1996-07_07 Vipassana Retreat, Part 7 of 8 - Q&A 8

Talk: 19960707-Larry_Rosenberg-UNK-vipassana_retreat_part_7_of_8-43311 Start_time: 00:57:16 Display_question: How can we continue to sit in community after retreat? Keyword_search: sit, together, community, sangha, together, alone, center, teacher, New Jersey, New York, Manhattan, Cambridge, Boston, Gloucester, Connecticut, crowd, meditate, meditation Question_content: Larry: It is past five. I'm willing to take one more question if someone has it. Please. Questioner: Tomorrow, are you going to be answering questions about practice? Larry: What I'd like to do tomorrow, maybe we should lay today to rest, not grasp onto it and hold and crave and all that. Is we'll do some sitting, maybe some walking, I don't know. I'll have to figure, see what time we have. But I would like for us to talk more about how to bring the practice back into where you're going to daily life. In line with that, one person is the person who's leaving today here? There are more; there are two of you, three of you. Okay, you may not have noticed, but there's a little piece of paper with a sign-up sheet on it. What is your name again? I'm sorry. Questioner: Madrina. Larry: Yes. Madrina in New Jersey. Break_line: Now, here's something that we have found to be very useful at IMS in Cambridge. Many people don't live near centers of this kind of stuff or near teachers. And it is helpful to have company to do this. So, there is a growing network of, you know all it takes is really even one person, or let's say two or three people, just set aside one evening a week and meet over someone's home and just do some sitting, or some sitting and walking. Perhaps play a tape, have some tea, talk over the practice. It just helps keep things alive. There is one such group already going on and has been going on for a while in New Jersey, Bob, but I don't know if you are near where that part of New Jersey, south. But here's all I'm trying to get at in general, if any of you feel that you're somewhat isolated from these things and you're drawn to this in a certain way. It's a sampler, right? There's a big five-day sampler. So, you can figure out is this something you want to do more of? If you do, and you feel that you're alone and that might be hard on you to practice, maybe put up some sheets so that people can find out. Some of you may live closer to each other than you realize. And it's okay. I don't think you're rude or anything like that. Questioner: <inaudible> Larry: Yes, you can do that, probably. They'll probably curse my name if you hear it, because there's a growing number of people. Larry said that we can call you up. But I think many people here come from around here: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and so forth. But if that appeals to you, there's one such note outside already. See if you're within range. And then it really does help to sit with people once in a while. It strengthens your practice. Yes. Questioner: <inaudible> Larry: You know what we can do tomorrow? Well, you can get it started now. What? Yeah, all the yogis from Manhattan can go to you. We've got some New Jersey yogis and so forth. Questioner: <inaudible> Larry: Anyone here live in Cambridge? Or the Boston area, near? Okay, we have a center, and there are also people who live, let's say, 45. Where do you live, for example? Questioner: Gloucester. Larry: That's about an hour. Yes. And there may be other places, smaller groups of people who sit together who come to Cambridge, the Cambridge Center, but who meet. But anyway, it's helpful. It's what the Buddha called sangha, or community. It's not trivial. It's helpful. You know, you have to learn how to sit alone and together. It's like life. You have to learn how to be alone and also how to be with people. There's a certain wonderful thing about meditating together. But if you can only meditate when you have a crowd, just think how limited you are. Then again, there are some people who can only meditate alone. Somehow, something about people that they have to learn. It's really both. But, especially at the beginning, having like-minded friends who are moving in the same direction can be of immense help. End_time: 01:01:51