Welcome to the Port Townsend Sangha

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The Port Townsend Sangha website provides information on Meditation, Fellowship and Dharma Study opportunities in Port Townsend, Washington. While our focus is on Vipassana, or Insight Meditation, all who wish to meditate or who are interested in the dharma are welcome at all announced events. Program details and schedules are below.

The Sangha is an informal, leaderless, volunteer-driven, peer-led group. It’s members include all seekers interested in the Buddhist path. Sangha members and friends have gathered weekly for over 23 years. If you have questions, please email us.

WEDNESDAY MEDITATION ON ZOOM: The Sangha meets every Wednesday evening at  7 PM on Zoom to meditate, listen to a dharma talk, and discuss our practice. The links to these meetings are below, or will be sent if you subscribe to our newsletter.

MONDAY MEDITATION AT THE FRIENDS MEETINGHOUSE:  On Mondays, participants gather in person at 7 PM at the Friends Meeting House on the corner of Sheridan and 19th Streets in Port Townsend.

THURSDAY OUTDOOR MEDITATION AT CHETZEMOKA PARK : During the summer when the weather is warm, we meet at Chetzemoka Park in Port Townsend.  Meditation in the park is closed for 2025.  We hope to see you in the park next year.

RETREATS: The Sangha occasionally offers weekend and one-day Retreats, open to the public. Information will be posted on our website.

NEWSLETTER:  A weekly newsletter is sent to subscribers with the link to the Wednesday Zoom meetings and information on events and programs.

CHANT:  At the start of weekly meditation, we often play the devotional chant known as the Salutation to the Buddha. A recording and the words of the chant may be found here.

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Wednesday October 1st Meditation on Zoom

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Please join us Wednesday,

October 1st, at 7 PM on

Zoom for Meditation, and an

Interview with Dr. Sanjay Gupta

 

Here is the link to this online gathering

After 30 minutes of meditation, we will listen to an interview Terry Gross conducted with Dr. Sanjay Gupta.  Terry interviews Dr. Gupta about his new book, It Doesn’t Have to Hurt, which examines the world of pain – why we feel it and how we can treat it.  He says distraction and meditation can be useful tools for managing pain. He spoke about how the brain gets pain signals wrong and alternatives to painkillers.  Although this talk is about physiology, Dr. Gupta has meditated with some famous spiritual leaders, which he will describe in the talk.

You can listen to the interview with Terry Gross and Dr. Gupta here.

We hope you can join us.

Terry Gross is the host of Fresh Air – a popular and award-winning NPR (National Public Radio) talk show that features long-form interviews and discussions on contemporary arts and issues.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta is an American neurosurgeon, medical reporter, and writer. He serves as an associate chief of the neurosurgery service at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, an associate professor of neurosurgery at the Emory University School of Medicine, a member of the National Academy of Medicine, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the chief medical correspondent for CNN.

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Wednesday, October 8th Meditation on Zoom

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Sharon Salzberg and Soren Gordhamer

Please Join Us Wednesday October 8th, at 7 PM

on Zoom for Meditation and a Discussion with

Soren Gordhamer and Sharon Salzberg

Here is the link to this online gathering

After 30 minutes of meditation, we will listen to an episode of the Metta Hour Podcast Anxiety Series with Sharon Salzberg and Soren Gordhamer. This episode features a conversation about cultural anxiety and its connection to social media. The discussion highlights how social media algorithms, designed to maximize engagement, often contribute to feelings of inadequacy and insecurity by creating unrealistic comparisons. The importance of awareness and reframing negative self-narratives is emphasized, along with the role of self-compassion in overcoming shame and building resilience. The podcast concludes by emphasizing the importance of living from a place of fullness rather than lack, focusing on inner work and self-acceptance over external validation.

Here is the link to the talk on Finding Refuge in Uncertain times.

We hope you can join us for this evening of meditation and discussion.

