Cedar Sangha

Cedar Sangha is a community of people practicing mindfulness together in Eugene, Oregon.  Founded by Nana and Jule in 1998,  this community has been a place for people to learn the principles of mindful living and to apply the practice to their daily lives.  By walking the path together we soon find that we become rooted in a spiritual family, and that we carry the Sangha with us where ever we go.  Taking refuge in the Sangha in ourselves, we are able to navigate through life's sufferings in peace and with joy.  Taking refuge in the Sangha in ourselves begins with taking refuge in the Sangha in our community.

As a sangha we practice in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh and the Order of Interbeing.  The Order of Interbeing is a Sangha founded during the Vietnam war by Thich Nhat Hanh and is committed to cultivating the art of Mindful Living and to offering the fruits of this practice to society at large.  This form of practice has been termed "Engaged Buddhism", or "Applied Buddhism" and along with cultivating mindfulness in our own daily lives, centers around building Sangha through offering regular sessions of sitting meditation, walking meditation, deep listening and loving speech, and mindfulness retreats.  To learn more about these practices see the "Practices" page on this site.

Cedar Sangha is currently hosting practice sessions three days of the week.  Thursdays and Sundays are what we call "Mindfulness Practice."  'These are practice sessions meant for people of any spiritual or non-spiritual persuassion to come and learn the practices of mindfulness.  These sessions begin at 2:00pm with a twenty minute silent sitting meditation, followed by slow indoor walking meditation and another twenty minutes silent sit.  To endour time together we have a Dharma sharing.

Tuesday evenings are for Sangha Practice.  People of any spiritual or non-spiritual persuassion are of course welcome to this session, but there will be included in this practice some basic instruction in mindfulness meditation according to the Zen Buddhist tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh and the Order of Interbeing.  This evening is called "Sangha Practice" because along with cultivating mindfulness in ourselves there is also an emphasis on the practice of sangha building, that is, creating and nourishing a mindful community.  This evening may begin with either a twenty minute guided meditation, or a deep relaxation, or a "Touching the Earth" ceremony.  Then we practice slow indoor walking meditation together followed by a twenty minutes silent sitting meditation.  After the meditation sessions we may read either the Five or the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings, or a teaching from our teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, or a sutra-the spoken words of the Buddha.  This reading session is an opportunity for us to be exposed to the wisdom of a tradition that has been transforming people's lives for 2,600 years.  After the reading we have a Dharma Sharing and then close our evening together by chanting a dedication of the merit brought about by our practicing together.

In addition to these three weekly practice sessions, Cedar Sangha also hosts regular formal recitations of the Five Mindfulness Trainings, Extended days of practice, which include a mindful meal together, a Dharma Discussion, and occasional Days of Mindfulness.  Please check the Events page to learn when best to come visit the Sangha.