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Reaching Out
Greetings
Practicing with the Sangha of the Falling Rain
Dear « name of person » ~
We are happy that you are interested in our practice community. The Sangha of the Falling Rain is approximately located in central Europe, though we have participating members as far east as Vietnam, and as far west as North America. We have a growing amount of online materials and events on our website, from Dharma study, to chanting and singing, to seated and guided meditations. Please be welcome to browse.
Ours is a multi-cultural Sangha, where the common language of non-localized events takes place in English. The majority of our online events are open to everyone, regardless of their level of experience with mindfulness practices or with the Plum Village tradition of applied Buddhism. There is a single Zoom meeting for these events; you can click on an entry in our calendar of activities to launch it. The pass code is 001100. Events are displayed in your local time zone.
We begin and end each day with the Morning Chant and the Evening Chant, followed by a short seated meditation or “Earth Touching” exercise, then a short walking meditation. Those attending from Asia join us in the Morning, while others attending from the Americas attend our Evening Chant. Some of our members prefer to sit in silence, while others enjoy Thích Nhất Hạnh’s guided meditations. We have chosen to offer both: Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday are silent; Monday, Wednesday and Friday are guided. Saturday is a rest day, without a named facilitator, although members of the community are invited to honor the space, and often gather anyway.
Following the practice of the Plum Village monasteries, our Meditation Hall is open thirty minutes before the morning sitting, so that members of the Sangha can arrive gradually and without rush, joining those who are already present. In the morning, we continue the Noble Silence from the night before, accompanied by practitioners from many parts of the world. On Sundays, as a special sitting, we also share the Namo ‘Valokiteśvara chant.
Each Tuesday, we take a short break from our workday to study and discuss the Five and Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings. The Trainings are how we express the ethic of Plum Village practice in our daily lives. It’s a good mirror for our actions, and a roadmap for the coming week. On the first Thursday of each month, during both the morning and evening chant, we enjoy the Recitation Ceremony of all five Trainings, as practiced in Plum Village. The ceremony is not a simple formality, but a renewal of our commitment to live mindful and ethical lives. Similarly, on the third Thursday of the month, we recite the Fourteen Trainings, both morning and evening.
On Wednesdays, we invite all who are interested in Deepening the Practice to join our weekly reading and study group. We read passages of Dharma from one of our teacher’s texts, or a text from the Plum Village tradition, and share our experience of what we read. In this way, we increase our understanding of the Buddha’s practice both in our minds and in how we carry these ideas into our daily lives. During the last three months of the year, our Deepening the Practice meeting accompanies the Plum Village monastics in observing the annual Rains Retreat. We follow and study the Dharma Talks that have been posted to the Plumline Rains Retreat page. Adding a little extra shared practice into our lives as householders, we dislodge habits that are less nourishing, and replace them with practices that make our minds happier and healthier.
On Sundays, the community gathers for Dharma Practice and Sharing. It is perhaps the most welcome and welcoming practice in our extended community. By speaking and listening in mindfulness, without judgment, we create a place of safety where members are free to explore, embrace and transform some of their most difficult thoughts and feelings, guided by the Dharma. Our sharing “family” enjoys the ease of communication and security that comes with many months of personal sharing. To gently care for the energy of that circle, we ask new members to join us in some of our other online practices for a week or two, before joining on Sunday: in this way, we get to know each other, and the circle can be at ease welcoming new members.
If you choose to be added to our mailing lists, we will send (infrequent) information about the Sangha and our tradition in our announcements-only Falling Rain mailing list. Similarly, we will add you to our Sharing the Merit discussion group, where members can share their joys and questions with others. You can easily opt out of either list by clicking a link at the bottom of any message. Let us know if you’d like a different display name than the one included in your email address or contact form.
When you first attend an event, please stay online after the activity has finished, so that one or two of our Sangha members can say hello, and answer any questions you might have. You are also welcome to get in touch via email if you have questions prior to your visit. And, if you haven’t already done so, please let us know your approximate location on the Earth.
We look forward to seeing you on line!
With a smile,
« your name » « your dharma name »
Mailing Lists
Falling Rain (announcements only)
Hello, friend!
Thank you for your interest in the Sangha of the Falling Rain. We have added your address to our general announcements mailing list. Here, you receive infrequent messages that keep you informed of changes and special events within our practice community.
This is not a discussion board, so while replies to the list are received and read, they are not automatically published to the group. We have a specific group called Sharing Merit for community conversations and questions.
You are free! Free to opt out at any time, using the links at the bottom of each message.
We are fortunate to have the support of a Sangha, to be well accompanied in our practice. We look forward to sharing with you!
With a bow,
Sangha of the Falling Rain
Sharing the Merit (community discussion board)
Hello friend!
We have added your address to our Sharing the Merit discussion board. It is named after the Buddhist aspiration for studying, practicing, and offering to others the benefits that we discover for ourselves. Here, we can share ideas and ask questions of our companions in community.
If you have been added with a Gmail account, you can log in to this Google Group to review all discussions to date. Most participants enjoy keeping up with our conversations in their main email account, and can send responses to the group directly using this group email address.
You are free to opt out at any time, using the links at the bottom of each message.
We are fortunate to have the support of a Sangha, to be well accompanied in our practice. We look forward to hearing from you!
With a smile,
Sangha of the Falling Rain
Sangha News
Dear practice community, and dear respected Thầy ~
[ date, some expression of the here and now ]
Please enjoy some news from the Sangha since we last spoke:
Upcoming Events
Highlighted events, calendar changes
New Members
Name of New Member – Location, date
Smiling,
Sangha of the Falling Rain