2007 - June through October- Meditation and Discussion CLASSES:

•  Open Meditation Classes- will be offered this year 2007.
   

  • Cape Girardeau, MO -  
    MEDITATION CLASSES WITH DHAMMA TALKS EVERY OTHER FRIDAY NIGHT
    
    TIME: 6PM - 8PM--->
              Teachers will arrive at 5:30PM
    
    DATES: Currently set up for these dates:
    August 17, August 31, Sept 14, Sept 28th,
    Confirmed--> October 12th,
    October 26th(to be confirmed)
    
    LOCATION:
    The Center for Massage Therapies and Creative Arts
    618 Bellvue Street
    Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
    
    DIRECTIONS:
    The Center is easy to find:
    >take Broadway EAST towards the River
    > Turn LEFT on Sprigg St. ( towards the University)
    > Go ONE block and turn Right into Bellvue St.
    > We are halfway down the block on the NORTH side of the Street.
    Look for the Turquoise doors and window shutters!
    Parking is on the street or in our lot behind the building.

    PROGRAM NOTES: These classes are a happy life changing experience leading to a deeper understanding of the value of Meditation practice to improve daily life. There will be a Short meditation session [1/2 hr] with instructions for newcomers in the beginning of each class. All levels of practice are welcome. A Dhamma talk  will be given by Bhante Vimalaramsi or by Sister Khema from the Pali Canon Sutta texts concerning meditation training. This is a progressive program running over the entire summer but there is value coming in at any time. Join in the fun of discovering what the Buddha taught!

     This is an easy to understand, clear concise way of doing meditation that anyone can learn.  Many students will attest to how useful this practice is ! This is about understanding how to experience a relief from mental and physical tension and tightness in mind and body that has led to Suffering in our lives. We are guided by a very gifted teacher Venerable Bhante Vimalaramsi from the Dhamma Sukha Meditation Center near Annapolis, MO. This is a genuine American Buddhist Forest Meditation Center set up very much like in the time of the Buddha. It teaches a meditation taken directly from the Buddhist texts.
    
    This meditation is catching on faster and faster all over the world!
    Please bring a cushion to sit on, or there are chairs to sit in.
    Newcomers can listen online to the meditation instructions if they are curious about it in advance at:
    
    http://dhammasukha.org/Study/talks.htm#metta
    Go to "Metta Meditation"
    Look closely and you will find a 10 minute version of the instructions, a 22 minute version or a longer one for your listening.
    Your choice.
    
    Questions about this class, please contact Vallie Graff at
    rosebuds@showme.net

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  • Cape Girardeau, MO = On matching dates with the above meditation sessions, on Saturday mornings, this is a small and cordial class meeting for any interested Huna people. This class is followed by a lunch with the teacher before his return to the center in Annapolis. Please let us know if you are interested in coming to this morning session.
    Time  Usually around 8 or 9AM to 10AM
    Location: at the HUNA HOUSE, Anna Street.
    Lunch is from 11-12 noon.
    Huna members please join us.  Others welcome. Contact Huna for details or contact Vallie Graff listed above.

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RETREATS AT THE CENTER :

• Summer 2007

  • open Personal Retreats: Students come to the center for personal training and retreats till the end of Rains retreat in mid-October. Each person works individually on their own sitting/waling schedule during the day following a group meditation which starts out the day. There are daily interviews with the guiding teacher.  Everyone eats together from 11-12 Noon and rests for 1 hour. Afternoons match the morning independent schedules. Each evening dhamma talks are given with open questions.  Outsiders may attend dhamma talks if they call in advance. Seating is limited. Arrangements are  coordinated by email through sisterkhema@dhammasukha.org  prior to arrival.
    Costs while staying at the center are now free with a suggested donation of $20 per day to cover utilities and supplies. People are asked not to come into the center empty handed.  Everyone's support is needed to bring in food and supplies, ideas, creativity, etc. You can coordinate through contacting the center. People contribute a traditional Dana to the teacher after their retreat is over as they deem fit and as they can afford to give.
     

    •  Temporary Ordinations now Available: This 2007 summer and needed requisites are provided for us to give a student who chooses to take ordination during training while at the center. This must be for a minimum period of 2 weeks or longer and pre-arranged with Bhante Vimalaramsi. As is traditional in most Buddhist centers, students contribute $75 for their robes during ordination and may keep the robes afterwards if they can keep them with respect or return them for others to use in the future.  Email to bhantev4u@dhammasukha.org for further information if you are interested.
       

