For March, we choose Dipa Ma: The Life and Legacy of a Buddhist Master by Amy Schmidt for our book club reading. 

​This Dipa Ma biography is about one of the few women in her generation to devote herself entirely to the pursuit of meditation also includes Dipa Ma's spiritual teachings, which have made her a major figure in contemporary Buddhism.

We will read and discuss the life story and spiritual teachings of Dipa Ma, a major figure in contemporary Buddhism. She was the teacher of such well-respected western Buddhists as Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg, Joseph Goldstein, Alice Walker and Sylvia Boorstein, among others. An accomplished yogi, she was an inspired teacher and a devoted mother and grandmother. A woman who found great freedom through profound levels of insight and one who exemplified in her every action immense kindness, generosity, and mindfulness.

The March book club will be held safely outdoors on March 6th from 10:30-11:45 a.m. pacific time. Zoom access will be provided for those who cannot attend in person. Please join our community to receive emails with details of this and future meeting. REGISTER TODAY!

We choose Sylvia Boorstein's book, Happiness Is an Inside Job: Practicing for a Joyful Life, for our book club. 

On September 26, 2021, Assaya Sangha had its first dharma book club! (Via Zoom.) We had an engaged discussion. Everyone participated, we asked each other questions and talked about how specific principles of the dharma that she talked about apply to our daily lives. We enjoyed her stories.

Sylva Boorstein provides answers to questions such as: How can we stay engaged with life day after day? How can we continue to love–to keep our minds in a happy mood–when life is complex, difficult, and, often, disappointing? She offers warm, wise, and helpful ways we can experience happiness even when the odds are against us.

She draws from the heart of Buddhist teachings to show how Wise Effort, Wise Mindfulness, and Wise Concentration can lead us away from anger, anxiety, and confusion, and into calmness, clarity, and the joy of living in the present. These qualities strengthen our ability to meet encounters of every kind with balance and intelligence, providing us with a grounded sense of true contentment. 

The next book club will be held safely outdoors on November 7th from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m.
We will discuss A Fierce Heart: Finding Strength, Courage and Wisdom in Any Moment by Spring Washam. Zoom access will be provided for those who cannot attend in person. Please join our community to receive emails with details of the next meeting.

​On 9/6 & 9/8/21 we had Creating Community thru Crafting and Conversation events - small groups met in an Assaya's sister's back yard to connect more informally while making wreaths.  "It was a relaxing and joyful time- connecting with each other and nature, getting out of our heads, being in the moment and creating something beautiful with our hands!" 

​This was an hour and fifteen minute meeting, open to all people interested in being part of the growth and next steps of Assaya Sangha. The meeting was well attended, with Antoinette Williams, Deb Todd, Hannah Nguyen, Kate Munding, and Tanja Schlosser facilitating. The overall spirit of the meeting was one of excitement, gratitude, and interest. It was a joyful event! The following is a distilled account of what was shared by those leading the meeting and those attending