The Quality of Time

This week I've been reading the book, "Being Peace" by Thich Nhat Hanh, and came across this quote. "When we practice sitting and walking, we must pay attention to the quality of the sitting and the walking, not the quantity. We have to practice intelligently. We need to create the kind of practice that will fit our circumstance." How many of us become so engaged in our 'to-do lists' that we put aside the moments of stillness that will nurture us the rest of the day? The Summer Feast is fast approaching, and we are being given the opportunity to re-focus ourselves and set aside much needed time for tending our inner gardens. It is the quality of the seeds we are planting, not the quantity, as Thich Nhat so richly reminds us.

He continues, "How can the gathas affect the non-gatha moments? How will the sitting permeate the non-sitting hours? We must learn to practice so that one gatha, one minute of sitting will influence the rest of the day, one step made in walking meditation will have an effect on the rest of the day. Every action, every thought has an effect. Even if I just clap my hands, the effect is everywhere, even in far away galaxies. Every sitting, every walking, every smile will have an effect on your own daily life, and the life of other people also, and practice must be based on that."

How wonderful to think that we can be so present as to be ultimately aware that each action of ours is a meditation, and effects all other living things. May the intention, focus and stillness we experience in the upcoming Summer Feast seat that wisdom deep in our souls.

Namaste',
Karon Korp
Director

Instructions for Using Talkshoe to Listen to the Meditations

We encourage you to visit the Talkshoe page in advance to learn where all the Summer Feast episodes will be posted. Those of you who wish to take advantage of the wonderful meditations that are offered online during Summer Feast can do so two different ways.

Here's the link from our website:

You can access the call through your computer (wireless, dsl or cable with high speed modem capabilities are a requirement) on the day of the call. Once again, you can link to the Talkshoe page from our website above, or enter the CALL ID# 83712 in the Search box at the top right of the Talkshoe homepage, and it will take you to the Summer Feast Call Series page. Click on the green Summer Feast title link, and it will take you to the page where all meditations are scheduled. You can select the Episode or Teacher you wish to connect with, and click the button "Listen Now". If it is a live event, an audio box comes on, and buffers the call first before sending it fully to your computer.

If you are unable to be present for the live recording, then you can listen at your convenience by downloading the recording after the call is initiated, or simply click on the "Listen Now" button. It usually takes about an hour for the call to be available on the Talkshoe site after it has been recorded. So, if at first you don't see it, check back. Just a note: you will see an (i) icon near the episode title, when you put your cursor over it, more detailed information about the particular episode is shown.

On the Summer Feast Call Series page, you will see a listing for episodes as they are scheduled, and once they have been recorded, they will drop down to another menu below new episodes that are scheduled and forthcoming. You can access any of these calls once they have been recorded simply by visiting the page, and downloading them or clicking on the "Listen Now" button.

To listen by phone where the calls are designated as instructional and participatory (as with Valerie's June 9th call listed below), you can call in to our designated Talkshoe number on the day of the scheduled episode and at the time it is scheduled by calling: 1-724-444-7444, and when asked for the Call ID number: you input 83712#, and it will take you directly to listen to the call. You will be asked to enter a pin #, which will be provided by your host. Most of the meditation events are non-interactive, meaning participants are not given the opportunity to comment. This maintains the integrity of the recording for all involved. Occasionally, they are interactive and comment is welcomed, and the pin number is used for your verbal access to the call.

It is not necessary for you to 'sign in' to Talkshoe to become a Summer Feast user. Some people are just discovering the Feast, and want to access previous meditations and recordings from Winter Feast 2010. In this case, visit our website, click on the "Events" link in the toolbar, and from the drop down menu, click on 2010 Online Guided Meditation. You will find a complete menu of all teachers and their offerings given during Winter Feast. When you click on the individual teacher, you will be linked to their Talkshoe profile page, and can access any previous episodes by clicking with the 'download' or 'listen now' buttons.

