GREETINGS
Welcome to the Meditation Circle site. This longtime Buddhist-oriented meditation group based at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 520 Kanawha Boulevard W., in Charleston, West Virginia, will be closing down its meetings for good effective with the end of June 2022, after a good run. See the ‘RESOURCES’ page for tips on setting up or deepening meditation practice. Be well!
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Author Archives: admin
Guided meditations on the Anapanasati teachings on meditation
The Meditation Circle has been discussing “Getting to Know the Breath” as its theme for 2012. To that end, we have referred several times to the Anapanasati Sutta in which the Buddha describes the practice of breath-centered meditation. (Find a … Continue reading
When we’re caught in a self-centered dream
“When attention to the present moment falters and we drift into some version of ‘I have to have it my way,’ a gap is created in our awareness of reality as it is, right now. Into that gap pours all … Continue reading
Excerpt: Breathing Life into the Suttas
Except from the article “From Thought to Stillness: Breathing Life Into the Suttas,” by Rodney Smith | TRICYCLE, Winter 2012 | Read the whole article by becoming a Tricycle online member By Rodney Smith | Tricycle Winter 2012 |The constant … Continue reading
Posted in Meditation, Readings
Tagged Meditation
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A person of the Way fundamentally does not dwell anywhere
Green Mountains and White Clouds, detail of scroll by Wu Li (1632-1718) “A person of the Way fundamentally does not dwell anywhere. The white clouds are fascinated with the green mountain’s foundation. The bright moon cherishes being carried along with … Continue reading
Meditation Circle Meets Tuesday: Saints, Sages, Common Persons welcome
A Vietnamese Zen master once remarked: “I am not necessarily a saint or a sage, and you are not necessarily a common person.” Come to the Meditation Circle, a Buddhist meditation group that meets every Tuesday, with sitting meditation starting … Continue reading
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Let Go of Expectations and Just Sit
“It is important to sit with the clear intention to be present. At the same time, we need to let go of expectations. In a very real sense, what happens when we sit is none of our business. The practice … Continue reading
It’s Meditation Month at Tricycle.com
For many people who desire to learn meditation, it’s a struggle. Having a community of fellow practicioners can be essential, which is why sitting groups like the Meditation Circle of Charleston can be helpful. Yet it’s also highly helpful in … Continue reading
Links to the Buddha’s teachings on breath-centered meditation
“Getting to Know the Breath” is the ongoing theme for 2012 we’ll be considering in the weekly 6 p.m. Tuesday gatherings of the Meditation Circle of Charleston at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation building in Charleston, W.Va. In past weeks. Thad … Continue reading
Posted in Meditation, Readings
Tagged Dhamma Talk, Meditation
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Who is the pilot of your mind?
Two excerpts from “Your Mind Is Your Religion,” reprinted by Tricycle from “Make Your Mind an Ocean: Aspects of Buddhist Psychology” (1999). This is a rich piece for reflection. Read the longer excerpt here: One day the world looks so … Continue reading
The ways of proclaiming The Mind all vary …
“The ways of proclaiming The Mind all vary, But the same heavenly truth can be seen in each and every one.” ~ Ikkyu (1394-1481) Courtesy of the invaluable dailyzen.com P.S: Ikkyu was quite a character and an inflential one in … Continue reading
For Whom is This Dhamma?
For Whom is This Dhamma? 1. This Dhamma is for one who wants little, not for one who wants too much. 2. This Dhamma is for one who is contented, not for one who is discontented. 3. This Dhamma is … Continue reading
Meditation is peace, sadness, joy, anger, sleepiness etc.
“Meditation is never one thing; you’ll experience moments of peace, moments of sadness, moments of joy, moments of anger, moments of sleepiness. The terrain changes constantly, but we tend to solidify it around the negative: “This painful experience is going … Continue reading
Sitting down, settling down, instead of running around
“We need to talk about a balance. Frankly, I think Asian monastics probably spend too much time sitting in meditation looking inward, and not enough time outdoors. They have to go out, as Shakyamuni did, and find out how people … Continue reading
What does not embody the Dharma?
“The nightingale singing among the flowers warbles Marvelous Law; all the birds that soar in the sky and even the frogs croaking in the water never cease chanting the Dharma. The clang of the evening bell echoes impermanence of everything; … Continue reading
