The fourth annual BuddhaFest will be here soon! We hope you’ll join us June 20-23 for another wonderful four days of films, talks, meditation and music. This year you’ll be treated to some favorite teachers, and introduced to a few you may not know. The festival will be held at Artisphere in the Rosslyn section of Arlington, VA.

We have a diverse group of speakers who will be teaching the dharma from various perspectives. You will hear from a Toltec teacher, a Unitarian minister, and a young Indian yogi and guru, among others. We are pleased to welcome for the first time renowned Tibetan scholar Bob Thurman, who will be appearing with Sharon Salzberg. They will discuss, "Buddhism: The Joyous Science of Wisdom and Kindness."

What could be better than sitting with a teacher you love? How about sitting with two of them? In addition to the lively duo of Sharon and Bob, we have decided to mix things up and match other speakers in dynamic pairings that are certain to inspire. Ruth King was a favorite with BuddhaFest audiences in 2011, and last year, the Ven. Pannavati Bhikkhuni was electrifying. Both women teach with a humor, grace and power that is delightful -- so we’ve put them together. They are excited to sit with you as dharma sisters to talk about fierce compassion and daring hearts.

Speaking of daring hearts, we're so pleased to be presenting a talk by writer, human rights advocate and Zen peacekeeper Marianne Elliott. Marianne is from New Zealand, and just wrote Zen Under Fire, a memoir about her life and work as a United Nations peacekeeper in Afghanistan. Sharon Salzberg calls her book "a poignant and uplifting story about finding resilience in the midst of intense suffering."

A film for children, parents and educators 

"Planting Seeds" is a film that can truly help to transform our relationships and ourselves in a deeply meaningful way. Children, parents, couples and educators can use the techniques and practices in the film and on the Bonus DVD (Songs, Lesson Plans, Practical Exercises) to build more harmony, love and appreciation within themselves, their families and within the classroom. The film is the fruit of Plum Village's thirty years of sharing mindfulness and compassion with children, parents and educators. The Planting Seeds film offers meaningful, fun and engaging activities that children and parents can do at home, in school settings, and in their local communities, either self-guided or led by an adult.

This campaign offers the opportunity to offer any amount to support the completion of the film.

Benefit for the Am Kolel Retreat Center
with Hugh Byrne and Candace Pert
Sunday, April 28, 3-6 p.m.
River Road Unitarian Church, Bethesda, MD

At Takoma Village Cohousing with Ann Zabaldo

• New Format: Instead of 10-monthly theme, we’ll be going through the material over a 5-month period, with a new class every other week. Maintain momentum as you strengthen habits of well-being. 
• Extraordinary Lineup of Presenters: Tara Brach, Rick Hanson, Sylva Boorstein, Meng Tan (Google’s Jolly Good Fellow) and many others. Check out the website for the full list of presenters (www.awakeningjoy.info/presenters.html).
• New App for the book and the course: Help you track your progress and stay on course. Exercises, inspiring quotes, great visuals for iPhone/iPad. Coming soon! 
• Three Live Videoconferences during the course accessible from anywhere.

• Awakening Joy is now out in paperback published by Parallax Press. You can order it from Amazon or your local bookstore. A great holiday gift. (If you like the book, I'd be grateful if you reviewed the paperback edition on Amazon. It seems to make a difference.) 
• Bill Gates gave a great review of Awakening Joy on his blog. (A software engineer who read the Gates review and loved the book developed the app.)

In September IMCW opened the Center for Mindful Living, a space in the Washington metro area dedicated to Buddhist teachings, the practice of meditation, and the exploration of the many ways we can bring deeper presence and awareness into our lives.

The space has been beautifully developed and provides a sanctuary for stillness and inner exploration in the heart of our metropolitan area. The Center is located at 4708 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, three blocks north of Tenleytown Metro station, and is easily accessible by Metro, bus, or car from many parts of Maryland, northern Virginia, and the District.

• Daily meditation—currently offered in the mornings but soon to include evenings and weekends
• Classes for experienced students
• Introduction to meditation 
• Deepening dharma study and practice
• Weekly meditation
• Sutta study

If you are interested in offering a class—or would like to see a particular class or workshop at the new Center—two spaces are available: one room holds 35-40 people, the other 15-20. There is also a smaller office available for rent on a daily or hourly basis.

We look forward to seeing you there. For more information, please contact Gene Kijowski.

IMCW congratulates these teachers a is pleased to announce that Mary Aubry, Alicia Bazan-Jimenez and Larissa Kitenko have accepted IMCW's invitation to become full teachers. Mary has been co-teaching classes in Vienna, Capitol Hill and Columbia Heights for some time now and leads daylongs in Northern Virginia; Alicia is a guest teacher at IMCW's Takoma Park class, led a class for Spanish speakers in 2009 and co-teaches class series in Bethesda. Larissa Kitenko leads the Easton Meditation Sangha, teaches at the Salisbury Buddhist Community as well as teaches classes and daylong retreats on the Eastern Shore and Mid-Atlantic region. Trudy and La have been full IMCW teachers since the fall of 2008.

In addition to taking a growing and active role in teaching dharma, each has stepped forward in significant ways in serving our larger sangha. A welcoming bow to these people who are devoted to the dharma, and dedicated to the awakening of all beings.

iBme teaches teens proven awareness and concentration practices that have been used for thousands of years. Teens learn how to settle a busy mind, how to skillfully handle emotions and thoughts, how to direct and sustain attention, how cultivate compassion, and how to truly listen and communicate. Through guided mindfulness meditation, small group discussions, and fun workshop activities, participants experience a sense of connection and safety that many have never felt before.

The core of the iBme retreat model is mindfulness. Mindfulness is embedded in all the daily activities, which include several formal sitting and walking meditation periods. Using the mindfulness skills that are taught, teens begin to calm their mind and explore their own mind and body. Recent studies have also shown some of the other benefits of practicing mindfulness, which include an increase in concentration, empathy, emotional intelligence, self-esteem, and memory.

Inward Bound Mindfulness Education-iBme from Silvia Garcia Pereira on Vimeo.

Find out more about iBme school programs and teen programs at the iBme website. iBme teen retreats and programs are co-sponsored by IMCW.

If you are an Active Duty, National Guard or Reserve member of the military, a veteran, family member, or identify with the military in some way we are offering a “home base” for you in the newly forming military interest/KM groups. (Please see the IMCW KM webpage for more details.)

Considering the diverse nature of military backgrounds (combat, different services and ranks, wounded, family, etc.) and varying interests and levels of being ready to come forward we would like to offer support to all and hopefully hear from you. You are also needed to help other military connected people in our community.

We invite you to share your story and explore the benefits of mindfulness and meditation. We may form separate groups according to interest. If you want to share “war stories” or you do not want to that is okay; we can develop a group for you too.

