Leading the Sangha: Instructions
Want to lead the Sangha? It’s Easy!
The Mindfulness Community of Milwaukee has no resident teacher. We rely on members and visitors to teach each other, serve as models of mindful practice, and lead the Sunday morning meetings. If you want to lead sangha on Sunday mornings, you can follow these simple procedures.
1. Arrive at 9:45 to prepare the room:
Arrange mats and cushions in a large circle
Light candles. Place new stick of incense on the shrine (incense in wall shelf)
Turn on air conditioner, fans or space heaters, if needed
Set up folding screen in front of entrance. Turn on hot water for tea.
Ask a volunteer to light incense and read the incense gatha, once the session has begun
2. Begin 1st hour of sitting/walking meditation
At 10 am: Ring the large bell
Welcome everybody, announce that the first hour will be sitting and walking meditation and the second hour of reading on that day’s topic.
Ask the volunteer to light the incense and read the incense gatha
3. Order of 1st hour
a. Ring large bell to begin 20 minutes sitting meditation
b. Ring large bell at end of 20 minutes. Invite people to enjoy walking meditation, or to continue sitting meditation, as they prefer.
c. Procedure for walking meditation: guided by 5 sounds of the small bell.
(1) Stand up
(2) Bow to the center of the circle, and turn towards left
(3) Start mindfully walk in circle behind the cushions
(4) Stop and take 3 mindful breaths, continue walking to your cushion, remain standing
(5) Bow again and resume sitting meditation
d. Ring large bell at end of 20 minutes sitting meditation
e. At 11 am: Ask for announcements, then announce 5 – 10 minute tea break
4. Order of 2nd hour
At 11:10 am: Ring large bell to reassemble the sangha. The standard activity is to pass a book, have everyone read one paragraph. At around 11:35, end the reading and pass the stone and invite people to introduce themselves and comment on the book or any other aspect of their own mindfulness practice.
At 11:55: pass out sangha closing verse (stored in wall shelf). Then, ring large bell to close sangha.