Saturday Meditation


**CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: Saturday Meditation at 9 AM CT is currently held in person and online . Zoom meeting info is available here. All are welcome.**


 Join us every Saturday morning from 9 - 10:30 AM CT for meditation followed by a brief discussion. Meditation begins at 9 AM CT; please plan to be seated before then. We meet in the Parlor of National Avenue Christian Church, 1515 S. National Ave, Springfield, MO 65804 (map). 


Parking & Room Directions
National Avenue Christian Church is located on the west side of National, about 5 blocks north of Sunshine. Please park in the parking lot behind the church. Enter from the parking lot, through the door closer to Portland St. (door awning is labeled "Gallery"). Walk through the Gallery and past a set of white double doors. The Parlor is straight ahead at the end of the hall. 

 Etiquette
Before you enter the carpeted Parlor, please take your shoes off just outside the door.  It's best to wear comfortable, loose clothing for sitting. Take a seat on a floor cushion, bench or chair; we have plenty of these as well as blankets for added comfort. Feel free to bring your own cushion if you have one.  

First-time Visitors
We love seeing new faces. If it's your first time, please arrive 10-15 minutes early and introduce yourself. We'll help you settle in and give you seating and posture tips if you need them. Please plan to be seated before 9 AM CT when the meditation begins. 

Students
For students with class projects that require an interview, send an e-mail letting us know that you would like to attend and that you wish to do an interview. See our Contact Us page. 

Format


Saturday meditations are typically 20-30 minutes of sitting in silence followed by a brief discussion of the Buddha's teachings. We usually end by 10:15-10:30 AM. If you'd like a guided meditation, just let us know. Even though there may be experienced meditators in attendance, we're all beginners. The practice is always fresh!

Currently our discussion topics are from the Samyutta Nikaya, known as the Connected Discourses of the Buddha. Each facilitator chooses a new discourse every week. 

  • For a summary of where the Samyutta Nikaya (SN) sits within the Pali Canon, see Jeff's notes here. 
  • For the curated, online version of the SN translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu, click here. 
  • For a more in-depth, PDF version of the SN translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi, click here.

Donations 

Ozarks Dharma Community is a Missouri non-profit. If you wish to make a donation you can drop it in the donation basket on Saturday or click the donate button below.



 All donations are put toward our monthly rent of the church space. Any additional donations will be used for future retreat expenses, meditation supplies, or occasional donations to monastics and visiting teachers. 

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