This is the wiki site for Appamada, a Zen sangha in the tradition of Joko Beck, with resident teachers Flint Sparks and Peg Syverson. The wiki is a kind of library or archive of materials related to this sangha. The name Appamada comes from the traditional Pali language in which the Buddha's teachings were first set down in writing. Appamada has a long and interesting history you can read about in the articles on this site, but basically it can be translated asmindful care, or watchful concern. It is an active, aware, engagement with the present moment experience and an intimate relationship with all that is. We have studied the use of this term in the Buddha's teachings, reflected deeply, and come to realize that this term expresses our aspirations and our experiences with our teaching, our practice, and this sangha. The Buddha compared appamada to an elephant's footprint, which is large enough to hold the footprint of every other animal; in the same way, this quality of mindful care was said to contain all of the Buddha's other teachings.
The community website for Appamada is here: www.appamada.org We recommend that you read Stephen Batchelor's excellent article, "The Buddha's Last Word: Care," explaining the concept of appamada in Buddhist practice. To get a sense of how important appamada was in the Buddha's teachings, you might read the very short Appamada Sutta, in which Thanissaro Bikkhu translates this term as "heedfulness."
We will be talking and writing much more about this term and our vision for our teaching and for the sangha. We will also be crafting the capacity and architecture to cultivate Appamada online.
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Quick Reference
Teachers
Flint Sparks and Peg Syverson
Location
913 East 38th St.
Austin, TX 78705 (map)
Website
www.appamada.org
Zazen
6:30 AM Monday-Friday
7;30 PM Wednesday, informal tea follows
8:00-10:45 Sunday, informal brunch at Central Market follows
Inquiry Group
12:30 PM Tuesday
Sunday Dharma Talks
2010
Intensive readings and recordings
December 2009
June 2010
Study
Study guide (still in development)
What does "Appamada" mean?
Chants and Sutras
Current classes
Diamond Sutra 2010, Flint Sparks
Precepts Program 2010, Peg Syverson
Appamada Groups
Introduction to groups at Appamada
Ordinary Mind
Appamada is the evolution of the Ordinary Mind Zen group in Austin. You can find the archives of Ordinary Mind Zen-Austin here (http://ordinarymind.pbworks.com), and the original blog here (http://ordinarymindaustin.blogspot.com).
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