DON'T BE AFRAID THAT YOUR LIFE WILL END

My friend Ric Browne sent me this, and I thought I'd pass it along.

As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love. So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.

Don't be afraid that your life will end,
be afraid that it will never begin.

BRIAN'S DHARMA TALK ON JACK BAUER

MEDITATION GROUP TO MEET JANUARY 28

We'll meet again at Hale House this Sunday, January 28, and next Sunday, February 4, from 9:30 to 11 a.m. or so. Please feel free to come early. These items are listed on the calendar, which you can reach by clicking on the link in the navigation toolbar on the right. Please also feel free to sign the guestbook and to sign up for regular updates by adding your email address to the Blogarithm box.

Please also comment on any of the posts here. Simply click on the word Comments below the post and add your two cents. If you're not a blogger, sign in as anyonymous and the click publish when you're done. You can always add your name to your message.

SUNDAY DHARMA TALK -- "PREVIOUSLY ON 24 -- JACK BAUER IS BODHISATTVA JIZO"

This Sunday, January 21, we will talk about the series '24' and how Jack Bauer lives the life of a Bodhisattva.

NEW BLOG AND NEW MEDITATION GROUP

We are in the process of creating a 'pretty good' blog. Please bear with us if it changes often. Thank you for checking out this page.

We welcome any comments or suggestions. And it looks like we have a 'pretty good' group of Meditators interested in being a part of it. Waterbury is ready for a really good Sunday Morning Meditation Center.

Join us Sunday, 21 January 07, at 9:30 AM. We are on Hale Street . Call if you need directions. 203 558 3641.

BRIAN AND MORE FRIENDS

RETREAT IN THE WORKS

We are planning a one day retreat for February. More information soon.

Our first day back at the Hale House for a Sunday Morning meditation will be the 21st of January.

We will meet at 9:30 and have meditation and do planning for a Sunday Retreat in February.

The retreat will be less that a full day and will be held at Hale House.

Please continue to check in on this blog. Also sign in for automatic up dates to this page.

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ON BUDDHISM

The Buddha is a man who found peace. He found the 'secret' to living in difficult, confusing, contradicting times by maintaining his equilibrium. We live in such times and Buddha’s ’secret’ is still relevant and available to us today: Be good. Don’t do evil, and always be kind. Buddha gave us a formula to do this - The 5 Precepts. The time for spiritual health is now. The Buddha way is making harmony out of chaos now. Now is the only time we have.

MEDITATION

Many books are writtten on the subject. Jokes are made about sitting in the Lotus position. Even TV adds poke fun at Buddhist monks who are meditating. But what is meditation?

There are more than 10,000 definitions of meditation. We don't have space for all of them here. So, I will give you a short definition of my own:

Meditation is paying attention.

At the Meditation Center, we don’t talk about meditation too much. We try to practice it. We provide a space for people to practice what they have read about. To test the theories. To see if it really works.

Our principal practice is Zazen, but we practice other types and modalities, too. Zazen is a formal kind of meditation; sometimes it is called just sitting. Part of Zazen is Walking Meditation; we sometimes call this just walking.

For most other types of meditation:
There is no right or wrong way to meditate
Just be present
And Breathe
Be willing to watch what happens:
without judgement
without trying to change what is happening

YOU DON’T MEDITATE TO GET ENLIGHTENED –YOU MEDITATE BECAUSE YOU ARE ENLIGHTENED.

Brian Talks Some Basic Zen with Earle