Guidelines

The following Upāsikā Program guidelines are meant as an outline for spiritual training of the individual and are intended to provide a structure for those seeking support and encouragement in their practice.
• Undertake to live by the Three Refuges and the Five Precepts.
• To take the Theravada Thai Forest Tradition as the focus of one’s Buddhist practice.
• Attend regular gatherings with other Upāsikās, either at the monastery or in our own homes.
• Visit the monastery and formally take the Refuges and Precepts at least quarterly.
• Observe the Uposatha days of the full and new moons in some fashion appropriate to our living situation.
• Practice meditation daily.
• Find some time each year to go on retreat.
• Attend at least one festival day or communal gathering at the monastery each year.
• Cultivate a basic working knowledge of the Teachings.
• Support the sangha according to our means and abilities.
• Keep to the training for at least one year after having made the formal commitment.

2016 Upāsikā Days

• Sunday, April 17 – Upāsikā Renewal Day: Daily Life Practice: Using the Buddha’s Life in our Everyday Lives
• Saturday, June 25 – Sutta Study: Suttas You’ve Never Heard of, the Treasures and Situations Suttas
• Sunday, August 14 – Meditation: The Girimananda Sutta – Meditation on Ten Perceptions
• Saturday, October 8 – Practice in a Global/Social Context: Right Speech and Living With Ourselves – From the Mind to the Mouth, What Happens?
• Sunday, December 11 – Devotion and Ritual: Creativity and Artwork in Practice

This is a brief outline of the planned themes. Each one will be developed more fully prior to its date, with readings, reflection questions, and more background to be provided. Please mark your calendar and stay tuned for more information in the weeks ahead.