Benicia Sangha

(god! -you are so lucky to get this newsletter this week)

This Sunday the 30th — Charlie Johnson

Charlie, a retired chemical engineer, has been practicing meditation and yoga since 1972, and currently teaches Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), yoga / qigong, meditation, and the Dharma in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. A graduate of Spirit Rock's Community Dharma Leaders program, he is a certified yoga teacher, registered with the Yoga Alliance, and is a member of the California Yoga Teachers Association and the International Association of Yoga Therapists. Come hear his talk this Sunday - you won't be dissappointed.
Dana!!! Although this Pali word means "generosity" and is meant to be offered as a gift from our hearts, and even as a 'practice,' in which we gently learn about 'letting go,' the reality is that our teachers who come to the Sangha have to live in the USA and many are surviving on our "donations". After looking at our financial records, we have realized (and discussed this at our last potluck/business night) that we need to increase the suggested Dana donation by a modest amount in order to keep the Sangha going and to insure that we'll be able to pay rent and have at least two teachers each month. We determined that if everyone could practice generosity by committing to $9-$10 each time you come to Sangha or, as another option, by making a monthly commitment of $25-$35 each month, we could meet the needs of our Sangha. To make it easier on all, the monthly commitment can be sent to:

Benicia Sangha,
715 West Third Street
Benicia, CA 94510.

A Japanese warrior was captured by his enemies and thrown into prison. That night he was unable to sleep because he feared that the next day he would be interrogated, tortured, and executed. Then the words of his Zen master came to him, "Tomorrow is not real. It is an illusion. The only reality is now." Heeding these words, the warrior became peaceful and fell asleep.

"We have to take each day one at a time. Each moment in this life only comes once, so take advantage of it and live it fully."

"We all have images and concepts of what tomorrow will bring - good or bad. But we never know for sure what will happen."

"Isn't this a bit of a paradox. The only reality is 'now' - but 'now' quickly becomes the past. So there is no reality at all! Maybe that's why the soldier shouldn't worry about it."

"That soldier better hope the Zen master is on his way to rescue him. Those words are pretty easy for the master, who's probably sleeping comfortably in his bed at home."

"Almost anyone would be anxious in this situation. I don't think the master's advice would work for most people."

"This reminds me of something my mother told me last week. 'Stop dreaming and live.'"

"We always want to plan for the future, but we often make ourselves miserable in the present while doing it."

"People tend to worry way too much about things that they can't control. If we can just let it go, we'd be at peace with ourselves."

"The only reality is now, but what WILL happen when the soldier wakes up. That will quickly become reality too."

"I think the warrior should be thinking of ways to escape, rather than sleeping. I hope the Zen master told him that torture is an illusion too."

"A good tale, but it's not complex enough. It's too easily dismissed as being silly."