If you are interested in connecting with this community and/or able to offer your experience please email Steve.

If you are a professional helper and know someone that will fit this group please pass this information along. Once our interest level and availability is determined we will set an initial meeting and move forward. If you want to help please contact Steve as well.

And even if you are not interested in a KM or support group you are welcome and encouraged to “check out” IMCW mindfulness offerings.

In the Takoma Park sangha, five long-term yogis took the Eight Lifetime Precepts on Sunday evening, September 23. In a simple but powerful ceremony, lead by Venerable Dhammasiri, abbot of the Washington Buddhist Vihara, the yogis made a public declaration of intention to follow the path of Buddhist practice in life.What are the Eight Lifetime Precepts? They are different from the Eight Precepts yogis often take on retreat.

The Eight Lifetime Precepts were created in the 1990's by Bhante Gunaratana, abbot of the Bhavana Society Forest Monastery. Among long-term practitioners there was a growing desire for a simple ritual allowing them to express their deep commitment to Buddhist practice in the whole of their life: ethical living, mental development, and insight. Seeing this, Bhante G took the traditional Five Precepts for the laity and expanded the speech acts, added livelihood, and called them the Eight Lifetime Precepts. They are:

1. I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking life.
2. I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking what is not given.
3. I undertake the training rule to abstain from sensual misconduct. 
4. I undertake the training rule to abstain from false speech.
5. I undertake the training rule to abstain from malicious speech. 
6. I undertake the training rule to abstain from harsh speech.
7. I undertake the training rule to abstain from useless speech.
8. I undertake the training rule to abstain from wrong livelihood and from intoxicating drinks and drugs causing heedlessness.

• As a reminder of anicca, the teaching on impermanence, they received a wrist string, which stays on until it wears out and falls away, just like all phenomena.
• As a reminder of dukkha, the teaching on dissatisfaction, they dressed in neutral colors, instead of clothing chosen to "look good."
• As a reminder of anatta, the teaching on not-self, they received a Pali name, stretching the confines of one’s usual identity and the notion of who “I am.”

Have you felt such a wave of unruly emotion but been able to bring awareness to it and observe it instead? An important shift takes place: the awareness creates space and allows us to see other possibilities than just acting out whatever we are feeling. This is more akin to riding a horse we have begun to train.

The healing power of bringing awareness to our experience—just as it is here and now—is what Eckhart Tolle calls the “power of now.” Tolle, who is giving a rare public talk in Washington Thursday night at the Warner Theater, points to the freedom and inner peace that comes from opening fully to this moment without judgment, resistance, or holding.

For over 2,000 years, Buddhism and other wisdom traditions have taught that there is a way out of the stress and suffering that can fill our lives, and a possibility of living a life free of suffering. Mindfulness, the practice of opening fully to our experience in this moment—the joys and sorrows; the good, the bad, and the ugly—is the gateway to this deep freedom of the heart.

In recent years, the wisdom of these ancient teachings has been confirmed by scientific studies, which demonstrate that we can train our minds, change our brains, increase our well-being and radically lessen such afflictive states of mind as anxiety and depression.

One recent study showed that the structure of the brains of participants in an eight-week mindfulness meditation program changed with an average of just 27 minutes of meditation a day. Results from brain scans revealed an increase in gray-matter density in areas of the brain associated with memory, self-awareness, compassion and introspection, and a decrease in density of gray matter in areas associated with stress and anxiety.

Other studies have shown that meditation may lower blood pressure, slow the progression of HIV, reduce pain help break addictions, and even ward off the effects of aging.

Supported by these recent scientific studies, meditation has come into the mainstream:

• Veterans returning from combat are being taught meditation and yoga to help lessen and heal the traumas of war.
• Students in classrooms across the country are learning to strengthen awareness, resilience, and focus through mindfulness practices.
• In hospitals and other health-care settings, mindfulness practices are proving a highly cost-effective way of dealing with chronic pain, anxiety, depression, and other conditions.

A great challenge of our time is to bring these practices of awakening and inner freedom to help transform the social and global suffering that is all around us—including wars, torture, and the destruction of the natural world.

We have wonderful examples in leaders such as the Dalai Lama and Aung San Suu Kyi of individuals whose compassion and wise action have changed the hearts of millions and, in Burma—if not yet in Tibet—helped make significant social and political change.

Eckhart Tolle’s visit this week to Washington brings to our community another wise and visionary leader who points to a new consciousness arising and new ways of living together in the world.

Humanity, says Tolle, is faced with a choice of finding new ways to live together or continuing the cycle of violence and conflict. “If the structures of the human mind remain unchanged, we will always end up re-creating the same world, the same evils, the same dysfunction.” Creating peace in the world begins with saying “yes” to what is and then from a heart-space of compassion and non-reactivity working to alleviate the suffering of the world.

This article was orginally posted in the Washington Post, by Hugh Byrne, Thursday, October 4, 12:50 PM.

Hello DC-Area Students,

Eckhart Tolle, best known as the author of the The Power of Now and A New Earth, is coming to Washington DC for an evening talk on Thursday October 4, 2012 from 7:30-9 p.m. The event will be held at Warner Theater 513 13th Street NW, Washington, DC. We are reaching out to some of the local high schools, universities and colleges in the DC area to invite students to come experience this live event as our guests.

If you are interested, please send an email (Subject line: DC Student) to Trevor King: trevor@eckharttolletv.com. Please include your full name & email address. Please note you will need to present your student ID card at will-call on the night of the event to pick up your ticket.

Find more information on the event at eckharttolle.com.

Once people have been coming to IMCW classes for a while, they often feel drawn to explore what might support them in deepening practice. This fall we have a wonderful set of options, from exploring the Brahma Viharas to small group discussion of the dharma for those looking for such deepening practice classes:

• A 5-week series exploring the Brahma Viharas, led by teachers Jon Waterman, Trisha Stotler & Mary Aubry

• A monthly Deepening Practice group with Catherine Brousseau & Deborah Ratner Helzer

• A Meditation & Science series with Hugh Byrne

• Satsang with Tara Brach will also be starting up again

Find more information on our deepening practice program on our Path of Practice page and on our Calendar.

Visionary Author Eckhart Tolle to Speak in DC for First Time

Thursday, October 4, 7:20 p.m.
Warner Theatre, 513 13th Street, NW, Washington, DC
by Grace Ogden

Renowned wisdom teacher Eckhart Tolle will give his first-ever Washington, DC public talk on Thursday, October 4 at 7:30 p.m. This landmark event is being cosponsored by IMCW. The face-to-face encounter with this visionary author is a rare opportunity to experience his conscious presence drawing you into what he calls “the spaciousness that words can only point to.” The talk, “Living in Presence” is expected to draw a capacity crowd to the Warner Theatre venue.

