Fifth Precept Sangha

“From inappropriate attention you’re being chewed by your thoughts. Relinquishing what’s inappropriate, contemplate appropriately.

Keeping your mind on the Teacher, the Dhamma, the Saṅgha, your virtues, you will arrive at joy, rapture, pleasure without doubt.

Then, saturated with joy, you will put an end to suffering & stress.”

~ Inappropriate Attention: Ayoniso-manasikāra Sutta  (SN 9:11)

SUNDAY, December 19, 2021

No registration is required. The meeting link is –

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4537777699

…alternatively, you can connect manually, with Zoom meeting ID 453 777 7699 and passcode ‘5ps‘.

The topic is for contemplation, reflection and sharing at the online virtual ‘Sit-and-Share’ meditation meeting via Zoom from:

11:45 am  PT (eg San Francisco/Vancouver)
12:45 pm  MT (eg Denver)
1:45 pm  CT (eg Chicago)
2:45 pm  ET (eg New York/Tampa)
7:45 pm  BST (eg Dublin/London)
8:45 pm  CET/ (eg France)
9:45 pm  CAT (eg Botswana)
10:45 pm  EAT (eg Kenya)

Ready for a prompt start at the top of the hour. This meeting’s topic was chosen by Patrick, who will be our ‘Sit-and-Share’ host.

All welcome.

Image – ‘Buddha in the Trees’ – Caheraderry, Lahinch, County Clare, Ireland – June 2015

Remember, you have been criticizing yourself for years, and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.

~ Louise L. Hay [source: You Can Heal Your Life]

THURSDAY, December 16, 2021

No registration is required. The meeting link is –

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4537777699https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4537777699

…alternatively, you can connect manually, with Zoom meeting ID 453 777 7699 and passcode ‘5ps‘.

The topic is for contemplation, reflection and sharing at the online virtual ‘Sit-and-Share’ meditation meeting via Zoom from:

11:45 am PDT (eg San Francisco/Vancouver)
12:45 pm MDT (eg Denver)
1:45 pm CDT (eg Chicago)
2:45 pm EDT (eg New York/Tampa)
7:45 pm BST (eg Dublin/London)
8:45 pm CEST/CAT (eg France/Botswana)
9:45 pm EAT (eg Kenya)

Ready for a prompt start at the top of the hour. This meeting’s topic was chosen by Bruce, who will be our ‘Sit-and-Share’ host.

All welcome.

If we see suffering then we don’t have suffering.

~ Ajahn Chah

MONDAY, December 13, 2021

No registration is required. The meeting link is –

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4537777699

…alternatively, you can connect manually, with Zoom meeting ID 453 777 7699 and passcode ‘5ps‘.

The topic is for contemplation, reflection and sharing at the online virtual ‘Sit-and-Share’ meditation meeting via Zoom from…

12:45 pm PT (eg San Francisco/Vancouver)
1:45 pm MT (eg Denver)
2:45 pm CT (eg Chicago)
3:45 pm ET (eg New York/Tampa)
7:45 pm BST (eg Dublin/London)
8:45 pm CET (eg France)
9:45 pm CAT (eg Botswana)
10:45 pm EAT (eg Kenya)

…ready for a prompt start at the top of the hour. This meeting’s topic was chosen by Patrick, who will also be our ‘Sit-and-Share’ host.

All welcome.

Image – ‘Meditation Circle’ – Portland Friends of the Dhamma, Portland, Oregon, USA – June 2018

By favouring the body, one uselessly accumulates suffering.
Of what use is anger or love to something equal to a piece of wood?

~ Shantideva [source: A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life]

SUNDAY, December 12, 2021

No registration is required. The meeting link is –

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4537777699

…alternatively, you can connect manually, with Zoom meeting ID 453 777 7699 and passcode ‘5ps‘.

The topic is for contemplation, reflection and sharing at the online virtual ‘Sit-and-Share’ meditation meeting via Zoom from:

11:45 am  PT (eg San Francisco/Vancouver)
12:45 pm  MT (eg Denver)
1:45 pm  CT (eg Chicago)
2:45 pm  ET (eg New York/Tampa)
7:45 pm  BST (eg Dublin/London)
8:45 pm  CET/ (eg France)
9:45 pm  CAT (eg Botswana)
10:45 pm  EAT (eg Kenya)

Ready for a prompt start at the top of the hour. This meeting’s topic was chosen by Robert, who will be our ‘Sit-and-Share’ host.

All welcome.

Image – ‘Wooden Buddha’ – Nalagiri House, Carrigahorig, County Tipperary, Ireland – December 2021

The real problem is believing in the existence of a worthy or unworthy self in the first place. Worthy/unworthy or perfect/imperfect are equally false narratives. From the Buddhist point of view, there is no worthy or unworthy self.

~ Pema Khandro Rinpoche [source: You’re Ready Enough (Lion’s Roar Magazine) ]

THURSDAY, December 09, 2021

No registration is required. The meeting link is –

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4537777699https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4537777699

…alternatively, you can connect manually, with Zoom meeting ID 453 777 7699 and passcode ‘5ps‘.

