Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have moved many of our offerings online, including our weekday morning meditation. We’ve discovered that for many sangha members, gathering online has increased accessibility and ease of participation. For the foreseeable future, we will make decisions about holding events virtually or in person based on current conditions and the needs of the sangha.
All events are offered freely, with donations welcome. If you are a teacher or practitioner interested in collaborating to create an offering with us, please contact us.
Morning Meditation
We have morning sitting in community via Zoom every weekday from 7:30-8am, followed by a brief practice discussion. Contact us below to request the link. We ask that all community members abide by these guidelines for this offering.
Our once a month in-person meditation offering continues to rotate at the homes of different sangha members. On May 5, Cathie will host a group sit in the West End in Portland. We will send the location and more details to all registrants the week prior to the gathering.
Register here
Former Dharma House residents Jake Fahey and Gwendolyn Forrest are organizing a weekend of deep canvassing learning and action on race and immigration. Connecting with people through deep canvassing has been shown to lastingly reduce prejudice, inoculate people against fear-messaging, and change hearts and minds. If you want to learn the powerful art of deep canvassing through in person training and doorknocking, to be in community with other Mainers who believe in making Maine a place of belonging for all, and to eat good food together, this is for you!
A second training will be offered June 21-22, and participants are welcome to sign up for one or both. These trainings are co-sponsored by Portland Dharma House and Greater Portland Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ).
We are continuing to experiment with a once a month in-person meditation offering, at the homes of different sangha members. On April 7, Rebecca will host a group sit in Portland. We will send the location and more details to all registrants the week prior to the gathering.
Our next dharma book group, facilitated by Joan Quinn and Liz Farmer, will explore Lama Rod Owens’ newly published The New Saints: From Broken Hearts to Spiritual Warriors: “Saints are ordinary and human, doing things any person can learn to do,” teaches Lama Rod Owens. “Our era calls for saints who are from this time and place, speak the language of this moment, and integrate both social and spiritual liberation. I believe we all can and must become New Saints."
This event will take place via Zoom. Register here.
Sangha members Max Bowen, Susan Kohaut, and Rebecca Layton will offer a conversation and practice on the the 3 Characteristics (impermanence, suffering, and not-self). The Three Characteristics, also known as the three marks of existence, are fundamental to Buddhist dharma practice. The insight that all conditioned things are impermanent, unsatisfying, and without essence or self can help us to get out of delusion and the endless cycle of samsara (meaning "wandering"). We can experience directly the arising and passing of phenomena in many forms--while sitting observing the mind and body in meditation practice, and throughout our daily lives. This will be an interactive discussion woven with short periods of practice.
On March 22, we will host a longer period of community meditation practice via Zoom. Stewarded by Marissa Schneiderman, all are welcome to participate in up to 2 additional hours of silent sitting and walking, leading into our usual morning sit and practice discussion. No registration is necessary, and you are welcome to join at any point in the schedule. A bell will be rung to indicate the transitions between sitting and walking.
During a recent in-person sangha gathering, we heard many of you share the desire to meditate together in a shared physical space more frequently. We are hoping to offer a monthly in-person meditation moving forward, at the homes of different sangha members.
Susan K. has generously offered to host a group sit on Sunday, March 3 at her home in Cape Elizabeth, near the South Portland border. Please register here and we will send the location and more details the week prior to the gathering.
On February 16, we will be piloting a longer period of community meditation practice via Zoom. Stewarded by Marissa Schneiderman, all are welcome to participate in up to 2 additional hours of silent sitting and walking, leading into our usual morning sit and practice discussion. No registration is necessary, and you are welcome to join at any point in the schedule. A bell will be rung to indicate the transitions between sitting and walking.
We are delighted to offer another dharma book group this winter, facilitated by Joan Quinn and Liz Farmer. We’ll read Lama Rod Owens’ newly published The New Saints: From Broken Hearts to Spiritual Warriors: “Saints are ordinary and human, doing things any person can learn to do,” teaches Lama Rod Owens. “Our era calls for saints who are from this time and place, speak the language of this moment, and integrate both social and spiritual liberation. I believe we all can and must become New Saints."
Dates are set for January 25, February 8 and 22, March 7 and 21, and April 4. And with heartfelt thanks to a generous sangha member, we have extra books available, so that cost is not a barrier to anyone who would like to participate. Please indicate on the registration form if you would like a book provided.
We welcome all sangha members and their families to join our winter in-person gathering, on January 21, with much gratitude to Jean F for hosting once again at her home in Scarborough. Please bring any vegetarian snacks/food for a light early dinner. For this gathering, we'll begin with an optional meditation (inside), then chat and eat, and then we'll close the gathering together outside by the fire. Please RSVP here for the address and any weather-related updates.
