This Year’s Annual Meeting
will be on Sunday, April 28!
6:00-8:00 pm at the WUU Campus.
We will start out with a vegetarian pot-Luck Dinner. Bring what you can! If you want you can email us at contact@
We will also have the ever-popular Buddhist Trivia Game!
And a brief ceremony: Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. This is open to anyone who would like to take part. (See a little more about taking refuge below).
John Chowning will present the annual report, with Sangha highlights and financials.
This event will be held in person at the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalist campus, in the Main Sanctuary, 3051 Ironbound Road.
After the Pot-luck, the meeting will be on Zoom, starting around 7:00pm
Here’s the Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85418693113?pwd=MWtZYjRnS1VNQlhXazNYUVY5ZFg1QT09
Meeting ID: 854 1869 3113
Passcode: 834291
Dial by your location
646 931 3860 US
More About the Pot-Luck Dinner
Please Bring a Vegetarian or Vegan Dish
While it is true some Buddhists are meat eaters, many worldwide are vegetarian/vegan. Given that the Williamsburg Buddhist Sangha is an ecumenical Buddhist community, we feel it would be wise to honor the Buddhist tradition of respect for life and the environment, by asking our annual meeting participants to only bring “Vegetarian” items. Dishes that use egg and dairy products are acceptable; however, meats from all animals large and small would not be appropriate. We realize this may be an inconvenience and a challenge for some; however, in the spirit of honoring all sentient beings and those who wish to protect them, we think this is a workable arrangement.
Taking Refuge in The Buddha, Dharma, Sangha
The Dictionary defines the word “refuge” as “a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble.” We all take refuge in people, places, things, activities and ideas. Even unhealthy habits can function as a protective shield to ward off feelings of anxiety or vulnerability. As our meditation and mindfulness practices develop, we often discover a growing trust in our capacity for openness and wisdom. As we learn more about the dharma, we discover (after trial and error) a deeper appreciation and even devotion to those people and teachings supporting that inner trust.
In the Buddhist tradition, those people and teachings are represented by the “Three Jewels”: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. “Taking refuge” is consciously choosing to be supported and inspired by these Three Jewels. To take refuge in the Buddha is to take refuge in wisdom and clarity. Not only does the Buddha exemplify a person who has traversed the path to freedom, he also personifies the full potential for awakening and compassion found in each of us. To take refuge in the Dharma is to take refuge in the teachings and practices taught by the Buddha. More deeply, the Dharma is the marvelous and immediate awareness unobscured by our greed, hatred and delusion. Most generally, to take refuge in the Sangha is to take refuge in the community of people who share in Buddhist practice. This community is the means by which the Dharma is transmitted and learned. It can be inspiring to know that others are dedicated to living the Buddha’s teachings through their ethics, mindfulness and compassion. Taking refuge is one of the most common rituals a lay practitioner performs in Buddhism.
Often during retreats or visiting a temple, practitioners are given the opportunity to participate in a “taking refuge ceremony”. It can be a pivotal moment when, for the first time, one takes refuge with the conscious intent of orienting one’s life in accordance to the teachings and practices of Buddhism. Relating our practice to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha helps ensure our practice is not limited to only intellectual concerns. It helps solidify a wide foundation of trust and respect from which the entire practice can grow.
The Williamsburg Buddhist Sangha is conducting such a ceremony during its 2024 annual meeting.