All Programs + Workshops can be designed for private study.

CURRENT SCHEDULE:
Practice By The Season
Special Events

[updated december 2016]

sangha harvest party

our outdoor practice season has come to a close,
and it could not have been a more beautiful fall day!
the abundance was overflowing: a feast of homemade goodies and raided-refrigerator treats, plenty of laughter, a reflection on how each of us is connected and all the overlapping threads we share, and crafting the harvest of herbs from a friend’s garden into bundles of sage, rose petals, mint and lavender that can be dried into smudging sticks.
excited for all that our new season of practice will bring.

gathered + rooted: a new season of sangha

The 2016 Fall session of the 3 Jewels Yoga Sangha will open on Sunday, October 9 with a deep focus on my oft-referenced endearment (and zen-trendy hashtag), The Suchness of Sangha.

In the Buddhist vernacular “suchness” is the translation of the Pali world Tathātā and seeks to describe the essence of our perceived reality — and all the conditions that make our experience of reality possible — in the moment. It points to impermanence and interdependence. Reminding us that all the elements (people, places, objects, etc.) and our perceptions and responses to said elements in any given moment create a quality of “thusness” or “thatness” which cannot be replicated. Because these very things at this very point in time uniquely converge to form a fleeting experience. It is the vibe, the stuff, all matter seen and unseen, that is gathered and drawn together and felt so deeply. It becomes a knowing, a rooted cellular memory…a dream, an inspiration, the aspiration we seek to nourish.

So we’ll sit in these queries, turn them over, and test them in our daily living:

What is sangha?
How is it formed, nurtured and sustained?
What do we seek in our connection(s) within spiritual community?
What do we contribute?
How are we transformed?
And any number of questions that will emerge from our collective effort to learn and practice cultivating mindfulness together as good spiritual friends.

3jewels.pgulleyquote

Fall Schedule

October 9, 16, 23

10/16 ~ Monthly Mindfulness Immersion
A half-day retreat including our regular #wholyhappyhour practice, food + fellowship, and an Orientation to Foundational Practices — walking meditation, sitting meditation, and the criteria for skillful communication.

November 6, 13, 20

11/13 ~ Special Workshop | Inviting Mindfulness: The Heart at Rest
Following our regular #wholyhappyhour practice, this restorative workshop will introduce an embodied meditation in mindfulness to awaken self-compassion and skillful understanding of the relationship between body, breath, mind and environment.

December 4, 11, 18

12/18 ~ Monthly Mindfulness Immersion*
A half-day retreat including our regular #wholyhappyhour practice, food + fellowship, and an Orientation to Foundational Practices — walking meditation, sitting meditation, and the criteria skillful communication. [*updated on 12/4/2016: new date posted.]

on ground sacred and fertile

I treasure our Sunday practices and our time together on August 7th was all the more special because, for the second year in a row, I was able to spend my new year in the full embrace of Sangha.

After a week full of celebrations with loved ones (and a few more to come!), I am feeling deeply ALIGNED, AFFIRMED and INSPIRED to honor and lift up WHAT I VALUE, WHAT I WISH TO PROTECT, and WHAT I WISH TO LEAD WITH:

fostering compassion, skillful understanding, and connection through this sacred and fertile ground we cultivate in the form of a like-spirited, open-hearted, wise-minded community of practitioners who revel in silent contemplation, take delight in nature, and find refuge in communion with #‎GoodSpiritualFriends‬.
See upcoming dates below!