Eckhart will help us to discover our essential nature by offering his one-of-a-kind “pointers” about finding freedom from excessive thinking, aligning with whatever arises in the moment, the nature of consciousness, and more. His own capacity to be deeply present opens up space in such a way that our own inner spaciousness naturally arises. For some, a direct experience of Eckhart can be a profound prompt to greater awareness of the true nature of reality and an ability to dwell in the present moment more steadily.

Eckhart’s own cataclysmic spiritual awakening flooded him overnight after a long period of suicidal depression and academic striving in London. Years later he began writing and the spiritual authenticity of his books ultimately brought him to the attention of Oprah Winfrey. More than 11 million people took the 10-week online course they offered together. Tens of millions of people worldwide use teachings from his bestselling books A New Earth and The Power of Now.

Free teachings by Eckhart are regularly posted to You Tube and he offers an ongoing subscription course at EckhartTolleTV.com. What reassures many of his students is his deep understanding of the essence of the wisdom teachings of the Buddha, Jesus Christ and the world’s great traditions of religion and philosophy. It can be an immense relief, a coming-home, to touch the essential awareness and beyond-ego conduct found in these traditions, yet be free of their institutional constructs that so often obscure the path of spiritual awakening.

Eckhart’s visit will be a highlight in DC during the heated fall campaign season. Tara Brach and IMCW join local cosponsors Grace Productions and the Shalem Institute in helping the evening be a catalyst and connection point for the transformational community here. Sounds True, Eckhart Tolle TV and Eckhart Teachings are national cosponsors.

Note: Bronze level tickets are sold out. However, IMCW is being offered a special discount on the higher ticket levels.  Please go to Brown Paper Tickets at this link, and below the area that says Admission Level in Blue it says Enter a Password or Discount Code. The discount code is IMCW (case sensitive). It will then show the discounted prices which are all discounted by 15%.

For more information about Eckhart Tolle, go to www.eckharttolle.com. If you have questions about the DC event, email grace@graceproductions.co or call 301-445-6771.

Friday, October 5--Sunday, October 7

Sevenoaks Retreat Center, Madison, Virginia

Teens are invited to learn how to settle their busy minds; how to skillfully handle emotions and thoughts; how to direct and sustain attention; how to cultivate compassion; and how to truly listen and communicate. At iBme teens are taught proven awareness and concentration practices through mindfulness meditation, small group discussions, and fun workshop activities, participants experience a sense of connection and safety that many have never felt before.

After a couple of days my whole outlook on life was changed. It was an awesome experience. I would encourage any teen to come here. - Josh, age 15

The retreats I have been on have given me knowledge that is invaluable. I now have a ‘toolkit’ to deal with problems in my life. - David, age 16

IBme teen mindfulness retreats offer teens ages 14-19 an amazing opportunity to explore their body and mind through the practices of insight meditation, qi gong and yoga, delicious organic meals, and tools to deepen their listening and speaking skills through group mindfulness exercises and workshops in creative expression. These retreats are fun and transformational for teens and staff alike.

Tara Brach is a leading teacher of meditation, emotional healing and spiritual awakening, with over 35 years of experience. She is a clinical psychologist, the senior teacher and founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, and author of the books Radical Acceptance and True Refuge—Finding Peace and Freedom in Your Own Awakened Heart.

Inward Bound Mindfulness Education (iBme) is dedicated to improving the lives of teens, parents,
and professionals.

Please contact La Sarmiento at 202-997-1399 or  for more information.

This new family meditation class provides young children 5-11 years old with a mindfulness framework to develop healthy responses to the ever-changing world around and inside of them. Children will learn how to express their innate qualities of being present with what is happening, respect for others and nature, loving kindness and compassion. Planting these seeds at an early age can reduce stress as well as sustain and nourish the mind, body and spirit for a lifetime.

Classes include lessons on basic Buddhist teachings, short meditations, movement exercises and hands-on activities geared towards developing mindfulness. Parents attend the classes with their children. This class is lead by teacher-in-training Fred Persi.

"Finding True Refuge" is a web series that provides an intimate look at the healing power of meditation. Listen to teachers, leaders, new and experienced students share how meditation practice has helped to heal and awaken their hearts. As they reveal their stories in video interviews, discover what inspired them to begin meditating, as well as what has most helped them find peace and freedom in the midst of life’s difficulties.

Terry is an incest survivor who has used food as her main source of comfort for many years. Her metta practice enables her to see this trauma as a wild beast at the edge of a forest -- and to look at it in the eye, from a distance.

BuddhaFest is being held June 14-17 at the Spectrum Theatre at Artisphere in Rosslyn, VA. It’s four days of films, talks, meditation and music. IMCW is the founding sponsor.

Climate change is probably the greatest humanitarian and environmental challenge the world faces today. How can mindfulness and meditation contribute to slowing climate change and minimizing its impacts? Tsoknyi Rinpoche and Sharon Salzberg lead a talk and meditation that explores the vital role that compassion and awareness can play in helping us to awaken from our illusion of separateness from others -- and from the Earth.

Following their talk, they are joined by Lou Leonard and Dekila Chungyulpa of the World Wildlife Fund. Lou is Director of WWF's Climate Change Program. Dekila is Director of the Sacred Earth program, and has briefed the Dalai Lama on environmental topics. They discuss how Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the Himalayas are responding to the threat of climate change, and talk about practical ways that each of us can be part of the global solution.

We then each have an opportunity to sign a unique document that has emerged from the contributions of more than 20 Buddhist teachers from all traditions. The Dalai Lama was the first to sign it, and it's called "The Time to Act is Now -- A Buddhist Declaration on Climate Change."

Next, we screen a beautiful film called Baraka. It's a film without dialogue, a purely visual journey across our planet -- a kind of cinematic guided meditation that shows how interconnected we are with all things on this living organism called Earth. This is a jewel of a film, and there's a very good chance that you've never seen anything like it. "Nothing in this epic visual poem is less than extraordinary," says the Washington Post.

We hope to see you there!

Visit www.buddhafest.org for details and tickets.

No matter how much I prepared, I was totally unprepared for a recent trip to Burma. My practice of Buddhadharma led me to this trip where I was traveling for a month in Burma with a small group of Buddhist practitioners much like myself, taking in the culture and offering service when we could. This proved to be more difficult than anticipated. The offering of service is so well integrated into the culture there that we were often showered with gifts of meals, trinkets and good will when we were intending to be helpful.

One such example was when we climbed Mandalay Hill, a famous sacred site with over 700 steps, and of course, down those steps in some darkness after we stayed at the top to view the sunset. We had taken “the children,” as they were called although they were mostly young adults, from the school on an outing, a special event for them. They became our guides, literally, as we navigated down those dark steps in bare feet on uneven concrete while barefoot.

