Announcements
November Sangha Conversation - Our next Sangha Conversation will be Wednesday, November 24th (meditation at 7pm, meeting at 8pm). Our guest speaker will be Julie Johnson from The Multi-faith Network for Climate Justice (MNCJ), along with Bob Penny, Red Cedar’s representative to the MNCJ. This meeting marks moving our ongoing discussions from the visioning towards the applied, and is in response to the sangha’s stated interests in exploring ways to be involved with multi-cultural, multi-faith, justice, environmental, and community work – all concerns of the MNCJ.
The meeting will serve:
• To provide a brief update about MNCJ activities in the last year.
• To discuss and offer different ways a community may participate, for example, hosting the Net of Interconnection, participate in the Green Resource Fair planned for Earth Day 2022, and other ways to be involved.
• To learn more about any social/environmental activities in your community, and get some feedback about MNCJ's direction.
We welcome your participation in these monthly Sangha Conversations to help shape our collective direction as we move towards our new home.
Board of Directors Pledges 15% of Our Journey Home Goal
In our practice, we are reminded that paying attention and following what others are doing in the zendo encourages embodying the spirit and teachings of our Buddhist ancestors. We also learn that the first perfection is generosity or dana -- recognizing that giver, receiver and gift are one; not 3 separate entities but a seamless joining together in a virtuous circle. Our gift supports the sangha, the sangha supports us, and we live together fully in the Buddha way.
When we began our campaign last month, the Red Cedar Zen Community board of directors (Bob Rose, Mary Durbrow, Hannah Sullivan, John Wiley, Valerie Davenport, Terrill Thompson, and Nomon Tim Burnett) vowed to set an example -- to model dana for our good friends in the sangha. By “stretching” a bit out of our comfort zone we set out to exemplify the depth of our personal commitment to finding a new home.
I am pleased to let you know that your 7 board members have collectively pledged $86,000 toward our goal of $550,000. Even more impressive is that most of those funds will be available in the next few months for the 40% down payment required by our bank (WECU).
Your generous individual support has been the key to already nearly reaching our initial goal. No gift is too large, no gift is too small. Each will be recognized equally (or remain anonymous if you choose). We all have good reason to celebrate ---getting so far, so soon, by appealing only to our sangha membership. Now it’s time to reach out together to friends and family to help surpass that goal. That will allow more flexibility in our property search, make additional funds available to build or remodel, and/or have a lower mortgage burden for future sangha members.
Your Board of Directors is committed to finding the best possible location and situation for our Red Cedar Zen Community. Your deep and firm support make that possible. Please join us is meeting (and exceeding) our goal to find and finance our new home.
Three Bows in Ten Directions for helping to create a Dharma legacy in Bellingham.
Joden Bob Rose, Board President
