Portland Friends of the Dhamma

Community of Mindful Living

Thursday evenings 7:00 – 9:00 PM

Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, a poet, a scholar, and a peace activist. His life long efforts to generate peace and reconciliation moved Martin Luther King, Jr. to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967. He founded the Van Hanh Buddhist University in Saigon and the School for Youths of Social Services in Vietnam. When not traveling the world to teach “The Art of Mindful Living”, he teaches, writes, and gardens in Plum Village, France, a Buddhist monastery for monks and nuns and a mindfulness practice center for lay people. If you have questions, contact us.




Trillium Sangha

Sunday evenings 6:30 – 8:30 PM

Trillium Sangha is a community of lay Theravadan practitioners mostly following the teachings of the IMS/Spirit Rock communities. We are a peer-led group whose goal is to support and sustain the deepening of each person’s dharma practice. The sangha’s aim is to create a vibrant community by joining together in meditation and service (the practice of generosity).

We meet on Sunday nights for brief chanting (in Pali and English, with written copies provided), followed by a 45 minute sit, 20 minutes of walking, and another 30 minute sit. Every other week, the first sit is shorter, and we listen to a recorded dharma talk instead of sitting a second time. No instruction is offered. Tea and conversation are available afterward for those who would like to stay and visit.

One Sunday each month (calendar), Trillium Sangha holds one of its Days of Mindfulness, a non-residential vipassana retreat. Give yourself the gift of an extended period of practice—it’s easy and accessible, so take advantage of this opportunity to practice the dharma! Please feel free to attend the morning session, the afternoon, or both. Here’s the rough schedule of the day:

     10-12 Sitting, walking and a guided meditation
     12-1 Potluck lunch
     1-5 Sitting, walking and a downloaded dharma talk in the mid-afternoon

If you plan on coming for all or part of the day, please bring a vegetarian dish to share for lunch. If you plan to attend part of the day, please don’t come or go except at the beginning of the day, or at lunchtime.

The entire day, including lunch, is silent.

There will be a light supper around 5:30 for those who might want to stay on to attend Trillium’s regular evening sit, which begins at 6:30.

Come join us! If you have questions, contact us.