With the dinner hour at hand, after much prodding, the children reluctantly allowed us to buy them dinner but were clearly concerned about the cost. I received so much back from them by just being in their lively presence, their respect for the sacred, their care and appreciation of each other and us. Naing Naing Swe gave me a scarf and told me I looked like her mother. I also met Myou Myou, Kaing Kaing, Donah, Dana and Eddy, a young man with whom I continue to correspond.

These “children” were responsible, respectful, deeply caring and, uncannily resourceful. They spontaneously do good deeds, as we would call it. The way the Burmese see it, they are “gathering merit,” an offering of service or gifts. What’s most important to them is the way that it is given; with sincere joy in the giving and mindfulness of what the other truly needs. The gathering of merit also has to do with what one gets back in this life or future lives.

Another example of gathering merit happens on a daily basis when the monks go on their morning alms rounds in a perfect single line, carrying their begging bowls while the villagers stand on the side of the road, waiting, often with hot, cooked food to offer the monks. The offering itself is considered a privilege and a precious act. It was not unusual to see three generations of a family from moderate or impoverished means waiting to feed the monks.

This culture of generosity is a proximate cause for happiness there. When we could cross the language barrier the Burmese people consistently told me they were happy, though economically poor, as they judged their wealth by family relationships, their offerings and other acts of service.

What is remarkable about the culture of offering food, gifts, good deeds or service is that the amount given is not related to how much one has. It is about the joy of giving in that very moment and is a belief that, although there is no knowing when, where or how, the offering will come back to you in this or another lifetime.

One of our own service offerings was during a trip to Bagan, a famous city in Burma. It is an ancient city of over 3,000 multistoried temples and pagodas housing sacred shrines and images. Being on a spiritual pilgrimage we donned the brown sashes that signified us as such and made our way to an ancient temple and cleaned it of it’s accumulated sand and termite piles.

I probably would not have signed up for this work but I did what I was told on arrival at this nondescript temple. This labor was considered an act of service to the community and part of the wonder of it was that it was going to be an anonymous gift. We were full of dust and dirt as we cleaned the temple with little more than our hands.

When we were almost finished, our new extended family climbed the stories of the temple as we had but with bags and buckets of delicious cooked food. They served us generously and then watched as we ate. Although we invited them, they did not eat with us because their intent was to serve and be mindful of our needs.

We were filled with gratitude from their act of generosity in response to our doing service. It was the kind of contentment that the Buddha talked about: calm, open-hearted and joyful. As one young man told me after serving me lunch, receiving the lunch was my Karma, as if in some way I earned it. I believe he was trying to teach me how to receive the generous offering of a meal with grace.

On a hot pot in the hotel room in Bagan was this message:

The beauty of a single flower

fills your table

with a soothing fragrance

creating a tranquil moment.

The mindfulness revolution is quietly sweeping through our culture. In this new CD, Tara has compiled a set of meditations that bring alive the key elements of mindfulness and heartfulness.

These practices, while simple, have the power to remind us of our essentially loving, awake nature. They give us a way to live our lives aligned with heart and spirit. Enjoy!

Tara's new CD, Mindfulness Meditation: Nine Guided Practices to Awaken Presence and Open Your Heart, is available at the Tara Brach website.

Tara Brach will be one of 40 teachers featured in a 20-week, free series of online interviews on how spiritual teachers deal with their own personal challenges. Co-sponsored by Sounds True, publisher of Tara’s audiobooks, it’s called Teaching What We Need to Learn: Leaders in Personal Growth and Spirituality Share Their Own Innermost Challenges.

Teaching What We Need to Learn begins on May 14. Learn more and sign up for the teleseminar here.

Mindfulness Revolution in the Spotlight

by Eric Forbis and Gabriel Riera

The only film festival in the country that also features spiritual talks, meditation and live music returns to Arlington, VA on June 14-17. This year’s BuddhaFest looks at how we are all interdependent, and explores the profound effects that mindfulness and meditation are having on society. Tickets and passes are now on sale.

Speakers this year include Rick Hanson, author of Buddha’s Brain, and one of the world’s leading authorities on the neuroscience of mindfulness, and Congressman Tim Ryan, whose new book, A Mindful Nation, explores the growing presence of mindfulness in many areas of American life -- including education, health care and the military. Some people have begun referring to these changes in our culture as the mindfulness revolution. 

BuddhaFest teachers include Tara Brach, Tsoknyi Rinpoche, Sharon Salzberg, Jonathan Foust and Venerable Pannavati Bhikkhuni. Krishna Das, the best-selling kirtan artist of all time, performs in concert on Saturday, June 16. He returns for the festival’s closing session on Sunday, where he teaches prior to a screening of the film, Ram Dass: Fierce Grace, and afterwards he closes out the festival with a special musical performance.

BuddhaFest is presenting six films, along with four of the directors who will share their experiences and take questions from the audience. Films include the world premiere of When the Iron Bird Flies, which traces the astounding path of one of the world’s great spiritual traditions -- from the caves of Tibet to the mainstream of western culture. The film asks the question: In these modern, increasingly chaotic times, can these age-old Buddhist teachings help us find genuine happiness and help create a saner, more compassionate 21st century world?

The third annual BuddhaFest is held at the Spectrum Theatre at Artisphere in the Rosslyn section of Arlington, VA. The venue is minutes from DC and Maryland, near the Key Bridge and Route 66. There is free parking, and the Rosslyn Metro is two blocks away.

BuddhaFest is sponsored by the Insight Meditation Community of Washington and Tricycle.com.

You can check out the schedule and purchase tickets and passes at the BuddhaFest website.

Would you like to join others for a group meditation before your working day begins, after work, or drop in during the day for some moments of quiet and presence in the midst of our busy lives?

It has been a long-time dream for many of us to have a dedicated space in the Washington metro area and we are taking a step to bring this closer to fruition as IMCW opens a meditation space and meeting room in Tenleytown in May 2012.

The new space is located at 4708 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, three blocks north of Tenleytown metro (and Whole Foods) and is easily accessible by metro, bus, or car from many parts of Maryland, northern Virginia, and the district. It is two blocks from where River Road ends at Wisconsin Avenue, and just 10-15 minutes by car from River Road Unitarian Church where Tara Brach has her Wednesday night class.

The meditation room--beautifully refurbished with cork floors and gentle colors--can host meditation groups or meetings of 15-20 people. 

On May 28, we will begin offering daily meditation classes from 7:30-8:15 a.m. that will provide an opportunity to sit with other practitioners before work. These classes will be led by an IMCW teacher or teacher-in-training and will include a 30-minute meditation period with some instruction, followed by informal sharing/discussion.

