by Pam Marraccini | Uncategorized
Mother Earth has been here for a long time. She is mother to all of us. She knows everything. The Buddha asked the Earth to be his witness by touching her with his hand when he had some doubt and fear before his awakening. The Earth appeared to him as a beautiful mother. In her arms, she carried flowers and fruit, birds and butterflies, and many different animals, and offered them to the Buddha. The Buddha’s doubts and fears instantly disappeared.
Whenever you feel unhappy, come to the Earth and ask for her help. Touch her deeply, the way the Buddha did. Suddenly, you too will see the Earth with all her flowers and fruit, trees and birds, animals and all living beings that she has produced. All these things she offers to you.
by Pam Marraccini | calm, deep listening, Insight, listening, Stillness, understanding
Cloud Floating Free Sangha
How to Fight, Thich Nhat Hanh
When we observe or listen to other people, we often don’t see them clearly or really hear what they are saying. We see or hear our projections and prejudices instead. We have wrong perceptions about others, which color what we see and hear. Even if a friend gives us a compliment, we find it difficult to receive their kind words. Most of the time, our mind, thoughts, and feelings aren’t calm. They’re like the water in a muddy lake, which can’t reflect the sky because it’s been churned up by a storm. If we’re not calm, we can’t listen deeply and understand. But when our mind is calm, we can see reality more clearly, like still water reflecting the trees, the clouds, and the blue sky. Stillness is the foundation of understanding and insight. Stillness is strength.
by Pam Marraccini | compassion, nondiscrimination, Peace, Thich Nhat Hanh, understanding
from The Sun My Heart, Thich Nhat Hanh
Peace and compassion go hand in hand with understanding and nondiscrimination. We choose one thing over another when we discriminate. With the eyes of compassion, we can look at all living reality at once. A compassionate person sees himself or herself in every being. With the ability to view reality from many viewpoints, we can overcome all viewpoints and act compassionately in each situation.
by Pam Marraccini | Buddha, heart, love, Thich Nhat Hanh, Uncategorized, understanding
Thich Nhat Hanh, Answers From The Heart
The teaching of the Buddha aims at helping us to generate the energy of love and understanding. If we can practice that energy, it will first of all help us to satisfy our need to be loved. And then, with that capacity of love and understanding, we can embrace the people who are with us now. We can make them happy while we are happy ourselves.
by Pam Marraccini | Dialogue
I have copied this information from the Dialogue on Race Facebook page so that you can be informed about what is happening here in Cville.
Maggie and I are attending the Tuesday evening Circle. Hope to see some of you there…
Dialogue on Race is Back (bet you knew that already!) Come be part of a community initiative to translate dialogue into action. To learn more about the Dialogue on Race, please visit our website or call us at (434) 970-3023. we will have 2 different days of the week for meetings. YOu can choose either Tuesday or Saturday meeting days.
Our Weekday Study Circles will be kicking off on Sept. 26 from 6-9 pm at the Jefferson School Heritage Center. The Study Circles will meet once a month for 3 hrs from September through November with some reading materials to accompany the curriculum. To sign up to be a part of a weekday study circle, tell us you’re coming on this event and please fill out our application, which can be dropped off/mailed to the Office of Human Rights 106 5TH St. NE OR you can email it to dialogue@charlottesville.org
* Childcare will be made available upon request
** refreshments will be provided
Upcoming Times
Tue Sep 26 6:00 PM
Tue Oct 3 6:00 PM
Tue Nov 14 6:00 PM
Our Saturday Study Circles will be kicking off on Sept. 30 from 1-4 pm at the Jefferson School Heritage Center. The Study Circles will meet once a month for 3 hrs from September through November with some reading materials to accompany the curriculum. To sign up to be a part of a Saturday study circle, tell us you’re coming on this event and please fill out our application, which can be dropped off/mailed to the Office of Human Rights 106 5TH St. NE OR you can email it to dialogue@charlottesville.org
* Childcare will be made available upon request
** refreshments will be provided
Upcoming Times
