Winding Path Tendai Buddhist Sangha
Winding Path Tendai Buddhist Sangha is a meditation group that has been supporting each other in mindfulness and Buddhist practices in the heart of Springfield, MA since 2011. We always welcome new members or visitors. Whether you are an experienced meditator or someone who is just curious about Buddhism, please feel free to stop by and join us one evening.
News & Events
Check the times, dates, and locations carefully for December 2018 events--there are a lot of irregularly scheduled events this month.
Upcoming Weekly Discussion Topics
Our weekly service starts with a 30 minute talk or discussion led by Reverend Shingaku. After the discussion we perform the Tendai daily service and then engage in 2 periods of meditation. If this is your first time for attending, please arrive 15 minutes early for an orientation.
Monday, December 3
No Meeting
Many sangha members are out of town, so we will not be meeting this evening. Please consider attending our special Bodhi Day service on Saturday, December 8 instead.
Monday, December 10
33 Palomba Drive, Enfield, CT; 6:00pm-7:45pm. Doors open at 5:45.
Finding the Hara
During our weekly meditations, you may have heard the instructions to anchor your breath in the hara. This evening discussion will focus on what the hara really is. We will base our conversation on the helpful article, “Breathe Deep” by Ken Kushner from the winter 2018 issue of Tricycle magazine.
Monday, December 17
33 Palomba Drive, Enfield, CT; 6:00pm-7:45pm. Doors open at 5:45.
The Heart Sutra
The Heart Sutra is the shortest and best known of all the Perfection of Wisdom sutras. During this evening’s discussion we will begin to explore the meaning of this sutra.
Monday, December 24
No Service--Christmas Eve
Monday, December 31
No Service in Springfield--New Year's Eve
Join us for a special service at TBI (see special events section)
December Special Events
Saturday, December 8
33 Palomba Drive, Enfield, CT; 8:00am-10:00am. Doors open at 7:45.
Bodhi Day
Bodhi Day celebrates the day Shakyamuni Buddha reached enlightenment after sitting under the Bodhi tree for a week. Known as Rohatsu in Japan, this day is typically celebrated on December 8. In honor of this momentous occasion, we will meet for an early morning meditation to start the day with purpose. Doors will open at 7:45am. We will start with our daily service at 8:00am, followed by two periods of meditation. We will take a short break between 8:55-9:05am. You may depart at this time or join at this time if you can only stay for half of the service.
Friday, December 21
36 Marengo Park, Springfield, MA; 5:00 pm-7:30. Doors open at 4:45.
Winter Solstice Service and Potluck
This evening’s service will be a celebration Amida Nyorai, the Buddha of infinite light and life, on this shortest day of the year. This will be our first meeting at our new permanent hondo. We will gather for discussion at 5:00. The Amitabha service will go from 5:30-6:30. After the service we will gather for a potluck.
Monday, December 31
Tendai Buddhist Institute; Rte 295 Caanan, NY, Time TBA
New Years Eve Service
Join all of the local Tendai sanghas at our root temple in the beautiful Berkshire Hills (about an hour west of Springfield). We have an annual tradition of gathering at the main temple and sitting meditation through the new year. Our traditional New Years Service includes ringing the gong 108 times through the new year. After the meditation, sangha members gather to toast the new year and enjoy a potluck of appetizers. Please give advance notice if you would like to stay the night at the temple and/or if you would like to attend but have trouble with transportation. We will not meet in Springfield on this evening since it is a Mahasangha event.