    •  In depth Sutta classes : During Rains Retreat- from July through October, whoever is here at the center has a chance to study with us to examine texts to find support for the meditation practice as taught here at the center.  The Majjhima, Samyutta, and Digha Nikayas are used for this class with commentary and sub-commentary also consulted. The class is attended most often in conjunction with advanced meditation training and is approved by the Master teacher. A guest scholar is present to assist investigations and help verify accuracy of English translations. In depth meditation is done in conjunction with the classes. Foreign monks have a chance to practice giving talks on various suttas in English as part of their English training. 
      If you contact us in advance we can be sure that books are available for you. A firm meditation practice must be established before these classes are most useful.
      The cost of any books is the responsibility of each student.
      The center will help to obtain the books if needed.
      A notebook is necessary for taking notes.
      Dana can be offered for this class so that others will be able to  attend it in the future.
      Email sisterkhema@dhammasukha.org  for further information. 
      Please put "sutta classes info" in the subject line of your email.
       

    • Dhamma English Classes are offered during the summer rains retreat to monks and nuns who wish to expand and perfect their English in order to teach westerners meditation in a more effective way. These classes are good for building Dhamma vocabulary. One learns how to reference  English Suttas in a very clear way and to give Dhamma talks using the 4 Noble Truths as an effective framework outline. Participants can enter the class at any time during the summer.  4 week periods for this class is most useful.  For the most benefit, one should come in for the entire Rains Retreat period from July 29th through October 11 where you are encouraged to speak English the entire time you are here while studying and working in the forest.
      English speakers can benefit by this class also by discovering the corresponding Pali words for discussion of Dhamma and Meditation.
      These classes are free to monastics. You must sign up in advance for these classes. Contact Sisterkhema@dhammasukha.org  for arrangements.  Put "Dhamma English Classes info" in your subject line.

  
   

•  July 12th, 2007 - Conference Talk and 1/2 day retreat topic:
  "Awakening Joy and Balancing Your Life"
  Venerable Bhante Vimalaramsi will be giving a half-day retreat experience for the attendees of the 2007 Huna Convention to be held in Cape Girardeau this summer. The day will include an excellent talk about how to use Loving Kindness Meditation and smiling to reclaim JOY in your life. This is a really fun experience and we invite everyone to attend if possible. 
  More information will be forthcoming about this rare opportunity! DON'T MISS this experience to meet and talk with this American Buddhist Meditation Monk in person. This time could delightfully change your outlook on life and bring a genuine SMILE into your daily living! AND its fun! Please join in.
  Contact sisterkhema@yahoo.com for more information.
   

• August and September 2007 Retreat for group of 9-12 people
  "RECLAIM JOY and RELEASE STRESS in your life. SMILE".
  ( an alternative time also is available in August and September and can be pre-arranged if summer dates are inconvenient.)
  Write to sisterkhema@dhammasukha.org  to make arrangements.
  Please put "Group Retreat information Request" into the subject line of the email.
  People will be working on their individual meditation in this retreat a lot more than usual so they get the feel for taking the meditation back into life without any outside supports. This is a very pleasant experience and progress is usually very good. Come and learn about a new tool for your "Toolbox for Life"
  Dates: 
  >August 18th - August 25th
  There are 7 places still open to make twelve people for August.
  >September 14th- September 23th
  September retreat is still open.
  
  Location: Fly in via St. Louis/Lambert Field.
  The Ozark shuttle can be scheduled to pick you up at the airport at 1 PM, to carry you down to Farmington by 3:30-4PM where we can pick you up. The shuttle cost one way is $30.  The monastery staff will come pick you up and carry you over to the Center.
  Ozark Shuttle Phone numbers are 573-756-5470 or 573-756-3418
  Cost:  Members contribute food, assist with suggested donations of about $20 per day on the average, and  for utilities to cover living expenses. They give a Dana ( donation) for the teachings to the Teacher at the end of the retreat. This amount is whatever they feel they can manage to do.
  Accommodations vary here from camping in an open campground area to lodging in small cabins which can be shared by up to three people. There are also single one person kutis being developed for only one person. Space as available.
  
  Please Note: Three new cabins have been added this year , making it four cabins, a small Buckminster Fuller geodesic dome and a tenting area available for private camping with about 6 tent sites and 1 van site. In Mid-September we got word that another large cabin is being sponsored. A new bathroom facility is being built including a laundry for yogis to use and a small winter health sauna heated by a woodstove.
  
   

•  NOVEMBER 21 to November 28th, 2007
  7- Day Retreat offered in Carmel, NY
  Meditation Retreat to be held at the Chuang Yen Monastery in Carmel, NY. sponsored by the Buddhist Association of the United States. This retreat will be led by Venerable Bhante Vimalaramsi, and staff supported by Sister Khema. Venerable will be teaching Buddhist Meditation directly from the Sutta texts in easy to understand small English words. Venerable Vimalaramsi is the new Representative for the United States to the World Buddhist Summit Council in Kobe, Japan. He was confirmed in this lifetime position in December of 2006. He is a Maha Thera Monk (20+yrs) who was ordained in the Burmese Forest Tradition by the late Ven. U Silananda. At this time he is starting an American line of Buddhism called the American Buddhist Forest Tradition with a base location at the Dhamma Sukha Meditation Center in Annapolis, Missouri. 
  Bhante Vimalaramsi teaches the very basic Tranquil Wisdom Meditation of the Buddha which is a Samatha-Vipassana practice found in the Pali Texts. The practice is gentle to learn with just a few simple changes from the usual practices taught and one can use the breath or Metta for their object of meditation.  While following the instructions very precisely, this practice leads to the experience of very deep and clear insights. Students will experience close support through daily daily interviews and hear evening Dhamma Talks each day with an opportunity for questions.

