All levels encouraged! Location: 54 Dover Rd. (Main St.) Williamsville, there is a large wooden sign out front stating 54 Dover Rd. Come up the shared driveway, to park (on the right) and enter the house on the right. We usually run from 6:30 'til about 8.
Kalyāṇa-mittatā is a Buddhist concept of "spiritual friendship" within Buddhist community life, applicable to both monastic and householder relationships. One involved in such a relationship is known as a "good friend", "virtuous friend", "noble friend" or "admirable friend"
Since early Buddhist history, these relationships have involved spiritual teacher-student dyads as well as communal peer groups. In general, such is a supportive relationship based on shared Buddhist ethical values and the pursuit of awakening.
Translation: A Dharma Friends group is one in which people meet, do a 20 minute reading out of a chosen book or a shared teaching, mediate for 20 minutes, then check in in regards to how their practice is going, spend the rest of the time discussing what caught their attention from the reading/teachings. The format is flexible and can be shifted around according to what works for the group.
My name is T Breeze Verdant, I'm certified as a mindfulness/meditation instructor by The Interdependence Project based out of NYC and a member of the International Mindfulness Teacher's Association. I've has meditated for decades with a history of silent retreats and 9 years of weekly Dharma Friend Meetings. "I just want to be able to wash my dishes in peace" is my personal motto for studying Buddhism and I believe that Buddhism is simply "advanced common sense" and seek down to earth ways of understanding and applying what I learn. My motivation is to share these teachings with others because they have helped me so much. After profound trauma as an infant and 30 years of shots and pills and being told that I would be dependent upon doctors, I finally woke up almost 40 years ago and started to look inside at my issues. I have pursued many avenues of growth, finally landing on this Buddhist path and can see why these teachings have been considered so valuable to people that they have handed them down for 2600 years. American teachers have been steadily dialing in how to interpret and share this wisdom to make it accessible to idiots like myself! I'm here to support others who wish to learn.