We are pleased to announce there will be sitting practice every Saturday at the Buddha house. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

NOTICE!
The meditation hall will be closed for renovation on November 17th and 22nd
See you in December!

We are working on putting together an afternoon picnic for the Buddha house Sangha on Sunday June 24 at Pipers lagoon. We would love to have help organizing this event. Please call Josephine at 250-756-2127 and leave your name and number if she is not available to take your call. She would also like you to RSVP if you are planning to come and how many children there will be so she can put together some children's activities. So far the plan will be to   - Bring a vegetarian dish to share - Bring your own cutlery, beverage ,napkin and chair or mat -RVSP – call 250-756-2127 ; leave name , telephone # for your self and if you have children number of kids coming

  Tentative schedule:
Out side yoga outside meditation children's games - start time 3:00 -
Eat at 5:00 

I will include an update in the next Sangha and Friends email . Best Wishes Susan

Dr. Cheryl Fraser opened up with an amazing guided meditation into the opening of the heart and followed with the dharma teaching . We have been blessed with many new people joining us at the Buddha house the last few weeks it is lovely to have people showing up with interest in Buddhism and meditation.In this email I am including a Love meditation practice that you can do at home if you are interested - it is out of the Chanting and recitation Book compiled by Thich Nhat Hanh . Over the next couple of weeks we will meet for our regular meditation practice, walking meditation and dharma tea ; it is always wonderful to practice together I hope you will all join us . The Yoga class’s will be cancelled now for the summer months and we will try to have them start again in September. I would like to send out a heart felt Thank You to Kelli and Michael for sharing these well attended lovely classes with us all.  

Love Meditation
 
( We begin practicing this love meditation focusing on ourselves (“I”). Until we are able to love and take care of ourselves,we cannot be of much help to others.Next , we can practice towards others (substituting “he/she” or “they”), first with someone we love, next with someone we like, then with someone neutral to us, and finally toward someone who has made us suffer.) 

May I be peaceful , happy , and light in body and spirit.
May I be safe and free form injury.
May I be free from anger, afflictions, fear, and anxiety.  
May I learn to look at myself with the eyes of understanding and love.
May I be able to recognize and touch the seeds of joy and happiness in myself.
May I learn to identify and see the sources of anger,craving,and delusion in myself.   May I know how to nourish the seeds of joy in myself everyday.
May i be able to live fresh,solid, and free.
May I be free from attachment and aversion, but not be indifferent.  

Coming Events:
June 2nd. – 10:00 Regular meditation practice
June 9th. - 10:00 Regular meditation practice
June 24th - Group Picnic at Pipers Lagoon (more information to follow)  

Community Events: (Please do not contact me for community events) 
Retreat with Dr. Cheryl Fraser July 27 –31 To register you can go to there web sight http://www.dharmafellowship.org/hermitage/retreats.htm there is a registration form that you will fill out and send it by mail. This retreat is held at the Hermitage on Denman Island  
Mindfulness Practice at 5- 6:30 p.m. Mondays At 40 Kennedy St.,
Dharma Books on Wednesdays from 7-8:30 (same address as above)
Maggy.MacDonald@viu.ca