Sharon Salzberg is a meditation pioneer, world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. She is among the first to bring mindfulness & lovingkindness meditation to mainstream American culture fifty years ago, inspiring generations of meditation teachers and wellness influencers.

A co-founder of The Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, Sharon is the author of thirteen books, including the New York Times bestseller, Real Happiness, now in its second edition, and her seminal work, Lovingkindness.

Soren Gordhamer is the founder + host of Wisdom 2.0, the premier conference exploring living with greater mindfulness, wisdom, and compassion in the modern age. It brings the leaders of technology together with leaders in wisdom to explore how we can create a truly livable world.

He is also founder and host of Wisdom & AI, an annual event that explores the impact AI will have on society and how we can harness it wisely.

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Wednesday October 15th Zoom Meditation and Discussion

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Please join us on Zoom

Wednesday, October 15th

At 7 PM, for Meditation 

And a Talk by Pema Chodrin

 

Here is the link to this online gathering

After 30 minutes of silent mediation, we will listen to portions of a talk and Q&A by Pema Chodron. The talk was given in July 2024, and is entitled, “Soften Your Rigid Heart”. 

In this talk, Pema explores how to soften what’s rigid in your heart and mind, and how to turn adversity into awakening. The entire presentation may be previewed here.

Pema Chödrön (born Deirdre Blomfield-Brown, July 14, 1936) is a well-known teacher and writer in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. She is an American and an ordained nun. Her root teacher was Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche.

She is the author of several books, including The Wisdom of No Escape, Start Where You Are, When Things Fall Apart, The Places that Scare You, and No Time to Lose, Practicing Peace in Times of War.  

Pema currently teaches in the United States and Canada, and plans for an increased amount of time in solitary retreat under the guidance of Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche.

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Monday Meditation at the Port Townsend Friends

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You Are Invited to Attend

Meditation and  Discussion

At 7 PM in Port Townsend

Each Monday at the Friends

 

The sangha gathers each Monday, at the Friends Meeting House on the corner of Sheridan and 19th Streets in Port Townsend, WA.

The subject matter of dharma talks is chosen, and discussions are led by volunteers on topics most often related to insight meditation (vipassana).

We arrive silently before 7 PM, begin mediation at 7 PM. After about 20 minutes, a bell rings as a signal for who wish begin walking meditation. The group takes a break for tea at 7:40 – for socializing. At 8 PM, dharma talks, presentations and discussions begin.

More information on the weekly format is found here. All are welcome.

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Service and Dana

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Dana is charitable giving. Each year, members of the Port Townsend Sangha contribute time and funds to organizations providing services to the most vulnerable members of our community with the goal of reducing suffering among the area’s most  at-risk populations.

In 2024, donations were made to Dove House,  Jumping Mouse and Bayside Housing, offering counseling, shelter, support for children and services to the homeless and others in need. For more information on Sangha charitable donations, please contact us.

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The Sangha Lending Library

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The PT Sangha Library shares space with the Quaker’s Library at the Friends Meetinghouse. It is open on Monday evenings when the Sangha meets.

We have a wide variety of books on Buddhism, Buddhist practice, meditation and other spiritual traditions.

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Port Townsend Sangha’s Nonresidential Weekend Retreats

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The Port Townsend Sangha conducts non-residential weekend retreats with visiting teachers live, in person, and on Zoom. Information on the Sangha’s Retreat Program is found here.

Information on these events is posted on this website and is sent to our mailing list.

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Port Townsend Sangha One Day Retreats

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One-day meditation retreats are offered the Sangha in person and on Zoom. There is no charge to attend.

Information on these events will be posted here, and Zoom meeting invitations will be sent to our mailing list or may be obtained by writing us.  More information is here.

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More Opportunities for Dharma Study and Meditation

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There are other current opportunities for Vipassana and Dharma Study and Meditation in or around Port Townsend.

Below are some suggestions and additional links.

Continue reading →

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