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Some programs are held in person and online. Check the calendar for details. Before attending read the full protocol here.

HomeEngaged Buddhism

Engaged Buddhism


The Buddha said: “I teach one thing and one thing only: the truth of suffering and the ending of suffering.”  The Buddha spoke of the practice of mindfulness as being like swimming upstream against the current of our conditioning. With consistent mindfulness practice, wisdom and compassion regarding the causes of suffering deepens. Arising wise compassion urges action to reduce suffering. 

Engaged Buddhism is practicing this Dharma as we encounter both social and environmental suffering. In the face of today’s suffering, Bhikkhu Bodhi teaches it is not enough to stay in the comfort of our meditation halls but rather we need to take the moral integrity and compassion our practice develops into the political/social sphere of action. At WHS we offer several options for engaging your practice to reduce suffering. 
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Pantry Project

Little Free Food Pantries are public kiosks where those who have extra may donate food and dry goods items and those who need these items may pick them up for free. 
Sangha members organized the design and construction of two of these pantries. One is located in Santa Maria and is maintained and stocked by sangha members. The other is located at the Unitarian Universalist church in San Luis Obispo.

Food and goods for the Pantry Project may be donated (see this document for suggestions on what and how to donate) and monetary donations are accepted here. Sangha volunteers organize the donations, shop for food, and transport the goods to the pantry. 

For more information, visit this page. Volunteers and donations are always welcome.

Engaged Buddhist Study

Open to all: 2nd and 4th Fridays 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

This study group is peer led and we are fortunate to have many teachers today to guide us in our study for “off the cushion” practice. Among these Buddhist teachers are David Loy, Roshi Joan Halifax, Sharon Salzberg, Donald Rothberg, Thich Nhat Hanh, HH the Dalai Lama, Bernie Glassman, and many others.

The purpose of this Dharma study is to deepen our understanding of how Buddhist teachings can extend to and inform our social/environmental activism. This study and practice may assist each of us in being more effective in our various individual attempts to reduce societal and environmental suffering.

Before the meeting, participants are asked to review these two documents:
   EBS Guidelines for Sharing   
   EBS Intention and Dedication

For more information contact: Sharon Rippner

Engaged Buddhist Planning Group

Open to all WHS members: 2nd and 4th Mondays 4:30 - 5:30 PM

We hold the intention to apply the values and teachings of Buddhism to the problems of society in a nonviolent way. We support one another in taking social and environmental action as individuals and/or as a Sangha. We are motivated by concern for the welfare of others and take action as an expression of our own practice of the Buddhist Way.

We base our practice in the guidelines of the Five Mindfulness Trainings provided by Thich Nhat Hanh, as set forth in his book, For a Future to be Possible: Buddhist Ethics for Everyday Life. These trainings inform our decision making with respect to any actions we, WHS Engaged Buddhists, participate in or sponsor.
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Five Mindfulness Trainings
Five Mindfulness Trainings


First Mindfulness Training: Reverence for Life

   

Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I am committed to cultivating compassion and learning ways to protect the lives of people, animals, plants and minerals. I am determined not to kill, not to let others kill, and not to support any act of killing in the world, in my thinking, and in my way of life. 


Second Mindfulness Training: Generosity


Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice, stealing, and oppression, I am committed to cultivating loving kindness and learning ways to work for the well-being of people, animals, plants, and minerals. I will practice generosity by sharing my time, energy, and material resources with those who are in real need. I am determined not to steal and not to possess anything that should belong to others. I will respect the property of others, but I will prevent others from profiting from human suffering or the suffering of other species on Earth.


Third Mindfulness Training: Sexual Responsibility 


Aware of the suffering caused by sexual misconduct, I am committed to cultivating responsibility and learning ways to protect the safety and integrity of individuals, couples, famiilies, and society. I a determined not to engage in sexual relations without love and a long-term commitment. To preserve the happiness of myself and others, I am determined to respect my commitments and the commitments of others. I will do everything in my power to protect children from sexual abuse and to prevent couples and families from being broken by sexual misconduct. 