Journeys of Trauma, Healing, and Forgiveness explores truth telling and story as avenues out of trauma and into healing and empowerment. We come up against the question of forgiveness when facing trauma, engaging in healing, becoming empowered, and developing a language to articulate painful life experiences. What is forgiveness (and what is forgiveness not)? Is forgiveness necessary? And are there limits to forgiveness? Each session will incorporate the Restorative Practice of creating a sacred container of safety and courage through opening and closing rituals (a moment of silence/sharing of a quote, poem, or song, followed by a check-in/-out question). In between classes, there is an (optional) invitation to journal, and access resources or readings.
8 Wednesdays, starting October 4 and ending November 29 (no class Thanksgiving week)
Location: Zoom
Journeys of Trauma, Healing, and Forgiveness explores truth telling and story as avenues out of trauma and into healing and empowerment. We come up against the question of forgiveness when facing trauma, engaging in healing, becoming empowered, and developing a language to articulate painful life experiences. What is forgiveness (and what is forgiveness not)? Is forgiveness necessary? And are there limits to forgiveness? Each session will incorporate the Restorative Practice of creating a sacred container of safety and courage through opening and closing rituals (a moment of silence/sharing of a quote, poem, or song, followed by a check-in/-out question). In between classes, there is an (optional) invitation to journal, and access resources or readings.
8 Wednesdays, starting October 4 and ending November 29 (no class Thanksgiving week)
Location: Zoom
We invite all sangha members to join our in-person fall potluck. This will be an outdoor event (weather-permitting), with family members of all ages welcome. We invite you to bring whatever food or drink items you'd like to share. We are very grateful to Jean F. for hosting at her home in Scarborough. Please RSVP here for the address and any updates.
This group, hosted by Max Bowen LCPC, will explore the intersection of western psychological growth models and dharma practice, both to support therapists in their own dharma practice, as well as their work with clients. It will initially take the form of a book study, using John Welwood’s book, Toward a Psychology of Awakening: Buddhism, Psychotherapy, and the Path of Personal and Spiritual Transformation. Subsequent sessions may cover other topics offered by group members.
This gathering is an opportunity to discuss the newly drafted Code of Ethical Conduct for our sangha. This document aims to articulate our sangha culture, values, and ethical commitments. We ask all active members to read and affirm it. Our intention is also for it to be a living document that continues to be shaped as we evolve and grow as a sangha. The information session on September 11 is a first opportunity to share your feedback, comments and questions.
We invite all sangha members who are local to the Portland area (or come from farther afield if you like!) to our in-person gathering on the summer solstice. This will be an outdoor picnic (weather-permitting), with family members of all ages welcome. We invite you to bring whatever picnic items you'd like, with extra to share if you wish. We are very grateful to sangha member Jean F. for hosting at her home in Scarborough. Please RSVP here for the address and any updates.
Using practices and principles from the dharma, this group will offer a space for white sangha members to investigate the way racialized conditioning shows up in our thoughts, feelings, actions and community. Together we will explore what it means to support one another in anti-racism work, individually and as a sangha. Gatherings will include meditation, embodied practice, discussion, and reflection.
Please join us for the first in a series of events focused on race and dharma. Participants will be asked to listen to a talk from Reverend angel Kyodo williams Roshi before the event, and then come together for a facilitated community discussion. Our time together will include embodiment and movement practices in addition to reflection and sharing. All are welcome.
Facilitated by Gloria Aponte-Clark, Maria Sanchez and Liz Farmer
Offered on Zoom - Register Here
In one of our December practice discussions, several of us shared concerns about the housing crisis in Maine. This online event will be a more in depth opportunity to learn from each other about ways to respond. We'll share ideas about places to donate time and/or money, and write letters to state legislators asking them to prioritize solutions to the housing crisis in our state, beyond the emergency relief bill that passed this week. Templates for the letter writing will be provided.
Please join us to welcome the changing of seasons and to honor the gifts of the darkest time of year. We’ll gather around an outdoor fire, with opportunities to be in silence, in sharing, and perhaps in song. Feel free to bring a favorite poem, reading or musical instrument. Warm beverages and sweet treats will be available, and a pot of beans on the stove for anyone who hasn't yet eaten dinner. We are very grateful to sangha member Leigha for hosting at her home in Portland. Please register to receive the address and any updates on the gathering. All ages welcome!
Our dharma book group continues this fall, with a focus on compassion.
