Over the past years we have received a most precious gift, the opportunity to learn from and practice with our precious Lama, Drupon Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche and the many wonderful guest teachers who visit us. They give priceless instruction from their extensive training and practice experience. Not only priceless, but remarkably personal. I think it's easy to agree that even if we don't repay them in the best way by making the teachings a part of our lives, we at least owe them our respect.
But lately, we have become less than respectful in our behavior. We have always had sangha members and guests for whom punctuality is a challenge, but our disrespect has reached an extreme. People have been arriving very late for teachings and practice, sometimes up to a half hour, and causing considerable interruption. This is very disruptive to the sequential process of puja or the organized presentation of a teaching. It is very distracting for the teachers and for those sangha members who have the thoughtfulness to arrive on time or early.
We want all sangha members to feel welcome to participate in sangha activities. We do all we can to encourage it. We plan the best dates for events that we can manage and we try to get schedules out as early as possible so you can plan your time accordingly. In the case of Wednesday's weekly White Tara practice, location and time are entirely predictable. It is always at the center and always at 7:30PM.
It is important that everyone be more mindful of their arrival time and more considerate of the Lamas and fellow sangha members.
As a reminder, the complete sangha guidelines are listed below, outlining the appropriate behavior for members and guests at Chicago Ratna Shri Sangha.
Thanks in advance for your consideration and cooperation.
The Officers and Board of Chicago Ratna Shri Sangha
Guidelines for CRSS
- Please try to be
early/on time for teachings. Seats are on a first-come, first-serve basis. Late
arrivals can be disruptive, so if you do need to come late please take your
seat quickly and quietly.
- Please turn off cell phones before entering
the shrine room.
- When the Lama(s) enter
the shrine room, please stand as a sign of respect.
- As a sign of respect,
please avoid pointing your feet towards the shrine while stretching your legs.
- Please do not talk or
whisper while the Lamas or translators are speaking.
- As a sign of respect,
please avoid placing prayer books or dharma texts directly on the floor.
- Please stand as the
Lama(s) get up to leave the shrine room.
- Meals prepared by our
volunteer cooks are for the Lamas and translators ONLY, unless specified
otherwise. This includes food in the fridge and cupboards.
- While beverages are
permitted during the teachings, we ask that you please refrain from eating
during the dharma teachings.
- Under no circumstances
is it acceptable to be at CRSS under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- In order to avoid conflicts, we request that
everyone refrains from talking about politics while at Chicago Ratna Shri.
- We ask that people not
come to CRSS unexpectedly and to not linger late into the evening, since our
small center also serves as a residence. Please also remember that during
dharma events the Lamas and translators will need privacy and rest.
- We ask that no
one park on Cullom Ave. while visiting Chicago Ratna Shri. It is vital that
EVERYONE follows this rule in order for us to avoid further issues with the
alderman’s office. There should be plenty of parking on nearby streets.
