All things rise, and then pass away, and One River Sangha is no exception.
When One River Sangha started in 2003, the group of us who started it wanted to continue the practice of meditation we had begun with Christy Tews. We had just finished her six-week class, and in the last session she had asked us what we wanted to take away from the experience. Some of us said that we wanted to continue sitting together, and she said she thought that was a wonderful idea — and so, starting shortly after that, we did just that.
When we started out, we decided that while we knew that we were new to meditation ourselves, we could help each other best by providing a regular space for questions and discussion as they came up. We wanted to provide support for each other and our practice, and provide a welcoming, safe environment where people from all walks of life who were new to meditation could come and dip their toes in the river of the dharma, and maybe stay awhile.
So that’s what we did, and it’s been an amazing 12 years. There have been so many people and teachers we’ve met, sat with, gotten to know over the years, and then watched move on while simultaneously welcoming new faces in their place… A real river of meditators. But what was once a steady group has slowly dwindled to a trickle, and in recent months I’ve sat by myself more times on Tuesday night than i have in our entire history combined.
To me, a sangha of one is no sangha, and so it is with a partly heavy heart I have decided that, as the sole remaining founding member and last remaining sitting member, it’s time for One River Sangha to end the hosting of weekly sits. Our last sit at the Reno Buddhist Center will be this coming Tuesday, Sept. 29th, starting at the usual time of 6:30pm.
Of course, I will continue sitting on my own at home, and I’ll still work on flyers and other things for the Dharma Zephyr Sangha as needed, but I have other things I want to put my energy towards for awhile. If enough people want to start up regular sitting again, I’d be up for it, so please let me know. Thanks, all, for all your help and encouragement over the years — you all inspire me and i am forever grateful for the time we’ve spent sitting together. Please keep me in mind (and on your various email lists) or just drop me a line! I’m here — I just need to change things up for awhile, I think.
Gassho _/|\_,
-f.
frank ozaki