Home ∘ Practices ∘ Engage

Sweeping the Path

Building and maintaining our practice community

A community is an assembly of friends who have gathered together around shared principals or goals. The Sirius Community in the eastern United States, for example, was founded in the early 1970s with a vision of living together with intention, practicing meditation and shared action for world peace. The Bread and Roses of Hamburg, Germany, is a “community household with homeless refugees and migrants, sharing a lifestyle of solidarity and sustainability.” Holden Village Lutheran retreat community “welcomes all people to form and renew their relationships with God, the earth, and each other.” And Plum Village is “a global community of mindfulness practice centres offering retreats and teachings on engaged Buddhism and the art of mindful living, founded by Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh.”

Whatever spiritual glue binds your community together, a dedicated group of participants that “lean in” to the practice will naturally emerge. The community and its practices have great value to them. They see that in community, they are the best that they can be, and they trust in the lived experience of positive change in their lives and in the lives of those around them.

This core group usually includes one or more founding members, and more inspired and inspiring participants as they arrive.

These senior and dedicated members of the community should meet regularly, to

Regular meetings to “sweep the path”

Opening

  • Awaken and invite the bell
  • A brief grounding meditation
  • An incense offering or opening chant to gather the hearts and voices

Inner Weather

A brief sharing circle to harmonizing the gathered community

Harmony in the Sangha

reflecting on the health of the Sangha Body

  • reaching out, reaching in
    • Björn temporarily? leaving facilitation and sweeping groups
  • add to our agenda items, if deemed important

Discussion

The topics for discussion today 1.

Community Action

Effort arising from today’s discussion

  • Action items
  • Persons responsible
  • Approximate date for completion, if any

Closing

a chant if desired, and two sounds of the small bell

00:00