Breathing in, present moment.
Breathing out, only moment.
— Thich Nhat Hanh
The River Oak Sangha has been meeting continuously since 1991. Our sangha is associated with the Community of Mindful Living (CML) and Deer Park Practice Center founded by Vietnamese Zen monk Thich Nhat Hanh, who is also affectionately called "Thay" meaning "teacher."
The River Oak Sangha has a Care Taking Council that meets regularly to plan and guide Sangha activities.
For more information about Thich Nhat Hanh and related organizations, see the Links page.
The River Oak Sangha has a Care Taking Council that meets regularly to plan and guide Sangha activities.
For more information about Thich Nhat Hanh and related organizations, see the Links page.
Our Practice
The word “dharma” refers to the teachings of the Buddha. Dharma practice brings the teachings into our daily activities in order to promote wellbeing and happiness for ourselves and others.
Dharma practice consists of three mutually-supporting elements:
- Ethical behavior in mind, speech and body (sila)
- Meditation and mindfulness practice (samadhi)
- Study, discussion and reflection leading to the realization of insight and wisdom (prajna)
The River Oak Sangha aspires to:
- Be a refuge for dharma practitioners regardless of their beliefs or experience in mindfulness practice.
- Sustain the sangha in a way that supports our practice individually and collectively.
- Practice engaged Buddhism according to our interests and abilities as an expression of generosity (dana) and acknowledgment of inter-being.
Community Involvement
The River Oak Sangha:
The River Oak Sangha:
- Is a member of the Shasta County Interfaith Forum (SCIF).
- Participates in various community events. In addition to Sangha events, we participate in annual SCIF events (Interfaith Thanksgiving Service, Inviting the Sacred, and Floating the Lanterns) and other community events (Multicultural Celebration, Earth Day, and MLK Day).
- Contributes to the Voices of Faith column published every Saturday in our local newspaper, the Record Searchlight.
- Has donated books and magazines to the Redding Public Library.
To view a word cloud for this web site, click the thumbnail image below.
