The Friendship Sangha of the Heart shares a silent vegetarian on the fifth Monday of the month at 6 PM before the Meditation practice at the UU Church of Ventura. Bring a vegetarian dish to share. We eat in silence in the spirit of the Five Contemplations. 

The Five Contemplations  

This food is a gift of the earth, the sky, numerous living beings and much hard and loving work.

May we eat with mindfulness and gratitude so as to deeply value it.

May we recognize and transform our unwholesome mental formations, especially our greed, and learn to eat with moderation.

May we keep our compassion alive by eating in such a way that we reduce the suffering of living beings, preserve our planet and reverse the process of global warming.

We accept this food so that we may nurture our sisterhood and brotherhood, strengthen our sangha and nourish our ideal of serving all beings.