Compassion for Ukraine
Daily Meditation Gathering

HOW TO SIGN UP TO BE THE UMDZE

Access the practice schedule sheet at https://sites.google.com/view/sanghaforukraine/practice-schedule?authuser=0  and scroll down, you will see the excel sheet.

To enter your name:

1) Click anywhere on the spreadsheet. The 3 options will appear at the top left corner of the spreadsheet as in this picture:

2) Click the rectangle that is encircled in red in the picture above. It will create a new tab in your browser with the editable version of the spreadsheet.

3)    Enter your name in the cell you are volunteering for. It will be saved when you leave the page.

4) You may close the new tab with the spreadsheet you just edited but don’t have to.

5) To see your changes in effect (check they are saved), go back to the browser tab where the website is and refresh the page. (see next image)

You are done!

If you have trouble signing up, Chris will sign you up, email him at crandol.108@gmail.com

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PREPARATIONS FOR THE UMZDE

If it’s your first time, check your settings the day prior or earlier, then if you have questions you can ask another host or umdze to help you test after meditation the day prior.

For a PC:

To make sure the gong is heard by the zoom audience:

Check your audio settings. The original sound from musicians should be turned ON.

If it is off, that means external sounds, including your gong, are suppressed.  

When it is ON the gong will be heard well. After you are done with the gong it is good to click that line again so it goes back to Off and continues to suppress external noises.

For a Mac/ipad etc:  

1. On an ipad…go to upper right corner where it says more… (three dots) then enable original sound

2. On a laptop: Go to Audio Settings. In that menu down a bit there is an option for Original Sound. Click that. And then also click Echo Cancellation. ________________________________________________________________________

HOW TO BEGIN THE MEDITATION SESSION

1. Arrive early online (10 minutes)

2. Zoom leader will check your sound

3. Make sure your internet connection is strong, and your mic is working. 

4. If new people show up, greet them, if you are not sure you can ask if anyone is new here.

Regarding length of sections for Shamatha/Tonglen/Shamatha practice

1. Standard timing is 10 minutes each section, for a total of 30 minutes.  If the practice started later, you can adjust to finish at half past the hour.

2. If there is a special presentation that needs more time, adjust the timing of the practice session.  Typically it is shortened to a total of 20 minutes, which could be 7/7/7 minutes each section, or  5/10/5 (shamatha/tonglen/shamatha).  

You can consult with the zoom host or presenter to find out if the presenter needs more time and how much to shorten the practice.

A SIMPLE OVERVIEW OF LEADING MEDITATION 

one ring to start meditation, 10 minutes

two quick rings to start tonglen, 10 minutes

full roll down after tonglen

meditation, 10 minutes

end with two rings

Say Dedication of Merit

DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS FOR LEADING THE MEDITATION

At 8 am PST or 11 am CST, Zoom host will say time to start. 

1. Or as the Umdze, Say:  Let’s start meditation.

2. Ring bell at 8 am PST OR 11 AM PST. One strong ring.

3. Say:  Shamatha (pronounce Sha ma ta). You might want to add “Peaceful abiding”

Pg 3 of 6

4. Explanation of Shamatha: (optional, if you feel qualified to, with a very brief less that 30 second explanation, or a less than 30 second quote from Shambhala literature)

5.    Ring bell at 8:10 PST or 11:10 CST. Ring twice quickly

6.    Say:  Tonglen.  You might want to add “Sending and Receiving”

7. Explanation of Tonglen (optional, if you feel qualified to give an accurate explanation or a quote from Shambhala literature related to Tonglen, should be less than 30 seconds)

Photos during Tonglen

You can put up a photo if you feel confident for a few minutes, as a picture to inspire Tonglen – a bomb destroyed a building. People generally avoid showing very badly injured people. You can use your judgement on how disturbing the picture is or to consult with someone.

To share:

1) Have a picture ready and open prior to the session. Either open it in your web browser or save it on your hard drive and open it. Either way the picture should be open in advance. You can have several pictures too.

2) Click the green “share screen” button (bottom of screen centre, green icon)

3) It opens a new window showing all your open windows including the one with the picture. Double click on the picture or single click and then click “Share” button at the right lower corner

4) Take it down after a few minutes by clicking “Stop Share”,

5)    If you are sharing a video with sound there is also a share sound check box at the left lower corner of the sharing window.

6. At 8:20 PST or 11:20 CST. Do 2 roll downs

One roll down is: Ring one, two, three and continue with quick short one to three, five quick. They start loud and gradually decrease in volume and increase in frequency.

The second roll down.

Full stop (medium, soft, loud)

*If you don’t have a gong, you can use a phone app or another ringing object or your voice.

7.    Say:  Shamatha (pronounced Sha ma ta). You might want to add “Peaceful abiding”

8.    At 8:30 PST or 11:30 CST, end the practice with 2 very brief rings

Say: The Dedication of Merit

By this merit may all attain omniscience

May it defeat the enemy of wrongdoing

From the stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness, and death

From the ocean of Samsara

May I free all beings.

By the confidence of the golden sun of the great east

May the lotus garden of the Rigden’s wisdom bloom

May the dark ignorance of sentient beings be dispelled
May all beings enjoy profound brilliant glory.

Re: Chanting in the Shambhala tradition for The Dedication of Merit (if you can – it is in monotone/monosyllabic - ignore punctuation, don’t elongate vowels, you are not adding personal flourishes.  Not too quick however. An example is at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G2H8blmrNM  Scroll to 44:02 (last section) 

We will love you no matter what happens (‘mistakes’ are ok!), try it out J

Six Points of Mindful Speech

SPEAK SLOWLY

ENUNCIATE CLEARLY

BE CONCISE

LISTEN TO YOURSELF

LISTEN TO OTHERS

USE SILENCE AS A PART OF SPEECH

~ Vidyadhara Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche