Everything changes, nothing remains without change.
-- The Buddha
Upcoming events, seasonal events, and past events for the River Oak Sangha are listed below.
The most common events are local retreats sponsored by the River Oak Sangha in Redding or by our sister sangha, the Slowly Ripening Sangha, in Chico. Local retreats are a wonderful opportunity to deepen your practice and your connection with sangha.
If you have never attended a retreat before, please consider the opportunity of attending local retreats. Also, please consider volunteering to help set up for River Oak Sangha retreats or hosting out-of-town attendees.
If you can travel to attend retreats, there are a number of retreat centers whose websites and retreat schedules you might want to check out. These include:
Deer Park Monastery Escondido, CA (Thich Nhat Hanh's Tradition)
Shasta Abbey Mt. Shasta, CA (Soto Zen)
Sonoma Mountain Zen Center near Santa Rosa, CA (Soto Zen)
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Woodacre, CA - Bay Area (Vipassana)
Mountain Stream Meditation Center Nevada City, CA (Vipassana)
If you have never attended a retreat before, please consider the opportunity of attending local retreats. Also, please consider volunteering to help set up for River Oak Sangha retreats or hosting out-of-town attendees.
If you can travel to attend retreats, there are a number of retreat centers whose websites and retreat schedules you might want to check out. These include:
Deer Park Monastery Escondido, CA (Thich Nhat Hanh's Tradition)
Shasta Abbey Mt. Shasta, CA (Soto Zen)
Sonoma Mountain Zen Center near Santa Rosa, CA (Soto Zen)
Spirit Rock Meditation Center Woodacre, CA - Bay Area (Vipassana)
Mountain Stream Meditation Center Nevada City, CA (Vipassana)
Insight Retreat Center Santa Cruz, CA (Vipassana) (Payment by dana)
Other retreat centers can be located using the online directories listed on our Resources page. Also, you may wish to check the websites of some of the regional practice centers listed on our Links page since they also may sponsor retreats periodically.
Other retreat centers can be located using the online directories listed on our Resources page. Also, you may wish to check the websites of some of the regional practice centers listed on our Links page since they also may sponsor retreats periodically.
Upcoming Sangha Events
River Oak Sangha events will be posted when they are scheduled.
Seasonal Events
Seasonal events at the River Oak Sangha include traditional Buddhist holidays as well as holidays from other traditions. We typically celebrate the following seasonal events in our Wednesday night meetings.
January – New Year
In honor of the new year, Wednesday nights in January include various Beginning Anew practices including letting go of what no longer serves us, setting intentions for the coming year, and creating soul collages to remind us of our intentions.
February – Sangha Day
Sangha Day, also known as Magha Puja, occurs on the full moon day of February. It commemorates the spontaneous gathering of 1250 enlightened followers of the Buddha to whom the Buddha taught the Ovada Patimokkha: To avoid all evil (non-harming, sila), to cultivate good (kindness and compassion), and to cleanse one's mind (practice meditation and develop wisdom). Sangha Day is a time to celebrate the support and refuge of sangha and spiritual friendship (kalyana mitta). We celebrate by wearing white, reciting sangha vows, and holding candles while circumambulating an outdoor labyrinth.
May - Buddha Day
May - Buddha Day
Buddha Day, also known as Vesaka Puja or simply Vesak, occurs
on the full moon day of May. It commemorates
the birth, enlightenment, and death (final nirvana) of the Buddha. We honor this occasion with special readings
and ceremonies including bathing statues of the Buddha. We also share rice pudding to remember the meal offered by a village girl to the Buddha before he achieved enlightenment.
August – Dharma Day
October – Festival of the Hungry Ghosts / Dia De Los Muertos
Near Halloween, we combine the Buddhist festival of hungry ghosts with the Mexican tradition of dia de los muertos (day of the dead). We remember our spiritual and blood ancestors with recitations and poems and share photographs of our beloved dead on a special altar.
December – Bodhi Day
Dharma Day, also known as Asalha Puja, occurs on the full moon
day of August. It commemorates the day when the Buddha's first sermon "setting the wheel of Dharma in motion" was delivered to his first five disciples in the Deer Park at Sarnath. This sermon is the first time the Buddha
taught the Four Noble Truths. Asalha
Puja also marks the coming into existence of the Triple Gem, consisting of the
Buddha (teacher), Dharma (teachings), and Sangha (disciples). We commemorate this day by reading from and
discussing the Buddha’s first sermon.
October – Festival of the Hungry Ghosts / Dia De Los Muertos
Near Halloween, we combine the Buddhist festival of hungry ghosts with the Mexican tradition of dia de los muertos (day of the dead). We remember our spiritual and blood ancestors with recitations and poems and share photographs of our beloved dead on a special altar.
December – Bodhi Day
On or near December 8th, the sangha celebrates Bodhi Day (Enlightenment Day) by releasing sky lanterns from the Sundial Bridge after our regular Wednesday night meeting. Click here to view pictures from the 2011 event. Gassho and thank you to Marilyn for her low-light photography.
December – Winter Solstice
On or near the Winter Solstice (December 21st), we have a special Wednesday night celebration including readings, recitations, singing, and sharing seasonal poems and food.
December – Winter Solstice
On or near the Winter Solstice (December 21st), we have a special Wednesday night celebration including readings, recitations, singing, and sharing seasonal poems and food.
Past Sangha Events
The River Oak Sangha has hosted a number of half-day, full-day and weekend retreats, workshops and seasonal celebrations
We have also been fortunate to have hosted or attended retreats led by a number of other visiting teachers including Lyn Fine, Chau Yoder, Larry and Peggy Ward, John Travis, nuns from Thay's Order of Interbeing, and David Brazier and Caroline Brazier of the Amida Trust.
We have also been fortunate to have hosted or attended retreats led by a number of other visiting teachers including Lyn Fine, Chau Yoder, Larry and Peggy Ward, John Travis, nuns from Thay's Order of Interbeing, and David Brazier and Caroline Brazier of the Amida Trust.
