Veterans Meditation Initiative

UPDATE: This event was postponed from the date below. Ms. Baranay communicated to me that this event will be rescheduled.

Via Rev. Danny Fisher's Blog, via Mahasangha News:

Dear Sangha,

Perhaps you or a family member are a veteran of the armed services? Or perhaps you or a family member are currently serving in the military?

Tentatively scheduled for December 14 – Monday – in New York City – will be the launch of the Veterans Meditation Initiative.

Acharya Spiegel has graciously accepted the role of dharma leader and will therefore give the opening talk.

Paulette Graf – long time sangha member and teacher, Naropa graduate and Instructor of Mindfulness Stress Based Reduction has graciously agreed to coordinate the NY team and keep the forming groups of Veterans who meditate organized.

Patrick Gualtieri – Vietnam Veteran and President of the United War Veterans Council and producer of the largest Veteran’s Day Parade in the US in NYC has graciously agreed to bring to VMI, the veterans and active military through his connections.

At the moment we are working with the curriculum that will follow the opening talk and run for approximately 6 weeks. This is not yet formalized. However, the plan is to have a talk by Acharya Spiegel every 2 months, acting as a gateway to VMI and then 6 week classes to follow.

Several MIs/teachers in the NY area and sangha have expressed an interest in joining VMI and are helping to launch this vision. I recently met with 3 Vietnam Vets and the father of an active military person who are members of Shambhala. They have agreed to meet and show their support of meditation by coming to this first talk. We are expecting 200 veterans, family and active military to attend.

Please email me privately if you are interested and I will send you specifics.

Yours in the vision of turning the flower outward,
Christine Baranay
cabaranay@mac.com