Spotlight On A Few Of Our Meditation Leaders

We are delighted to bring you into relationship with our extraordinary teachers and the gifts they bring to the Feast. Take a moment to learn more about some of them here.

       Mary Ann Chubb is an ordained Dharma teacher in the Dharmata Lineage of Anam Thubten. She has been practicing meditation and studying Buddhist teachings since 1994 with a number of distinguished lamas, including Anam Thubten and Tsoknyi Rinpoche. Mary Ann teaches meditation, and hosts meditation retreats. Her teachings are based on Prajnaparamita, or transcendent wisdom. She is a 30 year resident of the Wood River Valley, Idaho, and will be offering meditation events in the Valley during Summer Feast. More about her work can be found on her website http://www.woodriversangha.com
       We are honored to have Mary Ann opening the Summer Feast for us this year with a very special reading of the Heart Sutra. We will publish the Heart Sutra in the newsletter on June 14th, thanks to Mary Ann.

       David Crow is an acupuncturist and herbalist with over thirty years experience. He is the author of "In Search of the Medicine Buddha", a book about his studies of Tibetan and Ayurvedic medicine in the Himalayas. Mr. Crow will lead a series of meditations based on the integration of classical Buddhist Vipassana (Insight) meditation and contemplative practices derived from principles of Ayurvedic medicine, which lead to an immediate and direct perception and understanding of our biological unity and kinship with all living things.
       He is the founder of Floracopeia,, which supports ecologically sustainable agriculture through the production of essential oils and aromatic treasures. He is the founder of The Learning Garden(tm), one of the country's largest school gardens, which has helped bring cultivation of organic food and medicinal plants into the Los Angeles public school system. Through writing, teaching, and activism, he is promoting the creation of a grassroots healthcare system based on community gardens. Mr. Crow's articles and work have been featured in numerous magazines, and he has spoken on panel discussions with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Mr. Crow teaches Vipassana meditation, with an emphasis on realizing the biological interrelatedness between the body and the environment. He can be contacted at http://www.floracopeia.com and http://www.medicinecrow.com

       Philip Jones has practiced meditation since 1987 and has been teaching insight meditation since 1996. His primary teacher has been Matthew Flickstein, although he has also studied with teachers from the Insight Meditation Society and Spirit Rock Meditation Center as well as with Bhante Gunaratana. In addition to being trained to teach by Matthew, Philip completed Spirit Rock Meditation Center's first Community Dharma Leader Program. Phil serves on the board of directors of Mid America Dharma, the regional retreat organization. Phil offers a number of practice resources at http://www.silentmindopenheart.org
       For Summer Feast for the Soul, Phil will be offering four talks and meditations on Opening the Heart through Practicing with the Buddha's Four Truths. Each talk will be about ten minutes in length and will be followed by meditation instructions and a period of silence for practice. The meditation will end with a short dedication and instructions.

       Valerie Skonie was once a successful business executive. After her retirement she took those organizational skills to become the architect and founder of the Winter and Summer Feasts for the Soul. Valerie has studied mysticism under the auspices of a Sufi teacher for nearly thirty years and has practiced the Heart-Centered Meditation for nearly 20 of those years. In 2007 she was given a transmission by her teacher to begin her work as a teacher of Sufism. Having been raised in the Catholic church, she embraces the gnostic teachings of Christianity, along with the practices of Zen Buddhism, both of which have colored her meditation practice. Valerie is the author of the eBook, Path to Peace: Finding Your True Self Through Daily Spiritual Practice. The book is available on the Winter Feast for the Soul website, under "Tools"

       Rinpoche Anam Thubten will return for Summer Feast and offer meditations on select days. More about him and his work can be found at http://www.dharmatafoundation.org

Heart Centered Meditation Series

As you may have read in the last newsletter, Valerie Skonie will be leading a Heart Centered Meditation Series during the Feast. She has handouts for those who will be taking part, and you should e-mail her in advance to receive those at vskonie@gmail.com

