ONLINE: Refuge Awaits in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha
with Andrés González
Sunday January 12th 2025
Time: 9:00 – 10:30 AM PT (Time Zone Converter)
Closed Captioning Provided on Zoom
All are welcome
On January, 7th, 2025, multiple wildfires erupted over the sacred region, Tovangar, known today as the Greater Los Angeles Basin, and over the last several days, terrifying devastation has occurred impacting precious life of all forms.
At East Bay Meditation Center, we recognize that our sangha spans a wide geographic area, and we are all deeply interconnected. Whether you’ve been personally affected by the fires or have felt sorrow and concern for other beings, animals, and the Earth—experiencing rapid loss and upheaval—we want to offer space for connection, practice, and reflection on the Three Refuges: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.
These refuges, as the Buddha taught, are found within our own hearts—timeless, enduring, and always accessible, even amidst the turbulence and impermanence of life.
Cost
The teachings are regarded as priceless. So they are offered without a fee. You are invited to support the teachings and our efforts by contributing voluntary donations (the practice of “Dana”) for the expenses of the meditation center and the support of the teachers.
To make a gift to sustain the work of East Bay Meditation Center, you may do so via Paypal: paypal.me/eastbaymeditation or our website: eastbaymeditation.org/dana 100% of our programming is sliding scale and no one will ever be turned away for lack of funds.
Please prioritize offering dana to Mutual Aid LA Network: https://hcb.hackclub.com/donations/start/malan
A description from Mutual Aid LA Network:
“The LA Fires have positioned us to have a unique opportunity to get as much money on the ground as we can manage. Right now our focus is the distribution of resources on the ground. Your donation will go to things like masks, food, water, and community mutual aid volunteers around the city. We are also working with other grassroots orgs whose operations and services have been limited or halted during the emergency. All your donations are very needed now and going forward.”
Resources:
Mutual Aid LA Network’s January 2025 Fire & Wind Storm Resource Library https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/d/1KMk34XY5dsvVJjAoD2mQUVHYU_Ib6COz6jcGH5uJWDY/htmlview
For Zoom participation, these are our Universal Access Guidelines:
– Please do not use virtual or blurred backgrounds
– If you or your camera are moving around a lot, please turn off your video
– Please say your name when you speak
– Facilitators will attempt to read any comments in the chat out loud
– Please mute when you’re not speaking.
Teacher
Andrés González, MSW (he/they/él) is a queer, two-spirit Mestizo with primarily Yaqui, Mexican, Spanish, & Scottish ancestries. He’s also a transracial adoptee, connected to a lineage of Indigenous adoptees separated from family, land, & culture by way of the U.S. child welfare system. Andrés’ lived experience integrating these many worlds has informed his path as a practitioner of curanderismo, dharma teacher, and mental health clinician. Trained in harm reduction & healing-justice as a psychotherapist, he holds a masters degree in social work. He is also a graduate of East Bay Meditation Center’s two-year Spiritual Teacher & Leadership Training and the 2023-2024 Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics’ certification program in psychedelic facilitation. Andrés resides on Yokuts’ land (aka Bakersfield, CA) and lovingly traverses life with his adored service dog, Junior.