Fourth Mindfulness Training: Deep Listening and Loving Speech


Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful speech and the inability to listen to others, I am committed to cultivating loving speech and deep listening in order to bring joy and happiness to others and relieve others of their suffering. Knowing that words can create happiness or suffering, I am determined to speak truthfully, with words that inspire self-confidence, joy and hope. I will not spread news that I do not know to be certain and will not criticize or condemn things of which I am not sure. I will refrain from uttering words that can cause division or discord, or that can cause the family or the community to break. I am determined to make all efforts to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, however small. 


Fifth Mindfulness Training: Diet for a Mindful Society


Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption, I am committed to cultivating good health, both physical and mental, for myself, my family and my society by practicing mindful eating, drinking, and consuming. I will ingest only items that preserve peace, well-being, and joy in my body and consciousness of my family and society. I am determined not to use alcohol or any other intoxicant or to ingest foods or other items that contain toxins, such as certain TV programs, magazines, books, films, and conversations. I am aware that to damage my body or my consciousness with these poisons is to betray my ancestors, my parents, my society, and future generations. I will work to transform violence, fear, anger, and confusion in myself and in society by practicing a diet for myself and for society. I understand that a proper diet is crucial for self-transformation and for the transformation of society.



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For more information contact: Sharon Rippner

People's Kitchen - White Heron Sangha Volunteers Feed the Hungry

"To provide A Hot Meal Everyday To Whoever Wants it And Offer it With Justice and Love"

The mission of the People’s Kitchen of San Luis Obispo is to feed the hungry in our community, not just the homeless. For more than 20 years the People’s Kitchen has been providing a hot noon meal to anyone who is hungry. More than 30,000 meals are served each year. The success of the People’s Kitchen has been due to the volunteer efforts of many individuals and organizations. The People’s Kitchen does not receive local, state, or federal money. All meals are provided through volunteer efforts (see more about the People's Kitchen).

 

White Heron Sangha members join with volunteers from the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship one Sunday per month in preparing and serving lunch at 40 Prado, formerly Prado Day Center. As a Sangha following the Buddha's teachings on compassion, we have a chance to practice and make a difference locally.

Here are some of the practical details:

Food: The coordinator decides on how many of the trays/dishes should be made to feed approximately 90 to 110 people. This includes basic categories of starches, veggies, protein, bread, fruit, milk (on rare occasions juice). The coordinator makes sure that there are enough people bringing trays/dishes of each category. Because some of us have been doing this for a long time (sometimes years), we typically are already signed up to bring our favorite dish (for instance, I regularly prepare mac and cheese). The coordinator will confer with new participants to decide on an appropriate offering. Wendy Liepman is currently the coordinator for White Heron Sangha volunteers. 

Scheduling: The coordinator sends an email about 1 to 2 weeks ahead of time to all those who are participating, asking who will be available for the upcoming meal and who will be willing to serve the food. Normally, we need about nine people. Six of these will serve, one will act as backup to the serving crew to keep them supplied with trays of food as they run out (standing behind the serving crew), one will clean the pans as they are emptied, and one will fill/serve cups with water/milk.

Timing: Most of the volunteers arrive around 11:30 - 11:45 am. We start serving at 12 noon and continue for about 45 minutes, depending on how many people show up. We have usually cleaned up the area and are out by 1:00 - 1:15 pm. 

Volunteering: If you volunteer for feeding the homeless at Prado, you are only volunteering as you are available, not for a set-in-stone, every month obligation. Volunteers make up a "pool" of people who are called upon monthly to find enough to make up a crew for that date. It's ok to decline to participate whenever you need to. The goal is to have a sufficient pool to meet the ongoing need of feeding the homeless monthly.

Presently, to maintain the safety of clients and volunteers, while we are providing food, there is no serving being done by any volunteer group. All dishes should be in disposable containers as we will have no one there to return/retrieve items after the meal. If you are interested in participating, please contact Wendy Liepman at wliepman@yahoo.com.

Sustaining Being Mindful of Race

This group is currently on hold.

We acknowledge that individual, institutional and systemic racism exists and causes great suffering in the world. This group comes together to help each other expose how unconscious bias works in our minds and in our lives. By speaking and sharing from the heart we uncover the impact racism has on each of us. Each meeting is centered around a topic and usually has a reading or a video to access beforehand.
Meeting participants are asked to read these two sets of guidelines for appropriate communication before each meeting:
    Communication Guidelines
    Mindful Sharing

For more information contactAlice Reinheimer or Susan Quinones

Links to Engaged Buddhist Actions and Other Resource Pages