Bowing to my capacity to awaken,
I aspire to practice
for my benefit and the benefit of all.
for my benefit and the benefit of all.
Entering the Meditation Hall
If you attend a Wednesday night meeting of the River Oak Sangha, we ask that you please:
- Do your best to arrive on time. If you enter late, please take a seat as quietly as possible. Chairs, meditation cushions and meditation benches are available for seating.
- Remove your shoes in the entry area before entering the main meditation hall.
- Observe noble silence until the dharma discussion period.
Noble Silence
We typically practice noble silence at the beginning of the evening, so we may not greet first time visitors or guests until later in the evening.
Bowing
Bowing is a traditional and optional practice for showing respect.
We bow when entering or leaving the meditation hall. We may bow to greet other sangha members during noble silence. We bow during dharma discussion to indicate when we would like to speak or when we have finished speaking. We bow to conclude the evening.
To bow, we place our hands in front of our hearts, join the palms of our hands together to form a lotus bud, and bend from the waist.
During some rituals, we may choose to bow or do full prostrations, which are referred to as "touching the earth."
As with all practices, feel free to participate as you feel comfortable.
Inviting the Bell of Mindfulness
The bell master for the evening indicates transitions between activities by inviting the mindfulness bell to sound. Bells start and end the evening, sitting meditation, walking meditation, and dharma discussion. The bell may also be invited during a guided meditation. The bell is invited during recitations. And sometimes, after a comment during dharma discussion or simply randomly, the bell master may invite the bell to remind us to pause for mindful breathing or deep listening.
Dharma Discussion
During dharma discussion, we practice mindful speaking and deep listening. We discuss our experiences with and questions about meditation practice and how to apply the benefits of mindfulness to everyday life. When not engaging in discussion, we practice noble silence and enjoy our breathing. Everyone is welcome to join in dharma discussion, even if it is your first visit.
Announcements and Closing
After dharma discussion there is an opportunity for announcements. We conclude our practice for the evening by inviting the bell and reciting a closing dedication.
Dana
You may notice a small box near the entry of the meditation hall labeled "Dana."
We typically practice noble silence at the beginning of the evening, so we may not greet first time visitors or guests until later in the evening.
Bowing
Bowing is a traditional and optional practice for showing respect.
We bow when entering or leaving the meditation hall. We may bow to greet other sangha members during noble silence. We bow during dharma discussion to indicate when we would like to speak or when we have finished speaking. We bow to conclude the evening.
To bow, we place our hands in front of our hearts, join the palms of our hands together to form a lotus bud, and bend from the waist.
During some rituals, we may choose to bow or do full prostrations, which are referred to as "touching the earth."
As with all practices, feel free to participate as you feel comfortable.
Inviting the Bell of Mindfulness
The bell master for the evening indicates transitions between activities by inviting the mindfulness bell to sound. Bells start and end the evening, sitting meditation, walking meditation, and dharma discussion. The bell may also be invited during a guided meditation. The bell is invited during recitations. And sometimes, after a comment during dharma discussion or simply randomly, the bell master may invite the bell to remind us to pause for mindful breathing or deep listening.
Dharma Discussion
During dharma discussion, we practice mindful speaking and deep listening. We discuss our experiences with and questions about meditation practice and how to apply the benefits of mindfulness to everyday life. When not engaging in discussion, we practice noble silence and enjoy our breathing. Everyone is welcome to join in dharma discussion, even if it is your first visit.
Announcements and Closing
After dharma discussion there is an opportunity for announcements. We conclude our practice for the evening by inviting the bell and reciting a closing dedication.
Dana
You may notice a small box near the entry of the meditation hall labeled "Dana."
This box is for donations to support the River Oak Sangha: to pay our rent for the Meditation Pavilion, provide retreat scholarships, bring teachers to Redding to deepen our local practice, donate books and magazines to the public library, periodically donate to a designated local charity, or other worthy purposes.
Dana is the Buddhist term for generosity, the practice of giving without expectation of receiving anything in return. We may practice dana with our money, our time, or our efforts.
Traditionally, when Buddhist teachings were given by monks or nuns, they were given without expectation of return. Since the teachings are priceless, they are given freely.
Those who received the teachings practiced dana by supporting their teachers, giving generously in accordance with their means as an expression of gratitude for the precious teachings which they had been privileged to receive.
Dana is an expression of gratitude, but it is also done in a spirit of kindness and compassion for ourselves so that we do not feel compelled to give beyond our means or compare ourselves to what others are giving. Thus, how we choose to give or not give dana becomes a mindfulness practice illuminating what it is that we value in our lives and what we feel able to do at any given moment to support those values.
