Laughing Rivers Sangha
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  • Home
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
    • Mindfulness
    • Our Teacher
    • 5 Mindfulness Trainings
    • Links
  • Calendar & Retreats
    • Calendar of Events
    • Oct 2022 DOM
    • 2022 Spring Retreat
    • October 2021 DOM
    • Past Retreats >
      • 2019 Spring Retreat
      • Fall 2018 Retreat >
        • Fall 2018 Gallery
      • Fall 2017 Retreat >
        • Fall 2017 Gallery
      • Fall 2016 Retreat >
        • Fall 2016 Gallery
      • Spring 2016 & Fall 2015
  • Our Practice and Racial Justice
  • News
  • Donate
  • Members Area
    • Online Sangha
    • Members Only
  • Join Us !

Fall Residential Retreat - Oct 19th-22nd

9/19/2017

 
Come Join Us !  Learn more and register online at our Fall Retreat Page
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Pittsburgh's 9th Annual Vesak Celebration - April 30th

4/17/2017

 
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Many Petals. One Lotus.
Laughing Rivers Sangha will again participate in this year's Vesak, the Celebration of the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and parinirvana (death).  This annual event, which unites all Buddhist traditions in the Greater Pittsburgh area, is truly wonderful.  Around the world, Vesak is celebrated during the spring period, most often tied to the first full moon in May.  Pittsburgh's celebration is a bit early this year as several of our local monastics will be away in May.  

Laughing Rivers will offer our song We Are All One  as part of the joint Ceremony, which will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church in North Side. A festive procession follows the in-church program, carrying the Buddha and blessed water to the Allegheny Landing where the participants' intentions for Peace are added to the Three Rivers. Light refreshments follow.  More information can be found at the Buddhist Society of Pittsburgh. 

2017 Spring Retreat - April 7th & 8th! 

3/6/2017

 
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2016 was an extremely challenging year in our nation, with much division and personal struggles. 2017 continues that trend, affecting each of us individually and within our communities. Much healing is needed, and mindfulness and deep listening is the best medicine.

Our Spring Retreat is timely, and will provide a great refuge within which we can learn how to begin healing ourselves, first,  and our communities.  We are excited to have two Dharma teachers, who will share with us the insight and practices that can help us breath calmness and healing into our bodies, and our weary minds. 

REGISTER NOW, DON'T WAIT! Our retreat is being held in the beautiful Shambala Meditation Center, but our capacity is limited to 40 retreatants. Hope to see you there.

Second Annual Mindfulness Fair - March 25th

3/6/2017

 
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Pittsburgh is excited to have its 2nd Mindfulness Fair,  which was so well received by the community last year. The event is organized by the new Center for Mindfulness and Consciouness Studies at Pitt, and the Center's Director is our own Dharma Teacher, Tony Silvestre.

This year the time alloted for each session has been lengthened,  based on feedback from last year, with 3 workshops running currently in  one time slot. Sixteen workshops will be presented over the day, ranging from Tai Chi and  Yoga to Mindfulness and Meditation practices by both secular teachers and monastic and lay-ordained teachers.  

Deborah Brooks, a member of our Order of Intebeing, and one of the longest term members of Laughing Rivers will present a workshop on Mindful Eating at 11:15 in the Gold Room on the second floor.  Please support Deborah at the event, and learn more for yourself as well.

For more information, see :   
2017 Spring Mindfulness Fair.

Standing with Standing Rock Protectors

12/5/2016

 
Members of Laughing Rivers Sangha joined in 2 local Interfaith actions during November and December to support the Water Protectors at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota.  Native American tribes and their friends have been resisting the building of an 1170 mile pipeline that would pass through their Treaty-chartered lands, and under a portion of the Missouri River, which is their primary water source.  

On Nov 15th, Natalie Neal, Kate Fissell, George Hoguet and Anne Kolesar joined hundreds of others in downtown Pittsburgh for 3 hours of ceremonies led by local Native Americans, which included a Mindful March, and ended in a moving, Water Blessing Service at the Allegheny landing under the Convention Center.  At the gravesite of Shanwee Chief Red Pole, where the Ceremonies began, George was invited to share with the gathering the Buddhist Statement of Support for Standing Rock.  Anne Kolesar carried our banner, with Thay's teaching, as part of the Mindful March. 

On December 4th - the Interfaith Day of Prayer called for  by Chief Arvol Looking Horse - Pat Cassidy, Jon Robison and Laura Langer also joined Natalie, George and Kate for a silent flash meditation at the Point in Pittsburgh at the exact hour that thousands of US Veterans, clergy and spiritual practitiones from 30 Faith communities were praying together with the Native Americans at the Camp of the Sacred Stones.  Three others from various faith communiites joined our meditation.   Such efforts and more were being shared at that exact time by hundreds of Plum Village practitioners during retreats at all the monasteries and in sanghas worldwide. 

The Good News is that after 8 months of struggle and assaults by police and contractor security, and before the Interfaith Day of Prayer could even conclude, the US Army announced that it was halting the construction of the Dakota Access oil pipeline.   Courage, Unity, Non-Violence and Prayer won out.   
Anne Kolesar and Natalie Neal
Ceremony at 1797 gravesite of Shawnee Chief Red Pole
Nov 15 Water Service
Dec 4th Action. Laura, George, Natalie & Kate. Pat taking photo
Silent sitting meditation. Jonathan joined in.
A few friends joined as well.
Our poster at Standing Rock Events

Thich Nhat Hanh's 90th Continuation Day (Birthday)

10/31/2016

 
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To help celebrate Thay's 90th birthday on October 18th, the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation invited all Plum Village practitioners to submit short videos about how they and/or their sanghas are helping to continue Thay's teachings in the world.  Hundreds of videos were submitted, and many were not only shared with Thay on this Continuation Day, but also with the public via the Foundation's YouTube Channel.   

One video, submitted by a Laughing Rivers Sangha member, offers how the new worldwide Earth Holder Sangha (a resource for earth holding practices) is continuing Thay's vision of Dai Dong,  The Great Togetherness, dating back to the 1970's
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Mindfulness Fair - March 19th at Pitt

3/1/2016

 
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The Center for Mindfulness and Consciousness Studies at the University of Pittsburgh will sponsor a Mindfulness Fair on Saturday, March 19, 2016 at the Frick Fine Arts building on the university campus. All are welcome to this family friendly event which will run from 10am to 3pm. The Mindfulness Fair will showcase the resources and activities available to both the campus community and the Pittsburgh region, and will feature information tables, collective practices, talks, discussion groups and activities for children. Snacks will be provided, and there is no charge for this event.  Four LRS members will be presenters. For more information, see: mindfulnesspitt.org. 

View & Download Promotional Flyer    and also the   Program of Workshops   


2016 Lunar New Year "Parallel Verses"

2/4/2016

 
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Each year, in preparation for the celebration of the Lunar New Year, Plum Village offers the Community two Gathas that are matched as a set of verses.  This set beautifully conveys our focus and aspirations, as a Community, for the year ahead.

For 2016,  our verses could not be more appropriate in recognizing the 50th Anniversary of the Order of Interbeing, while continuing Thay's Call to Action in protecting Mother Earth.
​ Learn more here_. 

Spring Retreat - April 14-16th at the Shamabala Center

1/30/2016

 
 Mark Your Calendars!    Our Spring Retreat will be held April 14- 16, 2016 at the Shambala Center on Highland Avenue.
  OPENING OUR HEARTS TO THE EARTH:  Discovering True Nature Through Mindfulness
                 Dharma Teachers  Chan Huy  and Tony Silvestre will support the Retreat.   Check here  for more details ! 


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