About Meditation: Peaceful Heart Sangha

Mindfulness Meditation in the tradition of Vietnamese Zen master, peace activist, and poet Thich Nhat Hanh, has been meeting in the Unitarian Universalist Community Church since September 2001. We formed the Peaceful Heart Sangha in 2008.

2023 The location of the meetings changed from UUCC to other locations. Please see MEETINGS for current listings, as well as checking the E-Blast and other announcements. We maintain strong connections with the Sangha even though the location has changed.

Some words from our teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh:

“What is most important is to find peace and share it with others.”

“Peace is all around us – in the world, and in nature – and within us – in our bodies and our spirits. Once we learn to touch this peace, we will be healed and transformed. It is not a matter of faith; it is a matter of practice.

“Mindfulness must be engaged. Once there is seeing, there must be acting. Otherwise, what is the use of seeing? We must be aware of the real problems in the world. Then, with mindfulness, we will know what to do. “

Other activities in addition to our weekly practice gatherings may be noted under Meetings, as well as in the UUCC Newsletter and Sunday Announcements:

• Days of Mindfulness— a full day of meditation practice, often offering practices that are not available during our weekly practice, sometimes led by a Dharma Teacher. Sometimes we travel together to Days of Mindfulness and/or retreats offered by other sanghas.
• A month long January Intensive – You are invited to join us and Buddhist communities around the world who have been practicing an intensive winter/rainy season retreat for centuries.  The dark, quiet beginning of the new year is an ideal opportunity to commit to the deepening of our mindfulness practice without interrupting our regular lives. We might decide to extend our meditation time, try out a few silent mindful meals, commit to a focused study or reading, decide to be part of regular sharing with a sangha member, or any of number of possibilities. There are Saturday meditation gatherings to begin and end the intensive.  During these gatherings we are invited to share our January intentions (if we want) and often share a dharma reading, before having a delicious vegetarian pot luck lunch.
• Quarterly gatherings of the Maine Community of Mindfulness in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh for a recitation of the 14 Mindfulness Trainings and Care Taking activities for the sanghas of Maine.

The bell donated by the Peaceful Heart Sangha calls us to worship. Peaceful Heart Sangha offers Sunday Worship at least once/year.

Meeting Information

NEW SCHEDULE, effective Jan 30, 2023:

-- BY Private ZOOM –EVERY Monday (we will no longer meet in person at the UUCC on the last Monday of the month). You may join us at 6:15 to settle in.

--Thursday sangha continues in person at River Studio, 332 Water St, Hallowell (except last Thursday of the month on zoom). 

Special meetings:

Sat., February 4, 2023, Open House at River Studio in Hallowell (1-4pm) offering opportunities to talk with people who offer practices there - and members of Peaceful Heart Sangha plan to be there to talk with people who have questions about our practice.  

If you have questions, feel free to contact Marty Soule martysoule@gmail.com or 685-9270. We can arrange an introduction to mindfulness meditation, if that would feel like a more comfortable way to explore this practice.