Dear Thay, dear sangha,
This coming Sunday, November 12, WMC will offer a special online Evening of Remembrance, starting at 6:30PM. This will be an evening of deep meditation focused on three practices:
The practice of contemplating our own physical nature and the true nature of those we love;
The practice of sharing with sangha our stories of remembrance of those who have touched us deeply and have now left their body (human or animal); and
The practice of deep listening in love and support as these stories of remembrance are shared.
This is usually one of the most moving and spiritually powerful evenings in our sangha year. We hope as many of you as possible will be able to attend.
In our efforts to create an appropriate atmosphere, you are invited to prepare in the following ways:
Consider in advance if you have a story of remembrance you would like to share with the sangha, about someone who has passed and how you’ve been touched by your shared life. Feel completely free to share your remembrance with a story, a poem, a song, a photo - whatever feels right for you at this time. Please prepare to present your story in full mindfulness of the time, so that as many as want to will have time to do the same (if 15 people share for 4 minutes each, that’s a full hour!)
Arrive on Zoom at least 10 minutes prior to 6:30 p.m. Please join the Zoom call from a darkened room in which you’re sitting and then turn on your video in the darkened room; please avoid showing any portrait or screensaver that is normally displayed when your video is turned off.
Have one or more unlit candles with you and some form of lighter or, if you prefer, dim lighting that might suggest candle light. There will be a moment in the ceremony when you will be asked to light your candles, supporting the atmosphere of reverence we would like to create together.
Stories of remembrance shared this evening can be emotionally evocative. You might find tissues useful to have to hand, but please be mindful of their proximity to any candles.
The entire evening is to be approached as a deep meditation. With this in mind, our initial silent meditation will be reduced to 12 minutes this week.
While you are sharing, you may have something to show the group, perhaps a photo or a memento. When you hold it up to the camera on your device it will be clearly seen. While you are sharing, you will be in spotlight fullscreen ‘speaker’ view.
For this special evening of remembrance, we will continue until 8:00PM, to ensure everyone who wishes to share has the space to do so. No-one need worry that there may not be time to share their remembrance.
Prepare to listen deeply, in minimal light, to the stories that are shared.
If you would like to join us, please write to wmcsangha@gmail.com and we will send you log-on details.
Our Sangha is supported by dana - donations given from the heart. Your generosity is a gift that supports the Vihara, WMC expenses, the library, and your own practice. Part of your tax deductible donation also goes to help the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation (which helps support our monks and nuns in monasteries around the world and also helps continue to spread Thay’s teachings everywhere). You can make offer dana by clicking here.
We’ll see you on Sunday
With love to all
Irene, Kristy, Nigel, Patti (organizing team)