Spiritual Practice

MorningSun is a spiritual community and we are committed to bringing a spiritual dimension into our lives, our families, and to society.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is at the core of our practice; moment to moment awareness of what is happening in our bodies, feelings, minds and in the world around us. From a foundation of mindfulness, we can look deeply into every situation we encounter, developing understanding for it without bias and judgment. Out of this understanding we can respond appropriately from a place of peace and clarity, without being pushed or pulled by emotion and reactivity.

We train in mindfulness, throughout the day, applying this wakeful awareness to whatever activity we are doing. Applied in a more specific way, mindfulness is a wonderful support for stress reduction, mediation and conflict resolution, anger management, emotional transformation and healing, as well as healthy and intelligent decision making in everyday life.

Mindfulness is an essential component of many spiritual practices and traditions around the world although it is not always known by that name.

Shared Practice

In MorningSun we are nourished by daily practice together. It is our aspiration to maintain a stable and harmonious energy of practice to support each other within the community and also as a fertile ground in which to grow the education center and its programs.

There are typically three practice periods during the day; sitting meditation in the morning and evening and walking meditation either in the late morning or afternoon. We also share mindful meals, eaten in silence (when there are no children present, not so silent when there are!). As a community we also regularly share and celebrate other practices, many of which are described here.

The style and content of our daily practice draws from the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh, the Vietnamese Zen Master who has made it his life's work to bring engaged Buddhism to the West.

An Inclusive Spirituality

In our practice, we celebrate our interconnectedness while honouring our diversity. You can be a Jew or a Muslim or a Christian or a Hindu and practice without feeling divided from your ancestral or adopted faith. In fact, many people say that through their practice of the teaching of Plum Village they reconnect with their roots, often reconciling long-held grievances or suffering associated with religiosity.

We believe that a living, inclusive spirituality is dynamic and ever-changing, reflecting the times we live in and the conditions we seek to create. We augment and enrich our core practice with new ideas, organically created rituals, songs, poems and other offerings as they arise authentically in us.

Though we live in a quiet little corner of the planet, our orientation is outwardly focused. Our spiritual life is not simply for our benefit and the benefit of those who live in our small community. In our daily interactions with our neighbors, in our integration with the wider world and in the program offerings of our center, we are committed to a life of joyful service; being present with suffering of all kinds while watering the seeds of happiness and love in each other and the world.

We humbly and gratefully offer the fruits of our practice as skillfully as we can.