  • Registration will be at 6:30 PM on November 21st, 2007

  • Orientation and instruction will begin at 7:30 PM following registration.

  • For information and arrangements on this retreat please contact Venerable Sudhamma at the Monastery:  Bauscym@aol.com  

  • To learn more about this kind of retreat and meditation practice you can visit Venerable Vimalaramsi's website at www.dhammasukha.org

  
   

•  Return to center for planting!
  By Mid-MAY Venerable will be returned to the center in preparation for board meetings and the planning session for summer teaching programs.

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Past schedule Notes-->

2007
March
*March 18, 19, and 20, 2007 in Nevada City, CA-  This visit will include three evening talks and a one day retreat. Interviews with the teacher may be scheduled to discuss your practice. Please Contact Susan Solinsky for further information at 530-265-5977.

*March 23- 31, 2007  ( Seattle Area ) in Woodinville, WA. This is a non-residential retreat over 7 days. You may go to work during this retreat. It has a very interesting engaged program format. There will be Dhamma Talks every evening at the home of K.C. Anderson  in Woodiville, WA.. For information contact K.C. at kcandersonphd@yahoo.com
 

APRIL
2007

•   DAVIS, CALIFORNIA SCHEDULE 

•   Monday  April 9th there will be an evening talk at 6:30 PM.  Location: Unitarian Universalist Church. Further details contact Jenna McAsey at jenmcasey@earthlink.net

•   Thursday, April 12th, there will be an evening talk at 6PM . Location: UUC. Further details, contact Jenna McAsey at jenmcasey@earthlink.net

•   Private Interviews can be scheduled with Bhante Vimalaramsi on April 9th,10th, 12th, or  13th. Please check with Jenna for locations and times available. at jenmcasey@earthlink.net

• ONE DAY RETREAT on Saturday April 14th. This will be offered at UUC in Davis in the main sanctuary. Everyone is welcome. Further deatils contact Jenna McAsey at
  jenmcasey@earthlink.net
  
   

•  The Journey back to Missouri center included brief stops at the following locations:
  As soon as I have the dates and details,  I will fill them in. Sister Khema
   

•  Las Vegas, NV- a visit was made to two Thai temples.
   

•  Tucson, AZ-  An visit was made to the Thai Temple in Tucson, AZ. An opportunity for an evening Dhamma discussion amongst the monastics concerning the relevance of meditation in this century to daily life for lay people. This was a very interesting discussion for several hours.
   

MAY
2007

•    Return to Center in Missouri.  ETA- April 23, 2007

•    Go to Tampa, FL for Vesak Celebration Meditation talks and instruction at the Sri Lankan Temple in Tampa area. Also Sister Khema to offer talks for women while in the area.

•    Tampa Bay, FL attend a Reformed Vietnamese Temple and give a talk on Meditation in Daily life, reclaiming JOY and the relevance of Buddhist Practice in today's world.

•      Greensboro, NC area and give talks to American students on meditation and prepare places for Bhante to give talks later in the month on May 23rd and 24th. Also to attend preparation meetings at UNC for future talks in the area.
   

•    Attend Thai Monks Conference May 16-20th, 2007
  Bhante Vimalaramsi will be attending the conference in Tampa over these days. adn the Deamrcation Ceremony of the New Temple. Sister Khema will be attending as secretarial and media support person. Bhante gave short comments concerning Buddhism in this century, the need to teach in English as well as native tongues and about the relevance of meditation today to daily life.
   

•   May 23rd- Greensboro, NC area- International House for Interfaith Project to hosted a talk given about "Using Meditation to reclaim Joy in your life". It was held in the meeting room from 12 noon til 3 PM as a brown-bag lunch affair. Everyone is welcome to come, listen and to ask questions. This is an experienced American Senior level monastic teacher who talks our language and is ready to share the Dhamma in an american way with us. Come and join us. This event is hosted and sponosred by the International Faith House group.
   

•     May 24th- Greensboro, NC area. An informal evening talk and questions will be held at the home of Jackie Oates in a local and friendly atmosphere inviting questions. Please attend. If you need directions or have questions contact jgoates@yahoo.com
   

•   May 27th- New Jersey- New Burmese Pagoda Dedication. Both Bhante Vimalaramsi and Sister Khema attend the opening of this new Pagoda and shrine.
   

•  This will be followed by a possible visit to monastery in Carmel New York. ( tba ) and a long awaited meeting with Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi.
   

•  This will be followed by a visit to Chicago, IL to the main Thai temple there for a Buddhist festival and opening of the new Dhammapali Meditation Center.