South County Meditation Group

The South County Meditation Group meets in Oceano on Sunday mornings from 9:00am  ‑  10:15am for meditation, followed by discussion, in the Gudrun Hus Studio at Tierra Nueva Cohousing, adjacent to the town of Halcyon (see Maps) (see Brochure).

Our meditation practice is informed by the wisdom tradition of Buddhism. All levels of meditation experience are welcome, and it is not necessary to be a member of White Heron Sangha to attend. If someone is new to meditation, and new to the group, the facilitator, or one of our group members, may guide the meditation for the first 10 minutes or so.

We are a peer-led group, in the tradition of kalyanamittata ("admirable friendship", or "spiritual friends").

The usual meeting format is: start with reading the Beginning Practice, meditate for 30 minutes, read the Ending Practice, then announcements and discussion. Sometimes, we extend the meditation period to 45 minutes.

We do not meet when there is a White Heron Sangha weekend retreat.

Generally, after the first sitting of each month, for those who are so inclined, we have a casual social time with tea and light refreshments.

Books that we have read include:

• Dhamma Everywhere: Welcoming each moment with Awareness+Wisdom by Sayadaw U Tejaniya
  
• Emptiness: A Practical Guide for Meditators by Guy Armstrong
  
• The One Who Is Not Busy: Connecting with Work in a Deeply Satisfying Way by Darlene Cohen
  
• Parami, Ways to Cross Life's Floods by Ajahn Sucitto
  
• The Sound of Silence: The Selected Teachings of Ajahn Sumedho by Ajahn Sumedho and Ajahn Amaro
  
• Tonglen: The Path of Transformation by Pema Chödrön
  
• True Refuge: Finding Peace and Freedom in Your Own Awakened Heart by Tara Brach
  
• The Work of This Moment by Toni Packer
  

The book that we are currently reading is:

• No Time Like the Present: Finding Freedom, Love, and Joy Right Where You Are by Jack Kornfield
  
  

Date	Opener	Facilitator	Program  (updated 12/13/2018)
Dec 16	David	Kat	Consideration of year-end dana distribution, followed by: 10. The Gift of Authenticity | You Were Born to Do This • Staying True • To Whom Are You Faithful? • Start Where You Are • Aware Inside, Calm Outside • Honoring Your Feelings • Desire • Free to Be Human Practice: Being True
Dec 23	Steph W	Susan	Consideration of year-end dana distribution, followed by: 11. Free to Dream | Express Your Heart • "Bird Got My Wings" • They're Your Dreams • Crafting Your Life • Conscious and True • The Currents of Life • Dream Big and Dance Practice: You Are an Artist
Dec 30	Steph W	Candia	Dana decision, followed by: 12. Deliver Your Gifts | Free to Act • Try Again • Vision and Action • Bring Your Gift • Selfless Service • The World Needs You • Your Very Flesh Shall Be a Poem Practice: Deliver Your Gifts
Jan 6	Susan		Tea Time Sunday - Extended Meditation (45 minutes), followed by free-form discussion and social time.
Jan 13	Kathy	Kathy	Mick Malotte | Guest Talk
Jan 20	David		13. Freedom in Challenging Times | Our Challenge • Listen with Your Heart • Join the Web of Care • Blessed Unrest • Lead with Humanity • Strategic and Strong • You Have Been Training for This Practice: Stand Up
Jan 27	Kathy	Nancy H	Nancy Hilyard | Guest Talk
Feb 3			Tea Time Sunday - Extended Meditation (45 minutes), followed by free-form discussion and social time.
Feb 17	David
Mar 2 & 3	n/a	n/a	White Heron Sangha Weekend Retreat Love on Every Breath with Lama Palden Upcoming book: Love on Every Breath: Tonglen Meditation for Transforming Pain into Joy

The Book Queue  These are books that are being suggested to read next. If there is a book that you would like to suggest, please feel free to email the title to one of the WHSSCMG members listed below, and it will be posted anonymously to this queue.

• Approaching the Buddhist Path by Bhiksu Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, and Bhiksuni Thubten Chodron
  
• The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by HH the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, with Douglas Abrams
  
• Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness: Walking the Buddha's Path by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana
  
• First Buddhist Women: Poems and Stories of Awakening by Susan Murcott
  
• Focused and Fearless: A Meditator's Guide to States of Deep Joy, Calm, and Clarity by Shaila Catherine
  
• Food for the Heart: The Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah by Ajahn Chah and Ajahn Amaro
  
• The Foundation of Buddhist Practice by Bhiksu Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, and Bhiksuni Thubten Chodron
  
• I Can't Believe It's Not Buddha! What Fake Buddha Quotes Can Teach Us About Buddhism by Bodhipaksa
  
• Interbeing: Fourteen Guidelines for Engaged Buddhism by Thich Nhat Hanh
  
• Meditation on Perception: Ten Healing Practices to Cultivate Mindfulness by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana
  
• The Mind and the Way: Buddhist Reflections on Life by Ajahn Sumedho
  
• Mindfulness: diverse perspectives on its meaning, origins, and multiple applications at the intersection of science and dharma edited by J. Mark G. Williams and Jon Kabat-Zinn
  
• The Sound of Silence: The Selected Teachings of Ajahn Sumedho by Ajahn Sumedho and Ajahn Amaro
  
• What's Wrong with Mindfulness (And What Isn't): Zen Perspectives edited by Robert Rosenbaum and Barry Magid
  

In addition to our regular Sunday morning meditation and discussion, we also have other get‑togethers from time to time.

The Google Group White Heron Sangha - South County Meditation Group [whsscmg] is at http://goo.gl/zxJXUD

For further information, please feel free to contact these WHSSCMG members: Lois Richerson <thelois@gmail.com>, Kathy Headtke <kheadtke@sbcglobal.net> and Harry Hōetsu Heck <hoetsu@icloud.com>