Two Night Meditation Retreat October 22 – 24

It is often said that for meditation practice to truly take flight, we need the two wings of compassion and wisdom. Join us for this online retreat that begins Friday evening, October 22 and ends Sunday morning, October 24. Retreat will include meditation, instruction, discussion and dharma talks. Full information and registration here.

Back to Basics, in Person Saturday!

A drop-in class on the first and third Saturdays of the month, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. CST, to learn and deepen your meditation practice. Starting June 5, 2021, meetings will be held at Osher Center for Integrative Medicine in Nashville. Masks and distancing of three feet per person is required. Led by facilitator and long time practitioner Jennifer Wang, the class will include guided meditations, short talks, and group discussions around the themes of creating and maintaining your home practice and applying your practice to every day life. The class is perfect for beginners as well as experienced meditators. Suggested donation is $10 and can be made through Paypal here, or Venmo @onedharma. For questions about this program, email onedharmainfo@gmail.com.

How to Find Us: Osher is located 3401 West End Ave at Orleans. The parking garage is at the rear of the building on Orleans. There is plenty of parking, which is free and secure. Walk through the glass door at the garage entry level (3rd floor) and turn left to #380

Standing with Asian Communities

As mindfulness meditation becomes ever more popular and established in the West, its Asian Buddhist roots are sometimes obscured or overlooked. Most everyone knows that Buddhism began in India, but too many are unaware of the varied and storied lineages that spread throughout Asia thousands of years before making their way to the West. In Buddhism’s early decades in America, practitioners studied primarily with Asian masters. But this isn’t as common as it once was and many students may not encounter any Asian teachers at all or simply lose sight of where the dharma came from.

When I first began Buddhist meditation in 1989, I practiced in the Kwan Um Zen tradition of Zen Master Seung Sahn. He was a charismatic and brilliant teacher from North Korea and had many dedicated western students. One of them was Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of the modern mindfulness movement. My own studies also led me to practice with a few Japanese Zen Masters along with my Western teachers.I am deeply grateful for the Asian teachers who brought Buddhism to the West and the all of the Asian communities that have held and transmitted the teachings for millennia.

The mass shooting in Atlanta last week highlights the significant increase in hate crimes in the U.S. against Asian Americans over the past year. I’m heartbroken by these developments. Buddhism upholds non-harming and nonviolence as the foundation of wisdom and compassionate action. I hope you’ll join me in standing in solidarity with Asian Americans, which include one of our instructors, Jennifer Wang, who is on the board of the Middle Tennessee API (Asian Pacific Islander).

How can you help? This list of concrete steps published by NPR is a great place to start. You can also learn more about the Middle Tennessee API here. You can also find additional resources on their website here. This is a good time for us all to educate ourselves about the history of Asian-Americans and the fact that discrimination against Asian-Americans is not new and has its roots in law. One Dharma offers a “Mindful of Whiteness” group twice a month and for those who identify as white, this is a good place to explore and uncover how inner and outer bias contribute to the racism that is still so evident and persistent in our culture. 

May all beings be safe and protected,

May all beings be seen and heard,

May all begins be cared for with love and compassion.

Dharma Talk – GPS and The Dharma Navigation System

LisaErnst One Dharma · GPS And The Dharma Navigation System

Right now it may feel you’re in limbo, no fixed location. Perhaps a sense of optimism, yet also the push and pull of staying and going forward, no real directions that make sense. Like being lost and not having any way to navigate. But the dharma is the ultimate navigation system to help us reset and find our way.

Indifferent and Invisible People: Why They’re Important in Lovingkindess Practice

LisaErnst · Invisible People- Why They're Important In Lovingkindess Practice

Metta, or lovingkindness practice, teaches us that all humans have the same needs for safety, well being, and freedom from suffering. The practice of offering kindness to an indifferent person in particular led me to a deeper exploration of what “neutral” or “indifferent” really means. It has completely changed my perspective and expanded my practice. Perhaps it can for you, too.

Join Us for a Dharma Block Party!

Join us for a dharma block party on February 13, 7-9 pm CT. Bring family and invite friends, make new ones, and help cultivate sangha with the gift of your presence. The evening will begin and end with fun new ways of connecting to the One Dharma community and beyond. For the middle hour, from 7:30-8:30 pm CT, there will be drop-in breakout rooms* so you can choose from different ways of moving, meditating, and more. And think about what you might want to share in the open mic break-out room. Let’s come together and share some joy! Suggested donation is $10 – $20 and can be made here. To join just click this zoom link. *Make sure you have Zoom version 5.3 or higher so that you can self select the rooms you want to go in and out of. For questions, email onedharmainfo@gmail.com.

Spring Renewal Multi Day Meditation Retreat

New Year’s Multi Day Retreat

2020 has proven to be one of the most challenging years in recent memory. Practicing together at the turn of the New Year will provide an extraordinary time for reflection and taking refuge in dharma and community. By taking time to pause and look into our hearts, we can better care for ourselves and those around us with loving attention and wise action. Through deep inquiry we can also clarify our direction for the New Year and beyond.

This home retreat is designed with schedule flexibility to accommodate home practice across time zones. For full information, schedule and registration, go here.

One Dharma Year End Fundraiser

Please go here for donation links and info. Thank you!

New Year’s Multi Day Retreat

2020 has proven to be one of the most challenging years in recent memory. Practicing together at the turn of the New Year will provide an extraordinary time for reflection and taking refuge in dharma and community. By taking time to pause and look into our hearts, we can better care for ourselves and those around us with loving attention and wise action.  Through deep inquiry we can also clarify our direction for the New Year and beyond. Click here for full info and registration.