WHAT IS A SANGHA?
“Sangha” means “the community of monks, nuns, novices, and laypeople that follow the Buddha’s teachings.” It is our spiritual community–a group of people who are on the same path. As a Sangha we are a support and a refuge for one another. In fact, Sangha is one of the Three Refuges of Buddhism, along with the Buddha–not only the historical teacher, Buddha Shakyamuni, but also our own enlightened Buddha-nature–and the Dharma, which are the teachings of the Buddha.
SANGHA SITS
Monday, October 19, 2026
9:00 a.m. IN PERSON at The Body Based Mindfulness Center
and 5:30 p.m. on ZOOM:
MEETING ID: 826 8659 1987==PASSCODE: 065090
AND
Thursday Evening, October 22, 2026
5:30 p.m. IN PERSON at The Body Based Mindfulness Center
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This week we ‘ll discuss Stephen Batchelor’s book Buddhism Without Beliefs and the impact this book has had over the past few months. On page 77, Bachelor writes, “Everything that happens emerges out of what preceded it. Everything we do now becomes a condition for what is possible later. We may speak of conditions and consequences as though they were things, but if we look more closely they turn out to be processes with no independent reality… They interconnect and interact, each contingent on the others, no one of them intrinsically separate from the rest.”
HERE’S THE ZOOM INFORMATION FOR MONDAY AT 5:30:
MEETING ID: 826 8659 1987–PASSCODE: 065090
[https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82686591987?pwd=Ny9zU2JscVlaZDZoNjFOTHNja0dMZz09]
THE BODY BASED MINDFULNESS CENTER, WHERE WE MEET IN PERSON ON MONDAY AT 9:00 A.M. AND THURSDAY AT 5:30 P.M., IS LOCATED AT: 1414 N. NEVADA AVENUE, COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80907.
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80907.
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OCTOBER SELF-DIRECTED METTA, KARUNA AND SYMPATHETIC JOY PRACTICE
For the month of October, we will practice self-directed Lovingkindness or Unconditional Friendliness (Metta), Compassion (Karuna), Sympathetic Joy (Mudita). This month we have added self-directed Equanimity (Upeksha). These are the Four Divine Abidings. This will be the Four Divine Abidings for ourselves–exclusively… everyday. Again, practice as long as feels comfortable and possible. Practice at any time. Practice whenever you feel the need to offer yourself Lovingkindness, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy, or Equanimity.
Metta is wishing for our happiness. Compassion is wishing that we will be free from suffering. Mudita is wishing that we experience joy in our own joys. What a concept! Equanimity is a state of even-mindedness, not taking a side against anyone or anything. Allowing “things” to be as they are with loving acceptance. Again, What a concept! Equanimity is the epitome of the “Middle Way.”
May I be at peace. May my heart be open. May I know the joy of my own true being. May I be healed. May I be a source of healing in the world. May I know love.
INDIVIDUAL DHARMA TEACHINGS
DURING THE WEEK, I OFFER 30 TO 60 MINUTE INDIVIDUAL DHARMA TEACHINGS EITHER IN PERSON OR ON ZOOM. PLEASE CONTACT ME FOR DETAILS AND APPOINTMENT TIMES.
We meet IN PERSON on Monday mornings at 9:00 a.m. at The Body-Based Mindfulness Center, and on ZOOM on Monday evenings at 5:30. We also meet on Thursday evenings IN PERSON at 5:30 at The Body-Based Mindfulness Center, 1414 N. Nevada Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80907.
