Dear Sangha,

As we move into May, our practice of the dharma continues with our regular offerings, as well as several unique practice opportunities.

Show Me Dharma looks forward to an exciting new practice opportunity on the horizon. We will be offering a People of Color Meditation Group. Althea Harris will be leading this group; Althea anticipates that the class will begin in the next several months. We feel very enthusiastic about this addition to our practice offerings.

TheCommittedPractice Groups will take a break beginning in early May and resume in early June. When the classes resume, we welcome New Members. We will continue the exploration of the Noble Eightfold Path. Registration and a brief conference with the teacher are required for the group. The Monday morning group is taught by Lynn Rossy and Joe McCormack, and the Thursday evening group is taught by Bob Hodge.  The groups are designed to help us deepen our practice of meditation and learn to take the benefits of the practice off the cushion and into every part of our human lives. PleasecontactJoeMcCormackatmetta41856@gmail.com  orLynnRossyatRossyl@umsystem.eduifyouwishtojointheMondayclass, andBobHodgeathodgeratgmail.comifyouareinterestedintheThursdayclass.

In May, wecontinuewithourBasicsofInsightMeditationSeriesin the TuesdayEveningMeditationclasses in May. The series covers a number of topics vital to the practice of insight meditation. This month we will be covering The Five Hindrances. The Tuesday class is suitable both for beginning students and for seasoned practitioners. Please see below for details. We also continue our SundayMorningMeditationGroup. The Sunday Morning group combines the wonderful practices of mindful movement, sitting meditation with instructions, a dharma discussion, and the offering of metta, integrating the body, the mind, and the heart.

TheKalyanaMittaBookStudyGroupmeetsonSunday May 27 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm at Show Me Dharma Center. We continue with the book TheBestBuddhistWritingof 2009, pages 150-203. Please join us. Kalyana Mitta is a Pali term that means “spiritual friend”. In this peer-led group, we provide spiritual friendship for each other as we study together Buddhist writings as a means of bringing the wisdom and compassion of the dharma into our daily lives.

The next Show Me Dharma Board meeting will be on Sunday June 10 from 4:00-6:00 pm at Show Me Dharma. Please come to find out about the workings of the sangha. We value your participation and input.

An Insight Dialogue Daylong Retreat will be offered Sunday May 20 from 9:00 am-4:00 pm at Above the Beyond Yoga Center. Beth Shoyer and Donna Strickland will be leading this retreat. Insight Dialogue is an interpersonal meditation practice that evokes our capacity to awaken out of habitual ways of interacting and open into shared presence. Please see the announcement below for details.

A Vesak Celebration will take place on Saturday May 5 from 12:00 noon-4:00 pm at the Vipassana Buddhist Church, 203 East Dunklin in Jefferson City.Vesak is the celebration of the birth of the Buddha. There will be remarks on Vesak, a ceremonial bathing of the Buddha statue, a practice exercise on mindfulness and the five senses, and sitting meditation. Please feel free to attend for as much of the afternoon as you can.

A Qigong Training and Healing Workshop taught by Dr. Effie Chow will take place in Columbia Friday May 4-Sunday May 6. There will be a free public talk from 7:00-9:00 pm at the MU Memorial Union, followed by the workshop on Saturday and Sunday May 5-6 at the Hilton Garden Inn. See below for details on registration.

TaiChiClasseswillbeofferedatShowMeDharma, taughtbyMasterArthurDu. Master Arthur Du will be offering an eight-week Tai Chi class at Show Me Dharma beginning Monday April 30. The class will meet on Mondays and Fridays, 5:30-6:30 pm. Tai Chi is a wonderful opportunity to being mindfulness and awareness to the body in motion. Please see the announcement below for more details.

MembershipInvitation: AgreatwaytoconnectwiththeSMDsanghaisthroughbecomingamemberofShowMeDharma. TobecomeamemberofShowMeDharma, allthatisnecessaryistoindicatethatyouwishtobecomeamember. There are no obligations in order to be a member, but according to the by-laws of the organization, participation in some activities such as being on the board requires membership in Show Me Dharma. If you are interested in membership, please email Joe McCormack at metta41856@gmail.com  with your name, address, email address, and phone number.

To all, a sincere thank you for your commitment to the sangha.  Please know that your presence is a true gift, whether it‘s expressed through participation in Show Me Dharma activities or through heart and mind.  If you would like to help SMD meet the expenses of offering opportunities for practice, please see information about donating in the Treasurer’s Report at the bottom of this newsletter.

May our practice – shared or alone, on or off the cushion – be dedicated to the benefit of all beings.

In loving memory of Ginny Morgan,

The SMD Teachers‘ Council and Board

UPCOMING EVENTS

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COMING SOON: PEOPLE OF COLOR SITTING GROUP

led by Althea Harris

To be held at Show Me Dharma

CLASSES & WORKSHOPS

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COMMITTED PRACTICE GROUPS

The Four Noble Truths: Finding Meaning and Joy in the Face of Suffering

The Fourth Noble Truth—The Noble Eightfold Path

NEW PARTICIPANTS WELCOME IN JUNE! 

SEE BELOW FOR HOW TO REGISTER.

Monday Class 8 to 9:30 am with Joe McCormack and Lynn Rossy starts June 11, 2012.

Thursday Class 7:00 to 8:30 pm with Bob Hodge starts June 7, 2012.

