South County Meditation Group

The South County Meditation Group meets in Oceano on Sunday mornings from 9:00am  ‑  10:15am for meditation 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. On the first and third Sundays of each month, 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 2/11/2019)
Feb 17	David		Extended Meditation (45 minutes), followed by free-form discussion and social time.
Feb 24			14. Live in Mystery | Not Far Away • The Mystery of Incarnation • The Earth Is Breathing You • Beyond History and Self • Interbeing: You Are Not Alone • Everyone Gains • Outer and Inner Freedom • Emptiness Is Our Home • Vision • "I Told You So" Practice: Open to Mystery • Just Like Me
Mar 2 & 3	n/a	n/a	White Heron Sangha Weekend Retreat Love on Every Breath with Lama Palden Drolma Upcoming book: Love on Every Breath: Tonglen Meditation for Transforming Pain into Joy
Mar 10			15. The Joy of Being Alive | Happiness for No Cause • Bouncing for Joy • Gratefulness • Pure Heart • You Deserve Happiness • Wonderful! • It's in Your Hands • Coursing in Gratitude Acknowledgements and Bows of Gratitude
Mar 17			Extended Meditation (45 minutes), followed by free-form discussion and social time.
Mar 24		Nancy H	Visit by Nancy Hilyard

The Book Queue  These are books that are being suggested to read. 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.

• After Buddhism: Rethinking the Dharma for a Secular Age by Stephen Batchelor
  
• Approaching the Buddhist Path by Bhiksu Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, and Bhiksuni Thubten Chodron
  
• The Blue Cliff Record translated by J.C. Cleary and Thomas Cleary
  
• The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by HH the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, with Douglas Abrams
  
• The Buddha and His Dhamma by B. R. Ambedkar
  
• The Buddha's Teachings on Social and Communal Harmony: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon by Bhikkhu Bodhi, forward by the Dalai Lama
  
• Buddhist Chants and Prayers for Daily Living (Modern Buddhist Healing) by Charles Atkins
  
• Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness: Walking the Buddha's Path by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana
  
• Eyes Wide Open: Cultivating Discernment on the Spiritual Path by Mariana Caplan, Ph.D.
  
• 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
  
• The Little Book of Buddhist Meditation: Establishing a Daily Meditation Practice by Eric Van Horn
  
• Love on Every Breath: Tonglen Meditation for Transforming Pain into Joy by Lama Palden Drolma
  
• The Magic of the Mind: An Exposition of the Kalakarama Sutta by Bhikkhu Nanananda
  
• 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
  
• Right Mindfulness: Memory and Ardency on the Buddhist Path by Thanissaro Bhikkhu (Geoffrey DeGraff)
  
• Samadhi is Pure Enjoyment by Ajahn Sucitto
  
• Secular Buddhism by Noah Rasheta
  
• The Sound of Silence: The Selected Teachings of Ajahn Sumedho by Ajahn Sumedho and Ajahn Amaro
  
• Traveller in Space: Gender, Identity and Tibetan Buddhism by June Campbell
  
• Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion by Sam Harris
  
• 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>