This fall, we’ll be discussing Joan Halifax’s book Standing at the Edge: Finding Freedom Where Fear and Courage Meet. The book explores five “edge states” that are key to a compassionate life, and that also have a shadow side that can cause harm. Our intention with the book discussion is to explore concretely how these edge states manifest in our lives, to support our capacity for compassion and wisdom in these times.
Please note: The book group is currently full.
Our dharma book group continues this fall, with a focus on compassion.
This fall, we’ll be discussing Joan Halifax’s book Standing at the Edge: Finding Freedom Where Fear and Courage Meet. The book explores five “edge states” that are key to a compassionate life, and that also have a shadow side that can cause harm. Our intention with the book discussion is to explore concretely how these edge states manifest in our lives, to support our capacity for compassion and wisdom in these times.
Please note: The book group is currently full.
We'd like to invite all those local to Portland to join us for an outdoor sangha gathering, weather permitting. Bring a hot beverage and/or snacks if you like, and something to sit on, for a short sit and discussion outside. Please email us for the location.
In this webinar, we will consider what might constitute “right action” in the upcoming midterm elections, using the lens of the eightfold path and socially-engaged Buddhism. We will additionally share a framework for understanding the current threats to equity and democracy in Maine and beyond, and ideas on how to respond. How might we show up in this time, with wisdom and compassion? How can the dharma guide us in being with the suffering, confusion, and overwhelm of our political environment? How might we foster solidarity and beloved community in the midst of polarization?
Please join us if:
You are curious about the intersection of Buddhism and social engagement;
You care about equity, and want to meet other Mainers who do too; and
You’d like to take action related to the midterms but are not sure how (or you’re excited to bring your ideas!)
Register Here
Our dharma book group continues this fall, with a focus on compassion.
This fall, we’ll be discussing Joan Halifax’s book Standing at the Edge: Finding Freedom Where Fear and Courage Meet. The book explores five “edge states” that are key to a compassionate life, and that also have a shadow side that can cause harm. Our intention with the book discussion is to explore concretely how these edge states manifest in our lives, to support our capacity for compassion and wisdom in these times.
Please note: The book group is currently full.
Our dharma book group continues this fall, with a focus on compassion.
This fall, we’ll be discussing Joan Halifax’s book Standing at the Edge: Finding Freedom Where Fear and Courage Meet. The book explores five “edge states” that are key to a compassionate life, and that also have a shadow side that can cause harm. Our intention with the book discussion is to explore concretely how these edge states manifest in our lives, to support our capacity for compassion and wisdom in these times.
Please note: The book group is currently full.
We invite you to gather with us at the Dharma House (weather-permitting) to mark two full years of the Covid pandemic. Please join us for a ritual commemorating this time of both loss and learning as we honor our deep interconnection to each other and all beings.
Please join us for a letter-writing event to express support for LD 1626, a bill to protect Wabanaki rights by restoring self-governance to tribes in Maine.
In the spirit of the Engaged Buddhist election retreats, we will combine contemplative practice with concrete action intended to alleviate systemic suffering in our state. We’ll start with an (optional) silent meditation from 8:30-9:00am, followed by a short break, and beginning at 9:15 there will be a brief overview to LD1626, an opportunity for questions, and then simple instructions for contacting Governor Mills and our state representatives to encourage their support for the bill. We’ll spend the remainder of our time writing letters together in community.
Please email us for the Zoom link.
Please join us on Thanksgiving for a letter-writing event to express support for LD 1626, a bill to protect Wabanaki rights by restoring self-governance to tribes in Maine.
In the spirit of the Engaged Buddhist election retreats, we will combine contemplative practice with concrete action intended to alleviate systemic suffering in our state. After our morning sit from 7:30-8:00, there will be a short overview to LD1626, an opportunity for questions, and then simple instructions for contacting Governor Mills and our state representatives to encourage their support for the bill. We’ll spend the remainder of our time writing letters together in community.
Please email us for the Zoom link.
Please join us to share contemplative practice, warm beverages, a bit of music, and an honoring of stories of personal and collective transitions we're navigating this season.
Phoenix will share experiences from her 4-month retreat this past spring, via storytelling, stand-up, and freestyle. Those who are local can join in person at 74 Melbourne St in Portland. To join remotely, use this Zoom link (password: dharma).
The BIPOC Meditation Group (or Collective) is an offering for Black and Indigenous Peoples and People of Color (BIPOC) to help foster a space of safety, awareness, community, and healing.
The sit begins at 8pm. Prior to the sit, you are invited to join an informal check-in, hang-out at 7:00pm.