The schedule of teachers for the morning classes beginning on May 28 is:

Mondays, 7:30 - 8:15 a.m.: Karolynn Coleman

Tuesdays, 7:30 - 8:15 a.m.: Hugh Byrne

Wednesdays, 7:30 - 8:15 a.m.: Carolyn Stachowski

Thursdays, 7:30 - 8:15 a.m.: Silvia Garcia-Pereira

Fridays, 7:30 - 8:15 a.m.: Clay Evans

If there is sufficient community interest in the classes, we hope to expand these offerings to include meditation classes and sitting groups in the daytime, evenings, and weekends.

The new space has been made possible by generous support from a community member to help fund the first year of operation. A suggested donation (dana) of $5-10 for classes and sitting groups will help IMCW expand to larger space to offer more classes and activities.

Please join us for these classes and let us know if there are other times during the week or on the weekend when you would like to attend a teacher-led class or sitting group--and if there are special interest groups (e.g. KM/spiritual friends, 12-step, or other) that might wish to hold meetings or meditations in the new space. And if you have any spiritual art--e.g. Buddha/Kuan Yin statues or wall hangings--that you would be willing to donate or loan to beautify the new space please contact Hugh Byrne.

On Saturday, May 6 at 9 p.m. (ET), C-Span will air Congressman Tim Ryan's talk from IMCW's Wednesday Bethesda class on April 11. C-Span notes:

Democratic Representative Tim Ryan from Ohio presents his thoughts on the teachings of mindfulness and what he believes are the meditative practices' benefits, from heightened concentration to a reduction in stress levels and how it can be incorporated in education and health care policies.

Ryan is also interested in exploring the benefits of meditation for returning military veterans. His book, A Mindful Nation: How a Simple Practice Can Help Us Reduce Stress, Improve Performance, and Recapture the American Spirit was published in March 2012. Congressman Ryan represents Ohio's 17th District.

The show will also air on Sunday, May 6 at 4 p.m. (ET).

C-Spans schedule is available on their website.

Over the past decade, training in mindfulness — the intentional cultivation of moment-by-moment non-judgmental focused attention and awareness — has spread from its initial western applications in medicine to other fields, including education. This paper reviews research and curricula pertaining to the integration of mindfulness training into K-12 education, both indirectly by training teachers and through direct teaching of students. Research on the neurobiology of mindfulness in adults suggests that sustained mindfulness practice can enhance attentional and emotional self-regulation and promote flexibility, pointing toward significant potential benefits for both teachers and students. Early research results on three illustrative mindfulness-based teacher training initiatives suggest that personal training in mindfulness skills can increase teachers’ sense of well-being and teaching self-efficacy, as well as their ability to manage classroom behavior and establish and maintain supportive relationships with students....

Read the complete article, Integrating Mindfulness Training into K-12 Education: Fostering the Resilience of Teachers and Students.

This article has recently been published in the new Mindfulness magazine, by Springer Press and can be ordered or read online.

The movie I Am, received so well at last year's BuddhaFest, will be shown tonight on Oprah's Network OWN at both 9 p.m. and 12 a.m. For those who were not able to attend BuddhaFest, this is a great chance to see the movie! For Direct TV viewers, the OWN channel is 279.

More information on I Am can be found on the web, here. 

On April 18, Tsoknyi Rinpoche, one of Tara Brach's most influential teachers led a guided meditation and in conversation with Tara Brach, offered teachings on "Open Heart, Open Mind". 

Rinpoche has written a new book, Open Heart, Open Mind: A guide to Inner Transformation, which talks about discovering the open, loving life that is our birthright. His own experience both as a Tibetan master with a deep realization of the nature of mind, and as a husband and a father of two daughters, makes him a invaluable guide for those dedicated to spiritual awakening.

Please find the audio dharma recording of his meditation and talk on the IMCW Talks page. A video version will also be available soon.

Congressman Ryan received a standing ovation at Wednesday's Bethesda class when he spoke of building a nation based on mindfulness and kindness.  Ryan spoke of the work he has started to bring mindfulness to schools in Ohio and how effective it is in helping students deal with stress. He also spoke of his hope of creating mindfulness programs for the increasing numbers of veterans returning to the U.S.

The audio of Congressman Ryan's talk can be found on IMCW's Talk pages.

Tim Ryan talks about the effectiveness of mindfulness in this YouTube video.

And for those of you who would like to watch the C-Span video that was taped during the class, you will be able to see it the first weekend of May (as currently scheduled). Please check the C-Span schedule after April 30 for the exact date and time.

by Craig Erlich and Carolyn Stachowski

Insight on the Inside (IOI) is pleased to announce that volunteers will be teaching meditation at the District of Columbia Department of Corrections (DCDC) beginning April 21, 2012. IOI, IMCW's prison dharma program, currently has volunteers teaching in five other local incarceration facilities in suburban Maryland and Virginia. IOI was established as a result of the Good Works initiative in 2009 and will be celebrating its third year this June.

Beginning with a group of men who are confined in the long term housing unit, the program at the DCDC has great potential to expand with possibilities for working to address addiction issues and forming additional classes for juveniles and women. We are thankful for the support and kindness of Chaplain Betty Green of the DCDC.

If you are supporting IMCW, you are helping to sustain the IOI program and we are all very grateful. If you would like to do more, the students of Insight on the Inside make good use of books on mindfulness and meditation. You can also make a donation by sending a check to IMCW and note ‘for Insight on the Inside” in the memo line.

For additional information go to IMCW's Engaged Buddhism webpage and/or contact Craig Ehrlich and Carolyn Stachowski.

... And Its Effect on Intention and Effort

Like other spiritual traditions Buddhism has debated over the course of its history whether human nature is basically good or basically flawed.  Buddhism today, through its myriad forms, presents to us two very different models of human nature: one of inherent goodness and purity, and one of plasticity, of malleability, of no-essence.  Where we come down in this issue – consciously or unconsciously – determines what we see as our existential starting point and necessarily leads to two very different frameworks of intention and effort.  It has a profound effect on what we think our Dharma practice should be about.

It has been said, “The mind is luminous by nature and inherently pure…aggression, hatred and greed are based in delusion and [cover] over our innate goodness…When you reawaken to your original nature [aggression, hatred and greed] fall away.”  [1]  

To me, the words “inherent,” “innate” and “original” are significant.  I believe this view, which is not uncommon, contributes to the ambivalence we in the West feel about the role of effort in our practice.  When I read Dharma publications and listen to other practitioners speak I sense many are conflicted about effort and others downright opposed to what is pejoratively termed “efforting.”  What typically follows these views is the notion of getting out of our own way and letting our innate purity blossom forth.  The emphasis is on relaxing, watching and opening to the inherent goodness in our nature.

