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<FONT FACE="Optima, Times New Roman"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>This is just a reminder for tonight’s event.<BR>
Hope to see folks there!<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Hi all,<BR>
<BR>
I'd like to invite all the members, friends, and allies of the Pioneer<BR>
Valley Buddhist Peace Fellowship to come meet two visiting members of<BR>
The BPF Prison Program on Monday evening, February 20th.<BR>
<BR>
Hong Chingkuang and Michael Callahan will be sharing with us their<BR>
Vision for the Coming Home Initiative- an innovative new re-entry program for<BR>
people coming out of incarceration.<BR>
<BR>
The coming home initiative can roughly be described as a transformative<BR>
collaboration b/w the larger Buddhist community and prisoners coming<BR>
home.<BR>
<BR>
The three components are:<BR>
<BR>
1) preparing the ground - a 6-month pre-release training on leadership,<BR>
capacity building, mentorship and engaged education (i.e.,<BR>
decarceration of mind & body)<BR>
<BR>
2) entering the stream - individuals will come to the Coming Home Center<BR>
(a residence & community-based entrepreneurship) where they will be<BR>
supported in their commitment to practice right awareness, right<BR>
Livelihood and right action.<BR>
<BR>
3) turning it over & returning - the giving of oneself back to the<BR>
Community by actively creating peace, liberation and sustainability through<BR>
Community organizing, advocacy, & policy change.<BR>
<BR>
Michael and Hong are really looking forward to sharing their vision and<BR>
hearing ideas, comments, and suggestions from like-minded allies. They<BR>
Would also love to be connected with any resources/expertise that would them<BR>
Put together the initiative as well as help thinking through fundraising<BR>
strategies and being connected individual donors who would be excited<BR>
About the project.<BR>
<BR>
Please join us for an rich discussion with good company.<BR>
<BR>
Monday, February 20th 7pm<BR>
The Center for Contemplative Mind in Society<BR>
199 Main St. Northampton, MA<BR>
413.563.5642 for directions or more info.<BR>
<BR>
Please forward this to other's you might think are interested.<BR>
<BR>
And please send me an email if you think you might attend.<BR>
<BR>
<FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><U>jesse@stonecircles.org<BR>
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Thanks!<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
-- <BR>
</SPAN></FONT><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><FONT FACE="Cochin, Times New Roman">It is forbidden to refuse the illusory in a world that has based reality on illusion, concreteness on the unreal.<BR>
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-Alfredo M. Bonanno, <I>Armed Joy</I>
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<SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><FONT FACE="Cochin, Times New Roman">So you should view all of the fleeting worlds:<BR>
A star at dawn, a bubble in the stream;<BR>
A flash of lightening in a summer cloud;<BR>
A flickering lamp, a phantom, a dream.<BR>
<BR>
-The Buddha, <I>The Diamond Sutra
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