Friends,


When it’s dark outside we  can find light insight, one of the  blessings  of dark Northwest fall weather. Let us gather together this Thursday in shared peace and love.
 
The Eastside Insight sit will be 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 16, finishing at 9 p.m.

For this Nov. 16 sit we’re very happy to welcome Sooz Appel, a person of decades of practice experience, who serves as one of the Seattle  Insight Meditation Society local  dharma leaders. Reversing what we said at the last meeting, she will be in the chapel in person, although we’ll also be online, thus hybrid.
 
I didn’t go to Thailand, primarily because my wife Ellen was ill (she’s better) and needed care  and support. It’s all good, and I’m happy I’ll be able to support you all on Nov. 16.
 
Sooz’s  talk will be:
 
Practicing with the precepts: making them your own.
 
She writes:
 
“The precepts are a powerful and often challenging part of the path. They are powerful because they offer practical guideposts for living an ethical life. They  are  challenging because often we don’t (or can’t or choose not to) follow them exactly.
 
Each of the precepts contain within it complexities and nuances. Whether it’s the challenges of gardeners facing if and how to eliminate unwanted “pests,” or lifestyle choices that may include intoxicants, or how to interpret “taking only what is given”—exploring these further is a fruitful conversation to have with ourselves and each other.”
 
Here’s some background on Sooz:
 
“Sooz Appel was introduced to Vipassana meditation in 1983 at a death and dying retreat with Stephen Levine. Later that year, she and two friends established Shanti Seattle, which offered emotional support to people who were dying. She joined SIMS when it formed and served on the board and as president from 2001-2003. Over the years, Sooz has filled nearly every volunteer position in SIMS and continues to give of her time and energy to the sangha. In addition to issues of death and dying, Sooz has offered mindfulness opportunities (classes and retreats) to teenagers through both the Seattle Teen Mindfulness Circle and Inward Bound Mindfulness Education (iBme).
 
Sooz is semi-retired having spent 25 years running a recycling company with her life partner. She now helps to manage their commercial property with its dozen small business tenants.”

The URL for the evening will be  https://tinyurl.com/Eastside-Insight-2023-II, or please come in person to the chapel at Northlake Unitarian Universalist Church, 315 3rd Ave S., Kirkland, WA 98033.

As we said earlier, through the end of the year we’ll be slightly shifting how we look at dana, to help cultivate an understanding that this isn’t a transaction but an offering of generosity.

For  starters, please consider offering dana to Northlake Unitarian Universalist Church, which makes this space available on a dana-only basis. If you do, please mention you’re from Eastside Insight Meditation.

https://tinyurl.com/NorthlakeUU-Paypal2022

In terms of offering to the teacher, we’ll be splitting any dana offered between the teacher and Metta In Action. This is an international group that benefits nuns and others in Myanmar.

 Thus to offer dana split between Metta In Action and the teacher, please offer cash in the teacher basket, or use  Venmo at @sooz-appel, and we’ll get half in the Metta in Action fund.
 
Speaking of generosity, also there’s an opportunity to help set up on Thursday, especially by preparing for the tea break. Just generosity purifies the mind, moves us from self-cherishing. Thus setting out cups, with the right attitude, is as much a practice as is time on the cushion. Please sign up below!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/18OKEUO7ubunOG_q9r8MaBFWXqmWScOm4LIsv8MdnBU8/edit

Looking ahead, I’ll be offering a six-week introduction to meditation class starting Jan. 17. Please sign up if you’re interested, or tell a friend.
 
https://seattleinsight.org/event/introductory-meditation-class-series-in-person-online/2024-01-17/
 
Also we’ll be needing two volunteers for the six evenings  of  the class, so please consider volunteering. It’s a  great way to support many in the dharma.
 
Bows  to you,

Steve