Personally, when I am just relaxing, watching and opening, in a highly charged interpersonal interaction, for example, what I often see are reruns of the same old movie with the same tragic end.  The first impulses I experience are like flood waters rushing down an ancient ravine of habit and pattern, and it takes no effort for me to become aggressive or defensive.  On the other hand, I have to use great effort to reset my intention, restrain my speech and action, redirect my attention away from painful external circumstances and towards my internal reactions to those circumstances, and thereby cut a new channel so that thoughts, words and actions go in a new, helpful direction.  And as my partner once said about her own tendencies to create suffering for herself: “It’s one thing to see something and another thing to change it.”

As you may know, many recent discoveries in neuroscience complement Dharma teachings.  For example, mirror neurons make us “naturally” caring and compassionate – we are hard-wired for empathy.  At the same time, there are parts of our neural makeup – again, wholly natural – that only incline towards sense pleasure, reproduction and survival, making us hard-wired for aggression, fear, blindness and cruelty.  My concern is that if we emphasize or call “true” only the positive aspects of human nature, then we inappropriately search for or try to rely on some “golden” essence we believe rests at our core underneath a false veneer of defilement.

Scientists have found that “the evolutionary primacy of the brain’s fear circuitry makes it more powerful than the brain’s reasoning faculties.  The amygdala…sprouts a profusion of connections to the higher brain regions – neurons that carry one-way traffic from amygdala to neocortex.  Few connections run from the cortex to the amygdala, however.  That allows the amygdala to override the products of the logical, thoughtful cortex, but not vise versa.  So although it is sometimes possible to think yourself out of fear…it takes great effort and persistence [italics added].  Instead, fear tends to overrule reason, as the amygdala hobbles our logic and reasoning circuits.  That makes fear far, far more powerful than reason.”  [2]

Science is telling us two things: first, the dukkha (suffering)-producing aspects of our nature are every bit as “original” as the positive aspects – more so, in fact – and, second, survival mode tends to override “freedom mode.”

More broadly, science tells us that this mind is the product of three billion years of random mutation, and natural selection.  Species, and the aspects of species, are not fixed.  At no point in our evolution could we have taken on any innate, inherent or immutable characteristics, an essence of any sort – luminous and loving or deluded and fearful.

Other Dharma sources note, “…the crux of the Buddha’s insight was that there are no essences…The middle path between intrinsic goodness and intrinsic evil is the insight that human nature is a product of interdependently arising factors…”  [italics added] [3]

These insights point away from the idea that the mind is a Garden of Eden that somehow became tainted along the way.  If anything, the mind evolved as an untamed wilderness, or, put into Buddhist parlance, a vast field of dependent co-arising.  Within this field there are capacities, potentialities and tendencies that lead to harm or benefit rather than core attributes of good and bad.  Our minds are more like clay – with nothing inherent.  If the clay has any “suchness” about it, any characteristic, it is that of plasticity, malleability.  Thus, the mind can be molded and shaped into whatever you want to make of it, whatever intention and effort repeatedly incline it towards.

This “clay” model points us back to the balanced and comprehensive approach to Right Effort classically described in the Eightfold Path: guard against unarisen, harmful states; abandon arisen, harmful states; develop unarisen, skillful states; and maintain arisen, skillful states.

In addition to redirecting ourselves out of the ancient patterns of fear and aggression, Right Effort takes the form of positive practices like metta, in which we incline the mind toward something beneficial and keep it in that beneficial state, make it strong and reliable, make it a habit, an inclination.  In metta practice, we are not just watching and allowing, we are evoking and cultivating a positive state and making it strong where it might not otherwise be.

The good news of the Buddha, and what the neurological sciences are now confirming, does not stem from humanity being innately good.  Instead, it is based on our capacity to become aware of and intervene in our own evolution.  It is based on there being the potential for freedom alongside the imperative for survival.  This is from an article on empathy in the Health section of the Washington Post: “…research shows that as you refocus your thoughts, feelings and behaviors in the direction you desire, the brain regions associated with them are reinforced.  What’s more, changing your brain activity reinforces the changes you are making in your thinking.  The result is a self-reinforcing loop….” [4]  The Buddha pointed to this fact 2,500 years ago when he elegantly stated, “Whatever you reflect and dwell upon, that will be the inclination of the mind.”

Science points to the naturalness of both our baser and higher tendencies.  History provides ample evidence of the human capacity to act on both extremes.  To me, the question is not how to rid our practice of “efforting,” or uncover an original, innate purity.  It is whether the intentions underlying our efforts are based on craving and delusion, or wisdom and compassion and the corresponding sensitivity to what is beneficial and appropriate.  The question is which tendencies we let become our habits and inclinations.  Or as it is said in the often-told story of the Cherokee grandfather speaking to his grandson about the good and evil “wolves” he senses inside him: the wolf that wins is the one you feed.

Here is how I think of it: Whenever we do, think or say something, we are giving ourselves practice at doing that thing.  If we do, think or say something a lot, it becomes a habit, an inclination.  One way to practice is, in any given moment, to reflect: “What am I giving myself practice at doing right now?  Which capacity am I making strong right now?” 

[4] Douglas LaBier, Washington Post, Health section, (25 December 2007).

In April I'm looking forward to introducing you to two wonderful guests at our Wednesday night River Road class.

--- On April 11, Congressman Tim Ryan will be speaking to you about the content of his book, A Mindful Nation. He is passionate about the power of mindfulness and the ways this practice is already having a profound impact on areas of health, education and wellbeing across the nation. Congressman Ryan is really looking forward to meeting you...to connecting with a local community that is dedicated to awakening our hearts with these practices. His book will be available and he will stay after class to sign copies for you.

--- On April 18, Tsoknyi Rinpoche, one of the teachers who has most deeply influenced my practice, will be guiding the meditation and offering his teachings. He has written a new book, Open Heart, Open Mind: A guide to Inner Transformation, that will be available for purchase. In his talk (as in the book) Tsoknyi Rinpoche will explore how it is possible to lead a compassionate life, regardless of the circumstances we are in. His own experience both as a Tibetan master with a deep realization of the nature of mind, and as a husband and a father of two daughters, makes him a invaluable guide for those dedicated to spiritual awakening.

I hope you'll be with us for both of these extraordinary guests!

With blessings,

Tara

This event will be the last of a tour between March 30-April 9, when the Gaden Jangste monks will visit the Washington D.C. area to share the sacred arts and religious traditions of Tibet.

"In the Tibetan tradition, universal ethics and compassion are expressed through prayers and chanting accompanied by long horns, cymbals and other ritual instruments. Colorful and elaborate dances, many of which have a moral theme, are performed by the monks to educate the lay population. During their visit, the Gaden monks will construct a sand mandala, perform sacred music and dance, give Dharma talks, meditation, and prayer ceremonies", said Losang Tendrol, a Tibetan Buddhist nun with the Guhyasamaja Center.

