People of Color Sangha

<TABLE WIDTH="95%" BORDER="0" CELLSPACING="2" CELLPADDING="2" ALIGN="center"> <td width="100%"><TABLE WIDTH="95%" BORDER="0" ALIGN="center" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="2"> <TR> <TD WIDTH="100%" VALIGN="top"> <TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER="0" CELLSPACING="0" CELLPADDING="5"> <TR> <TD ALIGN="CENTER" WIDTH="25%"></TD> <TD ALIGN="CENTER"><DIV CLASS=content-titles>People of Color Sangha</DIV></TD> <TD ALIGN="left" WIDTH="25%"> <A HREF="../index.php" TARGET="_top" CLASS="topright">Manzanita Village Homepage</A> <BR> <A HREF="../sitemap.html" TARGET="_top" CLASS="topright">Site Map</A> </TD> </TR> </TABLE></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD VALIGN="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" ALIGN="center"> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD VALIGN="top" BGCOLOR="#cccccc" ALIGN="center"><p align="center" style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;"><strong>An ongoing People of Color Sangha (Meditation Group) in Los Angeles </strong></p> <p align="center" style="margin-top:0; margin-bottom: 0;"><strong>with guiding teacher Michele Benzamin-Miki</strong><font style="color:#000099;"> </font></p> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD VALIGN="top"><BLOCKQUOTE STYLE="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0;"> <BLOCKQUOTE STYLE="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0;"> <BLOCKQUOTE STYLE="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0;"> <BLOCKQUOTE STYLE="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0;"> <BLOCKQUOTE STYLE="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0;"> <BLOCKQUOTE STYLE="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0;"> <BLOCKQUOTE STYLE="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0;"> <BLOCKQUOTE STYLE="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0;"> <BLOCKQUOTE STYLE="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0;">  </BLOCKQUOTE> </BLOCKQUOTE> </BLOCKQUOTE> </BLOCKQUOTE> </BLOCKQUOTE> </BLOCKQUOTE> </BLOCKQUOTE> </BLOCKQUOTE> </BLOCKQUOTE></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD VALIGN="top"><div align="center"> <h2>Meditation . Council . Dharma Talk and Teachings </h2> </div></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD VALIGN="top"> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD VALIGN="top"><blockquote style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0;"> <blockquote> <p align="left" style="margin-top: 0;"><font style="color:black;">Open to Beginners.<br> If you have questions or would like to be informed of future meditations evenings call <br> Michele Benzamin-Miki 310-470-8443 </font><font style="color:#000099;">mbm@fivechanges.org </font></p> <p align="left"><font style="color:black;"><strong>When: </strong> <strong>Ongoing first Wednesday of every month</strong></font><br> 7:30pm - 9:30pm <br> with Michele Benzamin-Miki <br> <br> <strong>Location: Wednesday, October 4 </strong><strong></strong><br> Yaunee's House <a href="http://www.manzanitavillage.org/articles/yauneee_directions.html"><br> Directions click here </a><strong> </strong><br> <br> Suggested Donation $7-$35 <br> <br> Bring a cushion (or rolled-up blanket) and wear comfortable clothing. Also pass the word or bring others you feel would benefit from these gatherings and teachings.<br> <br> <strong>Topic: </strong> <em>Metta ~ Maitri</em>: Lovingkindness<br> Teachings on kindness, forgiveness, love, patience and compassion </p> <p align="left"> <em><br> </em> <em>Let go of any idea you are separate from the web of living beings. Let your life be informed by the understanding that all things are interconnected. Find ways to relinquish the indulgence and excess you have used as a substitute for love.<br> Accept in their place the gift, the infinite pleasure, of boundless love. </em></p> <p align="left"><font style="color:black;"><br> <strong>If you have questions please contact: Michele 310-470-8443</strong></font><strong><a href="..//manzanitavillage.org/articles/yawneee_directions.html"><font style="color:black;">  </font></a></strong></p> </blockquote> <blockquote> <p style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;"><a href="..//manzanitavillage.org/articles/yawneee_directions.html"><font style="color:black;"><strong>Buddhist teaching and practice lead us to the recognition that there is no separation between 'self' and 'other'. How can we implement this deep wisdom in a way that truly nourishes and strengthens us? This will be an evening of sharing amongst People of Color and their journeys in the practice of Dharma. Coming together to heal and to celebrate. We will engage in silent and guided sittings, walking meditation, with Dharma talk and discussion, and Council.