The topic is for contemplation, reflection and sharing at the online virtual ‘Sit-and-Share’ meditation meeting via Zoom from:

11:45 am PDT (eg San Francisco/Vancouver)
12:45 pm MDT (eg Denver)
1:45 pm CDT (eg Chicago)
2:45 pm EDT (eg New York/Tampa)
7:45 pm BST (eg Dublin/London)
8:45 pm CEST/CAT (eg France/Botswana)
9:45 pm EAT (eg Kenya)

Ready for a prompt start at the top of the hour. This meeting’s topic was chosen by Vince, who will be our ‘Sit-and-Share’ host.

All welcome.

Image – ‘False Narratives’ – White Temple, Chiang Rai, Thailand

People like to say that the conflict is between good and evil. The real conflict is between truth and lies.

~ Don Miguel Ruiz

MONDAY, December 06, 2021

No registration is required. The meeting link is –

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4537777699

…alternatively, you can connect manually, with Zoom meeting ID 453 777 7699 and passcode ‘5ps‘.

View Post

The topic is for contemplation, reflection and sharing at the online virtual ‘Sit-and-Share’ meditation meeting via Zoom from…

12:45 pm PT (eg San Francisco/Vancouver)
1:45 pm MT (eg Denver)
2:45 pm CT (eg Chicago)
3:45 pm ET (eg New York/Tampa)
7:45 pm BST (eg Dublin/London)
8:45 pm CET (eg France)
9:45 pm CAT (eg Botswana)
10:45 pm EAT (eg Kenya)

…ready for a prompt start at the top of the hour. This meeting’s topic was chosen by Noel, who will also be our ‘Sit-and-Share’ host.

All welcome.

Image – ‘The Four Agreements’ – by Don Miguel Ruiz – book cover.

Sunrise doesn’t last all morning
A cloudburst doesn’t last all-day
Seems my love is up
And has left you with no warning
But it’s not always going
To be this grey
All things must pass
All things must pass away

~ George Harrison [source: All Things Must Pass]

SUNDAY, December 05, 2021

No registration is required. The meeting link is –

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4537777699

…alternatively, you can connect manually, with Zoom meeting ID 453 777 7699 and passcode ‘5ps‘.

The topic is for contemplation, reflection and sharing at the online virtual ‘Sit-and-Share’ meditation meeting via Zoom from:

11:45 am  PT (eg San Francisco/Vancouver)
12:45 pm  MT (eg Denver)
1:45 pm  CT (eg Chicago)
2:45 pm  ET (eg New York/Tampa)
7:45 pm  BST (eg Dublin/London)
8:45 pm  CET/ (eg France)
9:45 pm  CAT (eg Botswana)
10:45 pm  EAT (eg Kenya)

Ready for a prompt start at the top of the hour. This meeting’s topic was chosen by Robert, who will be our ‘Sit-and-Share’ host.

All welcome.

Image – ‘All Things Must Pass’ – by George Harrison – Album Cover

“All conditioned things are impermanent” – when one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from suffering.

~ Buddha [source: Dhammapada (verse 277)]

THURSDAY, December 02, 2021

No registration is required. The meeting link is –

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4537777699https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4537777699

…alternatively, you can connect manually, with Zoom meeting ID 453 777 7699 and passcode ‘5ps‘.

The topic is for contemplation, reflection and sharing at the online virtual ‘Sit-and-Share’ meditation meeting via Zoom from:

11:45 am PDT (eg San Francisco/Vancouver)
12:45 pm MDT (eg Denver)
1:45 pm CDT (eg Chicago)
2:45 pm EDT (eg New York/Tampa)
7:45 pm BST (eg Dublin/London)
8:45 pm CEST/CAT (eg France/Botswana)
9:45 pm EAT (eg Kenya)

Ready for a prompt start at the top of the hour. This meeting’s topic was chosen by Bruce, who will be our ‘Sit-and-Share’ host.

All welcome.

Image – ‘Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary‘ – Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia – August 2016

We’re embodied humans, not angels. If we didn’t ‘crave’ food, drink, sex and shelter, then we wouldn’t be here at all. If we didn’t seek intimate and other warm connections with each other, as well as insights into how our world works, stimulation of our higher senses, and better ways to live, then we wouldn’t lead meaningful human lives.

~ Winton Higgins [source: Response to Mike Slott’s ‘Reexamining “truths” and “tasks” in secular Buddhism’ at Secular Buddhist Network]

MONDAY, November 29, 2021

No registration is required. The meeting link is –

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4537777699

…alternatively, you can connect manually, with Zoom meeting ID 453 777 7699 and passcode ‘5ps‘.

The topic is for contemplation, reflection and sharing at the online virtual ‘Sit-and-Share’ meditation meeting via Zoom from…

12:45 pm PT (eg San Francisco/Vancouver)
1:45 pm MT (eg Denver)
2:45 pm CT (eg Chicago)
3:45 pm ET (eg New York/Tampa)
7:45 pm BST (eg Dublin/London)
8:45 pm CET (eg France)
9:45 pm CAT (eg Botswana)
10:45 pm EAT (eg Kenya)

…ready for a prompt start at the top of the hour. This meeting’s topic was chosen by Vince, who will also be our ‘Sit-and-Share’ host.

All welcome.

Image – ‘Rocko’s Tacos’ – 24th Street, San Francisco, California, USA – June 2018