Newsletters

Sangha Talk September 2021 is our new newsletter published by Thayer. We are in the process of figuring how to get it onto this website for you to see.

July 31, 2021 - Leadership Change

Sangha Sisters and Brothers,

A wise person once said that a Sangha is like your hand. It needs all its fingers to be functioning and working together to be fully effective.

When this finger became disabled due to my expanded caregiving duties, the other fingers stepped up organically:

Margaret as Practice/Study Group Coordinator & Archivist

Rachael, San, Cyndi for sustauning Compassion-in-Action throughout the pandemic

Jenny with Zoom technical support and internet privacy consultant

CharlieO with Mailchimp, study group technical support

Thayer as Virtual Coffee discussion leader and social networking

Greg as Meditation Umdze, Treasurer, Meetup site manager

—-And unofficially as my co-coordinator/advisor—-till now.

Officially, as of today, Rinpoche named Greg as my replacement as Coordinator of Katogmatiling.

Rinpoche, knowing that Greg already wears many hats (not to mention his regular jobs as psychiatrist and taichi teacher), is counting on all of you to continue your active roles, is expecting that Greg will groom a newer leader and is looking forward to meeting in person someday soon. Calling us his “small, sweet sangha”, Rinpoche writes:

“ In the meantime, I’m so happy that the group is active and studying and practicing and supporting each other. Having a dharma community and support has enormous value for our own personal practice and spiritual growth as well.”

I am profoundly grateful to all of you for all the support and kindness you bestowed on me over the last two and a half years. I sincerely trust that you will continue to do so for Greg and for each other.

Love,

Lily

Newsletter Archive

December 2020 - Closing the Year

For most, 2020 was a bad dream, better shaken off and forgotten. For a diligent sangha, it was a dream year, to be remembered and perhaps even treasured.

2020, A Dharma Dream

From March to June, Rinpoche was on island, the longest visit ever. Although he was quarantined, he made his presence felt. He orchestrated distribution of masks, dutsi, protection mantras, and letters of comfort to all pandemic prisoners—on the inside and outside. He quickly mobilized a global virtual operation. In total he gave us 7 webcast teachings plus a monthlong online Shedra. In an ordinary year, most of us are lucky to get even 1 teaching.

We also had access to special zoom workshops (eg., chanting, medicine buddha, calligraphy) and a variety of zoom meditations 5 days a week for 40 weeks— over 200 opportunities to practice!

2020 Compassion-in-Action Dream

Many mainland sanghas went on lockdown with the pandemic, ceasing all activity. Not us. We shifted into high gear.

Not only did we continue our monthly Study Group, we added monthly Virtual Meditation and Coffee.The virtual format enabled us to support one another in our practice and check in on each other during the pandemic, as many of us we’re quarantined.

Together with Kauai, Maui and Molokai and beyond, we held a special Medicine Buddha Practice for an ailing sangha sister.

Connecting at Virtual Coffee also led to brainstorming creative ways to do Compassion in Action. In total 4 projects were done Covid-safely, and together with Maui and Kauai sanghas:

- 228 underwear, Ryse Homeless Youth

- over 80 sandwiches, homeless teens in Waikiki

- 40 OnePagers of weekly inspiration, WCCC

- $1,000 healthy snacks, WCCC

This year was like no other. I am filled with awe and gratitude for you all. We may be small in number but giant in heart. And in unity, we have strength.

May all your dreams come true in 2021.

Love, Lily

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Reminders

Medicine Buddha

This Saturday Dec 26 10:00

For more info:

https://www.katogmatiling.org/events

Virtual Coffee

This Saturday Dec 26 11:00

Kindly sign up for one or both on Meetup:

https://meetu.ps/e/JCqtr/1WPMc/a

Zoom link for both:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83974499884

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Shower of Blessings

Sunday, Dec 27, 2020

9:00

same link as Mon/Wed practices. (If you don't have the link, write webitate@katogcholing.com to obtain it.)

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Hand Mudras

If you are interested in participating in a Zoom lesson with Paloma on hand mudras (possibly on a Saturday or Sunday sometime mid - January) please let me know.

If there is enough interest, it’ll happen.

October News + Reminders - 10-20-20

REMINDERS

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Dalai Lama Global Vision Summit - in 2 days

https://promo.lionsroar.com/dalai-lama-summit-register/?goal=0_1988ee44b2-496af8b02b-22097373#aff02

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Shedra - about one week left to register

https://katogcholing.com/schedule-details.php?id=639

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KML Meditation & Virtual Coffee - this Saturday 11:00. Please sign up on Meetup to get link.

http://meetu.ps/e/Js4fH/1WPMc/a

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Compassion in Action News

Congratulations to Lekshe who was officially approved to start volunteering at both Hawaii state and Federal prisons! Unofficially she has already been most actively engaged in our remote prisonwork.

One-Pagers and Healthy Snacks

Since March, every week without fail, One-Pagers were delivered to WCCC. So far, a total of 31 ! You can read them all on our website, if you could use some inspiration too:

https://www.katogmatiling.org/compassion-in-action-in-prisons/one-page-prison-dharma

With great thanks to Rachael, our pandemic remote ministry thrives. She initiated the snacks program when WCCC Chaplain started a weekly movie night. We are now into Batch 6; that’s $600 worth of healthy snacks!!!

Please contact Rachael to donate One-Pagers and money towards snacks.

Teens Compassion in Action

Many thanks to Silvia and Greg for expanding our outreach to feeding local homeless teens. Stay tuned for more developments on this front.

We’re On The Map

If you now search “Buddhist Meditation” Katogmatiling pops up. Please take a few minutes to add a review to the Google Maps and Yelp listings.999