Insight Santa Cruz Update
News of Our Sangha
ISC HOLDS COMMUNITYOPEN HOUSE:We recently held our first Open House to welcome the Santa Cruz community to our new center. The well-attended event featured a talk and meditation from our guiding teacher Bob Stahl as well as introductions and remarks from many other teachers and leaders in the Sangha. Pictured below from left to right are: Kim Allen, teacher; Jill Hyman, teacher; Bob Stahl, guiding teacher; Linda Kittle, ISC board president; Bruce Hyman, teacher; and Marcy Reynolds, teacher.
ISC ANNUAL FUNDRAISING DRIVE BEGINS: We are very grateful and appreciative to report that because of the participation and generosity of our Sangha, Insight Santa Cruz is thriving.We hope you have been enjoying our new, larger home in the Galleria as well as the additional programs such as the Family program, the People of Color, LGBTQ, Fierce Hearts, and Dharma Punx sitting groups. We are also now able to offer additional daylongs and classes, which can run at the same time as another activity.
In order to serve our community, the growing programming at ISC, and meeting the greater expenses of our new home, we need the continuing annual support of all Sangha members.To cover our additional expenses, our 2018 annual pledge goal is $79,000.Dana is the core of ISC’s budget. We would like to ask if you are able to make an annual or monthly pledge for 2018. Making your pledge by Dec. 15 will significantly help us plan for 2018.
Making a pledge is easy; pledge forms are available at Insight Santa Cruz by the dana baskets.All you need to do is fill out the form and drop it in the dana basket.Then follow the directions on how to fulfill a pledge usinga check, cash, or credit card.You can also pledge online by clicking HERE (or click the Donate button on our website). Pledges can be for a one-time gift made either in 2017 or in 2018 or for a monthly dana offering over the course of 2018. Donations given in 2017 are tax deductible in the 2017 tax year.We thank you sincerely for all dana pledges!
FEATURED ARTICLE: BEING MINDFUL OF RACE This month’s featured article in the newsletter is by Ruth King, a teacher in the Insight Meditation tradition, an author, and a life coach. She is a guiding teacher at Insight Meditation Community of Washington, DC, and the founder of Mindful Members Insight Meditation Community in Charlotte, NC.
Drawing on her expertise as a meditation teacher and diversity consultant, King’s article discusses the complexity of racial identity and the dynamics of oppression. She also offers thoughts on how to cultivate a culture of care and come to a place of greater clarity and compassion within ourselves. Below is the beginning of the article with a link to the entire piece.
As Buddhist and mindfulness practitioners, we have an opportunity to understand the dynamics of racial suffering and the flesh we put on its bones. Honoring our relatedness, our belonging, and our impact is a necessity for awakening in general and for transforming racial suffering in particular—in our own hearts, and in our communities and institutions.To continue reading the article, clickHERE
THE “LISTENING TOUR” SESSIONS: A few weeks ago, ISC held a series of Listening Tour sessions where ISC Board members led a series of community sits to hear what matters to you at Insight Santa Cruz: what is working for you and what would you like to see in the future with all the possibilities our new center offers. A summary of the results is available HERE (link to be added); and if you wish to dig deeper, all the data collected is available HERE (link to be added). Many thanks to everyone who participated in this valuable exercise. Additional thanks to Curt Coleman for summarizing the results. The Listening Tour will also be discussed at the December 10 community gathering (see below).
COMMUNITY GATHERING PLANNED FOR DECEMBER 10:Join us for a Community Gathering on Sunday, December 10 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Guiding teacher Bob Stahl will lead a sit and give a short dharma talk, there will be an opportunity to recognize volunteers who help our center in so many ways, and a summarization of the Listening Tour results. There will also be a vegetarian potluck and a time to socialize. Mark your calendars!
PLEASE BE MINDFUL OF THIS PARKING SIGN:Beginning this week, the two-hour parking limit in the small Galleria lot will be enforced. Cars left more than two hours will be towed.
VOICES FROM THE SANGHA: We always welcome your thoughts, suggestions, concerns, compliments, and ideas for Insight Santa Cruz. You can let us know through the online “Comment Box” found on our website’s homepage or the physical Comment Box in the entry area. Comment forms are available in both English and Spanish. For English click here and for Spanish click here.
HELP ISC WHILE BUYING OR SELLING A HOME: ISC member Alice Tarail is a longtime local real estate broker with 20 years of experience in Santa Cruz County. If she helps you to either purchase or sell a home, she will donate 10 percent of any commission she earns to ISC. Alice can also refer you to a conscientious and highly qualified realtor anywhere in the U.S. In that case, Alice will serve as your consultant at no charge throughout the buying or selling process. Contact Alice Tarail at r 831-334-3328.
VOLUNTEERING: Our Sangha depends completely on volunteers to run our center. There are many ways to help. In particular, we invite anyone who is interested to help with opening/closing events (we will provide a brief training for you). Please click on the button below to view current volunteering opportunities.