Classes held at Show Me Dharma Center

Cost: dana (donations)

**Registration and a brief conference with teacher is required**

For several months, The Committed Practice groups have been studying the Four Noble Truths. We have now embarked on the study of the Fourth Noble Truth, that of the Noble Eightfold Path. As we shift our focus to the Eightfold Path, this is a good time for new people to join a group, after we return in June.

The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path are the foundational teachings of Buddhist wisdom and freedom. Our class will lead us from an exploration of the Truths as philosophical statements about suffering into a method for directly coping with suffering in your life. As a result of this direct experience, we can discover in ever-increasing measure the freedom of mind that is always available to us.

Held in a climate of lovingkindness and safety, the Committed Practice Classes are designed to help us deepen our practice of meditation and learn to take the benefits of the practice off the cushion and into every part of our human lives. In this way we bring a balance to wisdom & compassion and tune our lives into that balance.

Required Books: We will be using Eight Mindful Steps To Happiness by Bhante Gunaratana and Dancing with Life by Phillip Moffitt as resources for our reading and discussion.

TO REGISTER:

If you are interested in the Monday class, please contact Joe McCormack at metta41856 @ gmail.com, or Lynn Rossy at rossyl @ umsystem.edu, or call (573) 355-5303.

SUNDAY MORNING MEDITATION

Meets Sunday, 10:30-11:30 am at the Show Me Dharma Center

No registration required – open to all

The Sunday Service is designed to help us bring together three blessings of our spiritual practice–the blessing of body, the blessing of heart and mind in balance, and the blessing of sharing the results of our mindful actions for the benefit and welfare of all beings. We will begin our morning of practice together with a short period of mindful movement (for example, gentle stretching or walking meditation), followed by a 30-minute period of sitting practice with instruction designed to bring balance to heart and mind.  We will end the sitting with the sharing of metta (lovingkindness) followed by a short talk designed to bring our practices into the ordinary efforts of our work, our lives with our friends and families—the lives we live. Come start your week with us!

May 6              Terry Furstenau

May 13            Joe McCormack

May 20            Althea Harris

May 27            Tonda March

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TUESDAY NIGHT BASICS OF INSIGHT MEDITATION GROUP

In February, we will be beginning the BasicsofInsightMeditationSeries

Meets every Tuesday, 7:30 to 8:30 pm at Show Me Dharma Center

No registration required – open to all

• If you’re new to meditation, you’re welcome to come soon after the doors open at 7:15 to receive a brief orientation.

A short Dharma talk, meditation instruction, & a 30-minute meditation period, with an optional discussion period following the tea break.  Led by the Show Me Dharma Teachers Council.

We begin our Basics of Insight Meditation series. This series provides instruction and direct experience in many of the foundational aspects of insight meditation, including concentration and insight practice, the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, mindfulness in daily life, the three characteristics of existence, and the Brahmaviharas. This month we will be covering the Five Hindrances.

May 1              Greed—with Tonda March

May 8              Aversion—with Terry Furstenau

May 15            Sloth & Torpor—with Beth Shoyer

May 22            Restlessness—with Beth Shoyer

May 29:           Doubt—with Tonda March

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KALYANA MITTA BOOK/PRACTICE DISCUSSION GROUP

Meets on a Sunday afternoon, every 4 to 6 weeks

Show Me Dharma Center

Next meeting date: Sunday May 27, 2012, 2:00-4:00 pm

No registration is required—open to all

Kalyana Mitta is a Pali term usually translated as “spiritual friend”. The Kalyana Mitta group is a peer-led group that explores off-the-cushion practice, using Buddhist writings as a starting point. We are beginning the book The Best Buddhist Writing of 2009. Please read pages 150-203.

The Best Buddhist Writing of 2009 is an anthology of short chapters and essays from numerous authors from many Buddhist traditions. The diversity of authors thus provides many perspectives from which to understand our practice and the many roads on the path to freedom.

For more information, please contact Joe McCormack at 573-864-5617 or metta41856@gmail.com.

Here is a link to the page on the book on amazon:

PRACTICE OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED BY OTHER GROUPS

The following activities may be of interest to you. These activities are not sponsored or endorsed by Show Me Dharma.

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TREASURER’S REPORT

Here is our current financial status as of April 27, 2012

Income year to date: $10,624

General expenses: $7,175

Bank Balance (4/27/2012) $56,105

Your support of Show Me Dharma for 2012 is very much appreciated!

There are three ways to make donations:

1.  Go online for a donation and/or a pledge (http://www.showmedharma.org/contribute/donations/)

2.  Use the SMD basket at the Sangha

3.  Mail to SMD, 5004 Dustin Ct, Columbia MO 65203.

Please feel free to contact me if questions.

Bob Hodge

Treasurer, SMD

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For more information about Show Me Dharma activities, Buddhist teachings, contact information, or helpful links, go to http://www.showmedharma.org

You can also find us on Facebook!

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Directions to SHOW ME DHARMA CENTER

2011 Chapel Hill Court, #9     Phone: 573.355.5303

From Forum Blvd., go west on Chapel Hill. Take a left onto Chapel Plaza Court, and then turn right into the parking lot for Kilgore’s. Go past Kilgore’s & continue south behind the long office building. #9 is a few doors down. Look for our blue and white poster on the door.

Other Retreats

Regular Sitting Groups

Other Activities or Events