Groups & Events
Walking meditation. Photo credit: Matt Nash, 2018.
In naming this community “Dharma Friends Community,” we highlight the importance of relationships with friends on the path. All Dharma Friends gatherings intend to support each participant as a friend would offer support. Additionally, we see the teachings themselves as offering the help of a good friend.
Callie Justice is the DFC Guiding Teacher. To find out more about Callie, visit the Leadership page.
All teachings at Dharma Friends Community are offered freely as a practice of dāna. Dāna, or “giving,” is a central practice taught by the Buddha. In relating to others from a sense of open-handedness, freely giving (particularly in support of the growth of the Dharma), we create rich conditions of mind and heart for the development of the Buddha’s path. Participants will likewise have the opportunity to offer donations in support of the teachings.
What Would the Buddha Do?
why the buddha’s teachings call us
to action on the climate crisis this spring
Tuesday, March 8th, 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Zoom
Many people of good intentions and kind hearts fail to act on the rapidly escalating climate crisis because they either do not fully realize how much suffering is happening now because of it or because they don’t see a clear path to skillful action that has a chance of being effective.
In this evening of discussion and contemplation, together we will face the realities of growing climate crisis and learn about the approach to rapid nonviolent social change that has the best chance of turning it around. We will look to the teachings of the Buddha for courage and inspiration to help us do what must be done.
This Dharma Friends Community special event will be led by DFC Guiding Teacher, Callie Justice. Callie has worked with Extinction Rebellion in Durham for over two years, and more recently is a co-founder of the nonviolent civil resistance action group Quit Carbon. Please sign up on this site’s Contact page to receive the zoom link for this event.
If your conscience calls you to do more, join us to talk about it.
Group Descriptions
Dharma Friends small groups are kept to a membership of no more than twelve people. The small group size is intended to help participants develop relationships with one another, and to give each individual time to use the group for exploring what the Buddha’s teachings offer to them personally. The three core DFC groups (Beginning the Buddha’s Path, Developing the Buddha’s Path and Practice Deepening Group) are structured to build upon each other and to allow group members to stay together over succeeding groups to support forming strong relationships with each other and with the group leader.
With the rise in covid cases, Dharma Friends Community’s Guiding Council returned to the on-line format for all groups and events.
To request that one of the DFC group leaders contact you to discuss any of the DFC groups, please fill out an information request on our Contact page.
Upcoming Groups
Beginning the Buddha’s Path
Plans for upcoming BBP groups will appear here when they become available.
Click here for more information.
Developing the Buddha’s Path
This twelve-week group builds on the teachings from Beginning the Buddha’s Path and brings in additional practices and material to extend and develop participants’ understanding of what the Buddha taught and of how those teachings connect with them personally. While it is recommended that participants complete Beginning the Buddha’s Path before joining this group, it is possible for those with other introductory experiences to join this group.
Hopefully, we will be able to offer the Developing the Buddha’s Path Group again this fall.
Ongoing Groups
Practice Deepening Group
The Practice Deepening Group continues to develop core practices taught in Beginning the Buddha’s Path and Developing the Buddha’s Path such as mindfulness of breathing, lovingkindness meditation, precepts reflections and meditations for establishing right mindfulness. New material from the early Buddhist discourses is introduced to further deepen each individual’s development of the Buddha’s path. Each session includes time for meditation, for sharing of the teachings and for group discussion.
This group asks for a minimum commitment of six months to allow for deeper development of community as we practice together. It is led by DFC guiding teacher, Callie Justice.
The Practice Deepening Group currently meets on Sunday mornings from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. The group is currently open to new members. Please visit the Contact page to let us know of your interest.
The Gosinga Group
The Gosinga Group takes its name from the setting of the ‘Shorter Discourse at Gosinga' (MN 31). In this discourse, we learn about the Buddha's followers - Anuruddha, Nandiya, and Kimbila - as they live and practice together in the Gosinga Sala-tree Wood. This story inspires and supports our aspirations to move in the direction of their example.
Participants in The Gosinga Group commit to:
spend at least three hours each day in practice (Please note that by ‘practice’ we mean any of the things we do to develop the Buddha’s path. Recently, one of the Gosinga group participants developed a practice of contemplation of the sense bases while swimming laps and another worked with states of aversion while driving by creating a little song that shifted her experience to one of less suffering);
meet together online three times a week for twenty minutes to check-in, meditate, and share readings from the early Buddhist texts;
meet monthly for ninty minutes of Dhamma discussion and meditation.
The group is currently opened to new members. Participants will need to have completed at least one Dharma Friends Community group and be willing to commit to participating for a minimum of two months. To learn more, please visit the Contact page and select ‘Gosinga Group’ on the drop down listing of DFC groups.
Practice Leaders Training Program
Participation in the Practice Leaders Training Group is open to people who have studied with DFC Guiding Teacher, Callie Justice for at least six years.
For more information, please contact Callie through the Contact page.
