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All are welcome, regardless of whether you have previously attended.
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As more detail becomes available, this page will be updated. Archived activity calendars: 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003 |
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The Northampton Shin Buddhist Sangha Board of Directors will be exploring new web options in 2009. There will be no more updates to this web site, but a new web site should be arriving in 2009. The new domain name will be: northamptonshinbuddhistsangha.net. I will leave this web site in place indefinitely as a source of historic information. If you want to receive monthly email updates, or if you have questions about the new web site, please direct them to whitecloud8@verizon.net. If you have inquiries specifically about the Family Dharma program, you may continue to direct them to shin_sangha@yahoo.com. 
| ~~ TY UNNO'S REFLECTIONS FOR DECEMBER 
The person who made Shin Buddhism the largest and most influential denomination in Japanese Buddhism is Rennyo (1415-1497), the eighth successor to the founder Shinran. He emphasized personal awareness and faith (shinjin) in the Shin teaching as crucial factors in the growth of the tradition. As a a consequence of his encouragement, Shin Buddhism became the largest and most influential of Japanese Buddhist schools. Rennyo taught personal awareness as a crucial factor, as follows: it gathers nor by the impressiveness of its religious rituals. Even if only one person awakens to the compassion of Amida Buddha and experiences true entrusting (shinjin), that determines the success of the teaching." The Northampton Shin Buddhist Sangha may be small, but according to Rennyo, what is crucial is that each member deepens his or her commitment by deep hearing, open discussion, and applying the teaching to one's daily life. Palms together, Ty Unno. ~~ MONTHLY SANGHA EVENTS You should have received an email announcement for the monthly events from Geoff Brown. If you did not receive the announcement, please email whitecloud8@verizon.net and get on the list! ~~ FAMILY DHARMA ~~ Sunday 12/28/08, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM. Location: Dhamma Dena Children, parents, friends, guests and everyone, all are welcome! Dharma lesson, storytelling, crafts, quiet sitting meditation, chanting, birthdays, hands-on crafts, and music! We will continue our discussion of the Four Noble Truths, with Caroline and Van Foresman leading the discussion on "the cessation of dukkha." Please bring your beads, if you have them (if you don't have them, no problem!) Refreshment dana and flower dana are always welcomed, so please bring whatever you'd like to share.
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I once heard a story about a visit to heaven and hell. In both places the visitor saw many people seated at a table on which many delicious foods were laid out. In both places chopsticks over a meter long were tied to their right hands, while their left hands were tied to their chairs. In hell, however much they stretched out their arms, the chopsticks were too long for them to get food into their mouths. They grew impatient and got their hands and chopsticks tangled with one another's. The delicacies were scattered here and there. In heaven, on the other hand, people happily used the long chopsticks to pick out someone else's favorite food and feed it to him, and in turn they were being fed by others. They all enjoyed their meal in harmony. (Quotation from Zen Seeds: Reflections of a Female Priest by Shundo Aoyama) |