Starting a sit tonight

So the day is finally here.  Perhaps it's a small thing, but to me it is huge.  I'm going to have a drop in sit at my house.  I developed a plan, talked about it with my friends, and executed my plan with lots of support, and there's even potentially 2-4 newcomers coming.  I'm very excited, and anxious to make it the best supportive thing for meditation.

It was suggested to me that if you've only got one night reliably free, have a drop in sit.  It mixes beginners with the new.  So my concern is that I will be basic enough for the beginners, and interesting enough for those advanced.

So we'll gather, have a sit, with instructions for the beginners, process our experience, take a tea break, and then have a Dharma discussion.  I can see things spinning off in different directions.  Maybe I give a short talk.  Maybe we listen to a snippet of talk from Free Buddhist Audio (I've been downloading Dharmabytes trying to find one I feel is appropriate for the first night.)  Maybe we will have a simple meal if we're all hungry.  Who knows.  But I have anxiety about the unknown of how it will evolve.  Will there be regular attendance.  Will it fluctuate with new people and regulars?  Will it fluctuate greatly.  Lots of questions and unknowns.

I was talking to someone, and I worried that Sunday night would be a bad time.  But I was talking to someone who said that Sunday night is a good time, it's a good ending to the weekend, a good transition to the week.

I'd better go clean some to make it a welcoming environment.  Wish me luck!

And e-mail me at unionandmain@gmail.com if you'd like to join in, here is Kew Garden Hills, Queens, New York City, New York, United States of America.

Meditation Drop In starts March 25th

Announcing a new meditation drop in night in Queens New York City, starting Sunday March 25th at 6:30 pm (EST).

Starting Sunday night March 25th, we are going to be starting a drop in at our home in Kew Garden Hills, Flushing, Queens, New York City.  Please e-mail me to join in.  This is intended to be a weekly sit, come once, come often.

If you live in a neighborhood near Kew Garden Hills, please come:  Briarwood, Flushing, Jamaica, Jamaica Estates, Forest Hills, Rego Park, Pomonok.  You may even travel further, there is parking on the street, and mass transit available.  You may come from where ever you want!  Please come and meditate.

Travel Directions:  E or F Subway to Union Turnpike, take 46 to Main Street.  Click on the link above to e-mail me about the drop in address.  (I'm not publishing my home address.)

Here is a google map of Union Turnpike and Main Street in Queens, New York City.  This is near where I live.

Beginners are welcome.

We plan to gather, meditate, and then discuss the dharma.  That may include listening to speakers, audio talks, reading, reporting in, and anything else that advances our practices.  You can just be curious about Buddhism, you don't have to be a committed Buddhist.  What ever the group wants, as long as it builds sangha and our practices.

Please come if you think this would be useful for you, and you feel you would be a positive addition to this group.

It will be Triratna Buddhist Community inspired group.  While I am not yet ordained into the order, I have been in the ordination process for many years, and feel I could facilitate and lead a meditation drop in based on the vision of the TBC.  My preceptor agrees, and has suggested the drop in, and I'm following through on a dream I have had for a long time.  Please come, and invite anyone you think would benefit from this.