Monday, September 29, we will meet in person/online (Hybrid).
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, September 29th, from 7-8:30PM EDT online/in person (hybrid); Wednesday morning, October 1, from 7-8AM EDT in person at our meditation space (3812 Northampton Street NW); Thursday morning, October 2, from 7-8AM EDT online; and Friday, October 3, 12-1PM EDT online.
This Monday, Annie will facilitate, and our Sangha will host a special guest, David Viafora.
David was ordained as a monk by Thich Nhat Hanh in the Plum Village tradition, and is currently a lay member of the Order of Interbeing.
He recently published a book on Sangha building, "Thriving Together: Nine Principles for Cocreating True Community." According to the book's foreword by Sister True Dedication, “David Viafora’s quest to explore the essential elements of healthy communities of mindfulness has taken him on a multi-year journey across continents, visiting and living with dozens of communities in the Plum Village tradition…This book, the fruit of his exploration, draws on the collective wisdom of over 100 community builders who have shared their lives and insights with courage and vulnerability.”
David will invite members to share about their own community experiences and questions, facilitating an interactive dialogue so that our time together will be helpful and relatable to people's interests and needs. He will also share stories and lessons on Sangha building in which individual or collective challenges and difficulties can lead to community strength, joy, and compassionate connections.
In Thriving Together David says, “In true community, we don’t have to face the difficulties of the world on our own. What we can embrace and heal as a community is far greater and more fulfilling than what we could ever achieve alone.”
We look forward to seeing you Monday.
David’s bio:
David Viafora, LICSW, Chân Thiền Sơn/True Zen Mountain (he/him) first started a local sangha where he was raised on the land of the Cahuila Nation, in California, US, over twenty years ago, and the joyful flame of Sangha building has been lit ever since. He first ordained as a monk with Thích Nhất Hạnh in 2005 and spent several years living in the Plum Village tradition monasteries before finding his niche in lay community life. David now practices with Greatwoods Zen Sangha in the land of the Catawba in North Carolina, where he currently resides. As a white-presenting Chinese-American cis man, David is committed to learning from and making peace with his ancestors who both caused and were harmed by intergenerational trauma. Some of David’s favorite things to do are drinking tea in the forest with friends, Sangha game nights, conscious dance, playing with haiku, and sunset meditations.