Seattle Dharma Punx
Welcome
Stepping onto a spiritual path can be a scary process. Often we come seeking a way through intense grief or suffering which can uncover our vulnerability and leave us full of questions. It's difficult to know who we can trust in the face of such great unknown. This is the very dilemma that led Prince Siddhartha Gautama, later known as the Buddha or the Awakened One, to leave behind a life of wealth and fame in search of the ultimate truth of his existence. Who did Buddha choose to trust? He chose himself. He chose to seek the answers within.
When you come to Seattle Dharma Punx for the first time you may feel nervous, or unsure what 'the group' will think of you and your level (or lack) of experience. Don't worry! We all were and are just regular people- individuals at differing levels of experience (or no experience!) with meditation and discussion in this group setting. Every SDPx member and facilitator comes from a unique lifetime of different practices, tenets, religion or beliefs, and was once a newcomer to the group. There is no Buddhist litmus test, and your spiritual practice is yours alone.
Our meetings - forty minutes of Buddhist meditation followed by a discussion - are facilitated. SDPx facilitators follow a rotating schedule, with two co-facilitators leading each week. They'll open the sit (meditation) with a few minutes of talk. The group often takes turns introducing ourselves and saying a little something on a topic the facilitator suggests. The facilitator will talk briefly about "setting an intention", and a small candle will be lit in the center of the group. The lights will be dimmed and a facilitator will guide the group through forty minutes of meditation, ringing a bell quietly three times to signal the end of the meditation. A facilitated discussion follows. We often find that we have a great deal in common and the discussion can take many forms, but we strive to stay focused on the topic at hand: our personal experience with meditation and the challenges and rewards of spiritual practice.
There are many forms of Buddhism and meditation. Seattle Dharma Punx practices vipassana, or 'insight' meditation, which comes out of the Theravada lineage of Buddhism. Vipassana translates to "clear seeing" and means just that. The Western lay practice of Theravada contains very little ceremony and ritual. It's bare-bones Buddhism, and focuses on the task of cultivating a connection to our own direct experience.
The teachings of the Buddha in their simplest form don't direct us to a guru or set of scriptures. We're not encouraged to accept a religious doctrine or belief system; by coming to sit with the Seattle Dharma Punx you won't be asked to be anything other than yourself. We carry the name Dharma Punx to acknowledge our connection to a global sangha (community) of practitioners and to signify our dedication to going against the stream of greed, hatred, and delusion. We are spiritual rebels. Our commonality comes in our thirst for the truth and our willingness to do the hard work of uncovering what is Real and True, in finding an end to suffering for ourselves and all living beings, and in cultivating wisdom, compassion, and generosity.
For general information on Buddhism and meditation the self-study links on the left are a good place to start. Finding experienced teachers that you resonate with is an important component of practice. There are a great number of teachers and resources within Western Theravada Buddhism to suit individual personalities and learning styles. Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society is Noah Levine's home community in Los Angeles, California. Locally, Seattle Insight Meditation Society (SIMS) offers many opportunities for practice including a six-week in-person or online beginner's series taught several times throughout the year. SIMS guiding teacher is Rodney Smith.
Join Us
We meet every Sunday night from 7:00-8:30pm at All Pilgrim's church on Broadway & Republican on Capitol Hill. Seattle DPx is donation-based, and open to everyone regardless of tradition or level of experience. All are welcome. Bring yourself. Bring a cushion. Bring a friend full of greed, hatred, and delusion.
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