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/ukraine-tonglen/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)

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6)

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 below the day prior or earlier, then if you have questions you can ask Alan or Vegan after meditation the day prior.

For a PC:

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

Check the upper left corner of the zoom window. The original sound from musicians should be turned ON.

If it is off, like in the picture above, that means external sounds, including your gong, are suppressed.  To turn it on click on that line. 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.

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If you don’t see this line at all you can go to the mic settings (audio settings) and activate it by choosing the original sound for musicians. and check the “Echo Cancellation” box.  If you don’t know how, the zoom hosts can help you when you come 10 minutes early to your session.

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 determining length of sections for Shamatha/Tonglen/Shamatha

1. You decide the time frame if you are presenting. It could be 7/7/7 minutes each section (shamatha/tonglen/shamatha) if more time is needed for the presentation.  Standard is 10 minutes each section, to the full 30 minutes.  Even if the practice started later, you still finish at 30 minutes the latest.

2. You should consult with the zoom host or presenter if you are not presenting, to find out if the presenter needs more time and therefore a shorter meditation.

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”

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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”,

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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.

If you have questions, ask Alan or Vegan.

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, say Shamatha with 2 very brief rings

Say: The Dedication of Merit

By this merit may all obtain 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) 

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A SIMPLE OVERVIEW OF LEADING MEDITATION

one ring shamatha 10 minutes

two quick start tonglen 10 minutes

full roll down for tonglen

meditation 10 minutes

end with two rings

Say Dedication

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

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Evolving groups that could support what we want to do together; based on the discussion last Thursday.  If you would like to join a group, or connect with others in your groups - with their permission - you can write to Kathy Gritz at kgritz8@gmail.com

Practice & Study  Karen, Katherine, Roger, Hamish, Susan Marie

News on Ukraine  Vegan, Hamish, John 

Attracting New Participants  Tarney

Events  

Our Financial Support of Ukrainians  Nancy, Gerry, Susie