</strong></font><br> <br> </a></p> </blockquote> </blockquote></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD VALIGN="top"><table width="98%" border="0"> <tr valign="top"> <td width="61%"><blockquote style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0;"> <blockquote> <p align="left" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0;"><strong><font style="color:black;">Michele Benzamin-Miki </font></strong><font style="color:black;">is the guiding teacher. She is of Japanese, and mixed Middle-eastern and Anglo origin. </font>She is rooted in the Buddhist traditions of Southeast Asian Vipassana as well as Vietnamese Zen. For fourteen years she was a student of Thich Nhat Hahn and taught within his tradition and lineage. She has practiced both meditation and martial arts for over 25 years, with many teachers from Asia, Europe and North America. She has an array of tools developed and adapted to her own form-from deep-ecology practices, theater, non-violence and diversity training, as well as from her own background as an artist-painter. She holds a 5th degree Black belt in Aikido and Iaido sword forms and is a guiding Sensei to several dojos throughout the country. Since the early 1980's she has been co-leading retreats in North America and Europe with her partner Caitríona Reed. She has taught meditation to high-risk youth at Central Juvenile hall and within the probation systems of Los Angeles. She is co-founder of Ordinary Dharma and Manzanita Village retreat Center in Southern California. She is also currently working with the Santa Ysabel reservation teaching non-violence, meditation and aikido.   </p> </blockquote> </blockquote></td> <td width="39%" valign="middle"><div align="center"><img src="images/michele_for_poc.jpg" width="300" height="225"></div></td> </tr> </table></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD VALIGN="top"> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD VALIGN="top" bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><blockquote style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0;"> <blockquote style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0;"> <p align="center" style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;"><strong>A Buddhist Meditation Class for People of Color </strong></p> <p align="center" style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;">Six Wednesday evenings 7pm-9:30pm with Michele Benzamin-Miki </p> <p align="center" style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;">Date for New Class to be Announced</p> </blockquote> </blockquote></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD VALIGN="top"> <p align="left" style="margin-bottom:0;"> </p> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD VALIGN="top"><blockquote style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0;"> <p align="left" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0;">Central Teachings of Buddhism with guidance and instruction in Meditation Practices. <br> Topics for discussion and councils will be specifically related to People of Color.<br> <br> <strong>The Teachings for the Six Weeks will be: </strong></p> <ol style="margin-top: 0;"> <li>The Four Noble Truths and the Sutra on the Full Awareness of Breathing </li> <li> The Noble Eightfold Path and the Bodhisattva Practices </li> <li>The Four Foundations of Mindfulness and the 5 Aggregates </li> <li>The Six Realms of Existence and the Five Hindrances </li> <li>Teachings of Mutual Causality and Interdependence and Engaged Buddhism and Social Activism </li> <li>The Brahma Viharas - Loving Kindness, Compassion, Joy, Equanimity, and Teachings on Ahimsa - non violence and Practice in Daily Life </li> </ol> <p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0;"><strong>Cost:</strong> $120. Some partial scholarships available. Please call Michele for details 310-470-8443</p> <p align="left" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0;">Register by sending the full amount to the address below. </p> <p style="margin-top:0;"><font style="color:black;"> </font></p> <p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0;"><strong>Registration:</strong> </p> <p align="left" style="margin-top:0; margin-bottom: 0;"><span style="background-color: #FFFFFF"><strong><em>  </em></strong><em><strong>Online -<br> </strong></em></span><a href="http://www.ordinarydharma.org/resources/content_registration.html"><span style="background-color: #FFFF00">Retreat Registration by Check or Online by Credit Card through PayPal</span> </a></p> <p align="left" style="margin-top:0; margin-bottom: 0;"><strong><em>  By Mail - </em></strong><br> Please mail your check payable to Ordinary Dharma </p> <p align="left" style="margin-top:0; margin-bottom: 0;">please write POC Introductory Meditation on check <br> ( payment is tax deductible)</p> <p align="left" style="margin-top:0; margin-bottom: 0;"><strong>Send to</strong>: Michele Benzamin-Miki</p> <p align="left" style="margin-top:0; margin-bottom: 0;">Ordinary Dharma/Manzanita Village </p> <p align="left" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">PO Box 67, Warner Springs CA 92086 <br> 310-470-8443</p> </blockquote></TD> </TR> </TABLE>            </TABLE>