A local Buddhist meditation group, the Guhyasamaja Center, hosts the tour. Events will be held in downtown Washington, D.C. and several locations in the DC area. All events are open to the public. The suggested donation is $10-20 per event; no one will be turned away due to lack of funds. Details are available on the Guhyasamaja Center website.

Questions can be directed to Losang Tendrol, 703-774-9692.

Many of you are already aware of how meditation and mindfulness can deeply transform our lives and help us find peace, joy and well-being in life.

If these profound teachings and practices are to address the great social suffering of our society and world and help us live with greater wisdom and compassion, there is probably no more important area to put attention than bringing the practices of mindfulness and compassion into our schools.

There is amazing work being done by a number of organizations to bring mindfulness practices into schools. Two weeks ago, 1,300 people attended a benefit with Jon Kabat-Zinn for Mindful Schools, an organization that has taught over 14,000 children in 53 schools in the last five years.

Programs to bring mindfulness into schools have had a significant impact on student absences, suspensions, attention-skills, and behavior. This video shows the impact of a mindfulness program in San Francisco schools.

IMCW is beginning a program to help bring mindfulness to schools in the greater Washington area. If you would like to be involved in this effort, please join us on Friday, March 9 at Lil Omm Yoga studio, 4708 Wisconsin Ave, NW, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Americans have experienced tough times lately—economic insecurity, the hardship of fighting two wars, a poisonous political climate, and more. In the midst of these tough times, though, a quiet revolution has been gathering momentum. People across the nation have been finding ways to live more mindfully. As the proven benefits of mindfulness are revealed to our citizens, they’re enthusiastically cultivating this basic human quality in school programs, hospitals, doctor’s offices, the military, and other vital institutions.

Congressman Tim Ryan talks about how this revolutionary work can help Americans reduce stress, improve their performance, and recapture the can-do American spirit. By slowing down and paying attention, Ryan says, we can create a dynamic new vision for America—together.

Sponsored by the Insight Meditation Community of Washington and Tricycle Magazine, BuddhaFest returns with its unique mix of films, talks and meditation. This year music takes center stage too, as internationally-acclaimed Krishna Das performs in concert during an evening of sacred music.

The festival will be held June 14-17 at the Spectrum Theatre at Artisphere, in the Rosslyn section of Arlington, Virginia. It’s two blocks from the Rosslyn metro and parking is free. Attend individual events or the entire festival.

Last year BuddhaFest filled over 3,000 seats as people from the local area, along with others who traveled here from around the country gathered in community. Participants said the festival was moving, insightful and fun.

This year, one subject being highlighted at BuddhaFest is the profound effect mindfulness is having on so many people, and how it is helping to transform lives. Congressman Tim Ryan of Ohio, author of the book A Mindful Nation, which is being released this month, is one of the speakers who will focus on the important role mindfulness is having in our culture.

An exciting new feature has been added to this year’s festival – the BuddhaFest Short Films Showcase presented by Tricycle. A $1,000 top prize is being offered for films of 5 minutes or less that explore the question, “What does it mean to be Awake in the World?”

BuddhaFest is encouraging people to grab a camera and put together a short film that explores such themes as meditation, living mindfully, and seeking greater levels of awareness, compassion and service in the world. Tricycle will give a one-year membership for every film submitted.

BuddhaFest will select finalists, and those films will be posted on the festival’s website and on Tricycle.com for people to vote on. The film with the most votes will win the Audience Choice award, along with $1,000 from Tricycle and two four-day "all festival" passes to BuddhaFest. 

Please email BuddhaFest if you would like to volunteer to help out during the next three months or during the four days of the festival.

IMCW is pleased to support the production of When the Iron Bird Flies and is hoping that you will consider donating to help complete the film, which is scheduled to be shown this June at BuddhaFest 2012. 

When the Iron Bird Flies examines the flight of key Tibetan spiritual leaders from Tibet in 1959 and the resulting explosion of Buddhist teaching in the West. It asks, “"Can these age old teachings help us find genuine happiness and save the planet as well?"

The IMCW sangha enjoyed director Vicki Hancock’s film, Blessings: The Tsoknyi Nangchen Nuns of Tibet at BuddhaFest 2011. Now we have the opportunity to help support the completion of Hitchcock’s new film. 

In order to reach their goal of completing and releasing the film for the June 16 world premiere at BuddhaFest, Chariot Videos needs our support to Kickstart the production. The Kickstarter campaign for Iron Bird accepts pledges until 8 p.m. on March 17. If at that time, the needed $30,000 has not been raised, the pledges will be returned. Different levels of pledges receive different gifts as a "thank you" for pledging, from a thank you card and name on the Facebook page for a donation of $10 or more, to DVDs of Blessings and When the Iron Bird Flies for pledges of $75 or more. 

(Note, 3/22: the IRON BIRD Kickstarter campaign was successful! It ended on Saturday, and raised $32,018. They'll now be able to finish the film in time to screen it at BF. Thank you for your help in getting the word out!)

IMCW is grateful for your generosity in supporting this remarkable film.

The Four "Divine Abodes" or "Immeasurable" States

The Brahma Viharas, deepening practice class series, February 27-April 2, 2012.

The audio of the talks given for this class series is available under "DSPP Spring 2012: The Brahma Viharas," on our Talks series page.

The Buddha taught that "whatever one frequently thinks and ponders upon will be the inclination of one’s mind."  If we sow thoughts of anger and hatred, those will become the qualities of our mind; if we sow thoughts of love and generosity, those will become the qualities of our mind.

As a mother watches over her child … so with a boundless heart should one cherish all living beings. 

~ Metta Sutta

He also provided a path of training that helps us to see the thoughts, words, and actions that lead us to continued suffering and those that lead to freedom from suffering.

A key teaching and practice was to “abandon what is unskillful” and “cultivate the good.”

We abandon the unskillful—afflictive states of heart/mind, such as greed, cruelty, anger, and jealousy—by opening fully to our experience with mindfulness, compassion, and love. In opening fully—radically accepting our experience just as it is—we come to see the essential "emptiness' of these states—that they only have power over us if we cling to or resist them.

We cultivate the good by nurturing and developing states of heart and mind that lead to happiness and freedom. The Buddha taught that four qualities of an awakened heart—that naturally arise in a heart that is free of clinging, aversion and ignorance—can also be developed and cultivated and can bring beauty and kindness to the world. These qualities are known as the Brahma (divine) Viharas (abodes).

These four qualities—loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic (or appreciative) joy, and equanimity—are called divine abodes because they can become the natural dwelling-place of the heart—the place we feel most at home.

These qualities are also called the "four immeasurables" because they have the capacity to purify the heart and generate positive energy beyond measure—and because they extend immeasurably to all beings in all realms of existence. They are unbounded, measureless.