Valerie has announced the time for the live recording of the instructional session for the series, and those wishing to take part should plant to attend:

Date: Wednesday, June 9
Time: 8 am Pacific/9 am Mountain/ 10 am Time/11 am Eastern
Call in information for Talkshoe on that day: 1-724-444-7444
Call ID: 83712#

On the Summer Feast Call Series Page, you will see the listing for "Instructions for Heart-Centered Meditation Practice" which presently is the next episode scheduled. To participate by phone, you can call in to our designated Talkshoe number on the day of the scheduled episode and at the time it is scheduled by calling: 1-724-444-7444, and when asked for the Call ID number: you input 83712#, and it will take you directly to listen to the call. You will be asked to enter a pin #, which will be provided by your host. The pin number is used for your verbal access to the call, it is not required if you simply want to listen in.

Opening Ceremonies - June 20th, 6:30pm Your Local Time

We hope you will take the opportunity to listen to Mary Ann Chubb's Introduction and Reading of The Heart Sutra, one of the most popular and best known of all Buddhist Scriptures within the Perfection of Wisdom texts. Following that, she will offer a Guided Lovingkindness Meditation. Our deep gratitude goes to Mary Ann for setting the tone of Summer Feast, and sharing her gifts so freely with us all. Not to be missed.

Whether you are gathered with a group, or in your own sacred space, each of us may contribute to the collective energy for the Opening of Summer Feast for the Soul. At 6:30pm your local time, the Feast opens, and will continue each day thereafter through the 27th. Establish a commitment to make this week special, and open up your heart-space for what will follow.

You can find the scheduled time for Mary Ann's reading and meditation on the Summer Feast Talkshoe Call Series page mentioned above. Just in case, here's the link again from our website: Access Meditations Here

Schedule of Events & Featured Cities.... June 21st to June 27th

Each day we receive more news of groups forming and events being planned, and we will update those listings in the next newsletter and have a complete list on our website by June 17th.

USA

NORTH CAROLINA: Asheville
Opening Ceremony, Sunday, June 20th 6:30 - 8:30pm, Black Mountain Sanctuary, Black Mountain, NC (Love Offering) On one of the most powerful days of the year, join with others in ushering a sacred period of stillness and spiritual practice. Through recitation of sacred readings, select poems, and Native American prayers, participants will open the Summer Feast for the Soul with a candle lighting ceremony and contemplative prayer and meditation. For more information and to reserve your space, please contact Karon Korp, (828)254-4651. Seating is open to 35, and we encourage you to bring a friend. Find our more about this sacred space and get Directions at
http://www.blackmountainsanctuary.com

NORTH CAROLINA: Greens Creek/Jackson County
Spiritual Retreat at Harvest Moon Gardens Retreat Center, Saturday, June 26th 10:00am - 1:30pm, (between Dillsboro & Franklin, about 1:05 hrs from Asheville) Love Offering welcome but not required. Enjoy a morning of meditation amongst nature and overflowing gardens, add music and sacred readings and this day will transform all who attend. Space is limited to 20 participants, and all will contribute to a pot luck lunch. Car pooling is recommended, RSVP directly to Marsha Crites at marsha@harvestmoongardens.net , or leave a message at (828)586-2726. Learn more about this wonderful retreat center at their website
http://www.harvestmoongardens.net

IDAHO: Sun Valley
Opening Ceremony will be held June 20th at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, in Sun Valley, ID. The event begins at 6:00 p.m. It will open with a youth group singing Taize, followed by 40 minutes of meditation. The Closing will be held June 27th at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden. It will start with a 40 minute meditation in the 'Garden of Infinite Compassion,' followed by a 'conversational salon' held in the garden's social room. Local restaurants will be offering a light fare, and the theme of the 'salon' will be on the qualities of Beauty and Creativity.

