Monday, October 20, we will meet in person.
Go to calendar for our schedule
Address for OHMC meditation space:
3812 Northampton St. NW, Washington DC 20015
Please arrive a few minutes early so we can invite the bell on time. You may also arrive 15 minutes early to practice working meditation by helping us set up cushions.
Dear friends,
This week, we will meet Monday evening, October 20, from 7-8:30PM ET in person at our meditation space (3812 Northampton Street NW); Wednesday morning, October 22, from 7-8AM ET online; and Friday, October 24, from 12-1PM ET in person/online (hybrid).
On Monday, our evening meditation will be facilitated by Ellen. Ellen shares:
I attended services over the last few weeks for the Jewish high holidays of Rosh Hashanah (the new year) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). The themes of “return,” "repentance," and “renewal” are key to those holidays. This year, I was struck by the connection I saw between those themes and the important lessons from Thich Nhat Hanh about “letting go.”
The focus on return and renewal in the Jewish liturgy for these holidays is fundamentally about returning to one’s best self, letting go of harmful practices, and bringing a sense of renewal to the individual and the community. It’s about recognizing and taking responsibility for harm to others.
This year, there was a particularly moving sermon about how so many of us are in a state of perpetual anxiety and feel “triggered” all the time. With so much harm and violence and so many unprecedented things happening in this country, many of my friends and colleagues feel constantly overwhelmed, and as a result, some are building a reservoir of anger and resentment.
Thay teaches us about loving kindness and self-care, and how critical compassion for ourselves and others is in our practice. I’ve learned this doesn’t mean I have to fully accept or condone actions by others, but I can move past them and not let them nurture seeds that aren’t healthy for me or my friends and family.
I think of all the ways we work to bring the practice into our lives that help us return, help us let go –mindful breathing, sitting, eating, and walking. Resting. These take on added importance and benefits in these troubled times for me.
Here’s a powerful Thay quote, from The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace. Joy and Liberation, that captures the essence of this for me: “Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If, in our heart, we still cling to anything–anger, anxiety, or possessions–we cannot be free.”
So, how do you “let go?” Which practices have proven to be most helpful to you? What does “letting go” mean to you in these challenging times?
I look forward to seeing you in person on Monday.
Ellen