The first of the divine abodes is loving kindness (metta), a quality of heart that is boundless, pure, and open—a love that extends to all beings without attachments or exclusion. Compassion (karuna) is the expression of an open, loving heart meeting the suffering of others—the quivering of the heart in the face of suffering. Sympathetic joy (mudita) is the quality of an open, loving heart meeting the happiness and well-being of others. And equanimity (uppekkha) is the expression of an unshakeable composure of heart—a love that embraces all beings with wisdom, balance, and serenity.

If you would like to deepen your study and practice of the Brahma Viharas, join IMCW senior teacher Hugh Byrne for a six-week course beginning Monday, February 27. Each class will include guided meditations on the Brahma Viharas, a talk, and a period for discussion and questions. For information and to register see the Brahma Vihara class series webpage. 

May all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness

May all beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering

May all beings never be separated from the joy that is beyond all sorrow

May all beings abide in equanimity

We will meet on Friday, Jan 27 from 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. at Lil Omm Yoga in Tenleytown, DC (4708 Wisconsin Ave, NW--two blocks north of Tenleytown metro).

The main focus of Friday's meeting will be on bringing mindfulness and compassion into schools in our area and to support military veterans. We will also hear updates of work in other areas (e.g., prisons, social justice, environment) and continue to explore ways of channeling these efforts into a Compassionate DC campaign.

Please join us on Friday--and if you are not able to come but are involved or interested in working in either of these (or other) areas, please email me.

If you were not able to attend December's meeting and would like to find out what we discussed, please see the videos of our meeting on the IMCW Talks page.

May our efforts help to build a more compassionate world.

Warmest wishes,

Hugh Byrne, Guiding Teacher, IMCW 

& the Compassionate Washington DC Dharma Team

with James Baraz  

The 2012 Awakening Joy Course is now officially open for registration. I'm very excited about next year's course and hope you join us. We will have a great line-up of guest speakers that includes six teachers from Spirit Rock (besides myself) as well as high caliber happiness and neuroscience experts sharing their wisdom. You can see the line-up of speakers, the dates of next year's classes and other information at the Awakening Joy website.

Check out our Facebook page. We'll be using it throughout the year as a source of quotes and inspiring material for anyone who would like to have that support. In addition, we'll have live conference calls so that those taking it online can check in with their practice too.

Rick Hanson says, "James Baraz is a co-founder of Spirit Rock Meditation Center and has created Awakening Joy, a ten-month experiential course to develop our natural capacity for happiness and well-being.... The course is grounded in modern science and ancient wisdom.... It very honestly faces the hard parts of life while also exploring the healing, refueling, and awakening powers of joy. It's unique and frankly not to be missed."

Photos by Ellen Tynan, Jonathan Foust, Danuta Oftinowski, and Neile Whitney

We hope that those of you in the D.C. area will join us on Wednesday, December 21 at 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m. for our annual Solstice celebration at River Road Unitarian Church. As in past years, this is a special night for our IMCW community. Our Wednesday night gathering at River Road Unitarian Church in Bethesda will include a dharma talk and meditation, as well as a song by the inimitable La Sarmiento.  We will have a beautiful candle lighting ceremony accompanied by chanting, and refreshments and time to be with friends--old and new. 

On January 4, 7:30 p.m. Tara Brach will hold her annual True Refuge Class. Tara will give a talk on "The Three Pathways to True Refuge," and then lead a simple, beautiful "refuge ceremony" that allows you to bring alive your aspiration for the new year.

There will be NO Wednesday class on December 28. Please mark your calendars!

On Friday, December 9 from 7:30-9:30 p.m. at the Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church in Washington, DC (3401 Nebraska Ave, NW--directions), we will be meeting to explore ways in which we can act together to create a more compassionate community and world. We hope you will join us.

One exciting initiative being launched in the Washington area is a campaign to make Washington, DC, a 'compassionate city.' The global Compassionate Cities campaign comes out of the Charter for Compassion developed by Karen Armstrong and other spiritual leaders. It seeks to restore compassion to the center of morality and religion and make compassion a 'clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world.'

Active initiatives underway and others that could be developed as part of our Buddhist contribution to a Compassionate Washington DC campaign are:

• Efforts to teach mindfulness and compassion in schools in our area (currently happening through Inward Bound Mindfulness Education/iBme)
• Mindfulness classes in local correctional institutions (already underway through IMCW's Insight on the Inside program)
• Training in meditation and mindfulness for returning veterans
• Bringing mindfulness activities to the Occupy events through regular meditation programs (already underway through the Buddhist Peace Fellowship and others)
• Efforts to develop and influence local and national actions and policies to express our love for the earth and address climate change
• Responding to the needs of the poorest of the poor worldwide, e.g. through efforts such as Buddhist Global Relief, founded by Bhikkhu Bodhi

We hope you will join us on December 9 to plan and promote activities to bring mindfulness and compassion more actively and consciously into our community and world.

Please email us if you plan to come to the meeting on December 9. We will then send more information. Once you RSVP, we will send you a set of four questions for reflection and focus in preparation for our discussion. If you would like to be part of this effort but cannot attend on the 9th, note that in your reply to receive the questions.

We look forward to hearing from you and working together to bring the wisdom and compassion of Dharma teachings and practices more fully into the world.

Warmest wishes,

Hugh Byrne, IMCW Senior Teacher 

& the Compassionate Washington DC Dharma Team

Buddha spoke of attention as one of the most powerful methods to become free. Instead of going along with the mind and believing its stories—living the dream-like life—Buddha was suggesting to pause, to stop and look deeply into the nature of all things. Instead of wandering and dreaming, pause and look carefully and pay attention to everything carefully. When we do that, sometimes the perfect understanding or prajna reveals itself to us—we have the direct insight into all things, simply by paying attention to the depth of all things. We stop and pause as a way of questioning what the truth is, what freedom is.

This is an effective method for waking up. Right now in this moment. When we practice the traditional Buddhist methods we talk about mindfulness, we talk about paying attention to the breath and one's activities. The true meaning of paying attention is more than about paying attention to the body or breath—it is a way of stopping the work of the deluded mind, stopping the wheel of suffering that the ego is spinning. Look into the depth with a sharp, keen observation so that we can see the truth right there. You will stop spinning the wheel of delusion and see that the truth of all things or emptiness is not so far from us—it is everywhere....

This interview of Anam Thubten by Jeff Fox of Snow Lion Publications continues on the Snow Lion website.  Anam Thubten, author of the newly released No Self, No Problem, talks about "how to realize the ultimate meaning of life in each moment by dissolving all notions of ego identity. It asks that spiritual seekers wake up to their true nature, which is already enlightened." (Snow Lion, 2011)

You are invited to join Anam Thubten Rinpoche, guest teacher at the Arlington class of Jonathan Foust and Stig Regli on Monday, December 5 at 7:30 p.m.  Please see the class webpage for details.