IDAHO: Hailey
Meditations:
7:00 am Monday - Saturday, Host: Fred Burmester, Phone: 309-0449, 3211 Shanendoah Drive (Woodside)
7:00pm Mon./Tues./Thur. Host: Michele Daubert, 2027 Briarwood Dr. (Woodside), Phone: 215-350-9155

Chanting and Meditation: 7:00 pm Tuesday, and 4:00 pm Saturday, Host: Susan Fierman, 293 Indian Creek Rd., Phone: 208-788-0907, please contact if planning to attend

IDAHO: Mid-Valley
Meditation and Meditative Asana: 9:30 am Thursday Only, Host: Michele Daubert, Light on the Mountain Spiritual Center, Phone: (215) 350-9155

Meditation: 8:30am Sunday Only, Host: John Moreland, Phone: 720-5138/726-7709, Light on the Mountain Spiritual Center

IDAHO: Ketchum
Oneness Blessing: 6:15 pm Monday - Saturday, Host: Nanette Ford, Family Medicine and Wellness, 380 Washington St. Suite 204 (above Glow's Cafe), Phone: 208-725-0900

Meditation: 6:00 pm Wednesday only, Host: Cally Huttar, 300 Main Street, above Starbuck's, Phone: 208-720-1440

Meditations:
8:00am Monday Only, Host: Ann Christensen Meadows, Phone: 726-3668, Copper Ridge Building, contact host for building entry instructions
12:15pm Friday Only, Host: Mary Ann Chubb, Sawtooth Botanical Garden, Phone: 726-7709/720-5138

Dharma Talk & Buddhist Meditation: 3:30 - 5:30pm Sunday Only, Hosts: Jim and Mary Ann Chubb, 131 Laurel Lane, in Hulen Meadows, Phone: 720-5138/726-7709

WASHINGTON: Vashon
Dances of Universal Peace, Noon to 1pm Daily Monday thru Friday June 21st thru June 25th, hosted by Vashon Intuitive Arts. Open your heart, rejuvenate your spirit with sacred circle dancing and joyous group singing that honors the worlds mystical traditions. Join Zubin Goldman and friends in the dance, a meditation in motion. 17331 Vashon Hwy SW, Vashon, WA 98070

CALIFORNIA: Long Beach Area
....details updated in next issue

INTERNATIONAL

CANADA/Ontario: Village of Rosseau
Sabbath Place will be hosting meditations, more info to follow

SPAIN: Madrid
We have a new friend planning events, and details are forthcoming!

UK: West Yorkshire
we are awaiting word on what has been organized!

Inspirational Quotes

Once again, our friends around the world will make it possible to share the inspirational quotes compiled for this year's Summer Feast in several different languages. These will be given to you in next week's newsletter, and will also be posted on our website by June 17th. You can use these quotes any way you see fit. We hear from some people that they read them before entering into meditation, taking a few moments to contemplate their deeper meaning. Others use them as inspiration throughout their day, a gentle reminder and nudge to remain heart-centered. However they guide you, may they assist you in knowing the true "Wisdom of the Heart."

A Heartfelt Thank You

A friend of mine on FaceBook responded to one of my post's about Summer Feast by saying, "Boy, you must have a really big dinner planned!" and he was right. A really large Feast for thousands around the world is being provided by all of the volunteers, teachers, and donors like you who make it all possible....

So we'd like to take a moment and thank.....

Scarlett from Torrence, CA....Leah from Bethel, AK....Petra from Burke, VA....Cindy from Greer, SC....Linda from San Pablo, CA....Rebecca from St. Louis, MO....Mary Val from Santa Cruz, CA....Frans from Voorburg...Dancing Meridians from Oakland, CA....Elizabeth from Lenexa, KS....Jaap from Steenwijk....Katherine from Chelsea, MI....and Susan from Garland, ME....and all of our wonderful supporters of this year's Winter Feast that laid such a strong foundation and made this year's event the largest ever!

If you were planning to donate to Summer Feast, and still have that on your 'to-do' list, now's your chance.

Karon Korp
Director
P.O. Box 2773
Asheville, NC 28802