The last retreat that Pam and I offered was different than all that we have offered before. There was a lot more teaching and conversation and less silence. The day was centered on the Brahmaviharas and we took time to explore each of the qualities of loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity with conversation. Included in the day was an interview process where people were paired randomly and asked each other prepared questions and listened deeply.

The day was not centered on the quiet most people imagine when they hear “retreat” in a Buddhist context. We expect mostly silence on retreat; sit, walk, eat in silence with perhaps a talk by a teacher. Such silent retreats are vital to deepening practice and understanding. But other things are vital as well. Conversation, connection, listening, laughter, supporting one another, discussing new ideas, they all deepen practice as well. The last retreat was about all of those other things just listed and more, with some silent meditation.

We asked for feedback at the end of the day since the format had been very different from the normal retreat. One person said something like this, “I had been looking forward to a typical retreat and a day of silence. If I had known what the format was I probably wouldn’t have come. I’m glad I didn’t know and very glad I came. This was really good.”

Another person said something like this: “I’ve come to IMFW for a long time and never felt connected and this day really helped me feel more a part of the community.” People seemed to appreciate the day and the format. This appreciation was wonderful to see since the day was based on an approach called “appreciative inquiry” that I had used in my work with organizations during my consulting days. From the moment I was introduced to appreciative inquiry, I saw the link to Dharma. When I mentioned this link to the woman who was my appreciative inquiry mentor, she smiled and said, “Well, that could explain why David and the Dali Lama get along so well.” The David she referred to is the person credited with creating appreciative inquiry and the Dali Lama, well, I guess you know who that is.  

Since that Brahmaviharas retreat, I have been reflecting on and writing about this connection under the working title of Appreciative Dharma. That is what our next retreat will be in March: “Exploring Appreciative Dharma.”

I really can’t explain what Appreciative Dharma is in this context. Let me say that it is not a new Buddhism. It is, instead, a different way to explore Buddhism and to consider how to take the Dharma into your life. In brief, appreciative inquiry is about taking two aspects of the word “appreciate” and applying them to a topic, in this case Buddhism. The first meaning is the way an asset “appreciates” in value such as a house when cared for over the years. How can we appreciate our practice so it grows in value as a treasured asset? The other meaning refers to how we can “appreciate” things like art and music with greater depth as we study such topics and train our eyes and ears to see and hear with appreciation.   

So, if you come to the retreat in March, know there will be conversation, explanation, exploration, maybe even a video or two and some silence. Not your typical Buddhist retreat. Instead of centering the day on the Brahmaviharas through appreciative inquiry, the day will be about using the lens of appreciative inquiry to view Dharma and appreciate the value of the teachings in your life.

That is all I can say for now. The rest needs to come through conversation and our shared appreciation when we are together. We hope to see some of our dear friends and some new people as well.   

From my side, I deeply appreciate how kind this Sangha has been in allowing me to sometimes color outside the lines a bit with formats and topics, such as juggling in a Dharma talk and playing with tinker toys. You have helped me discover things that I did not know and help things that I vaguely intuited come into focus. Central to what I have appreciated in my time attempting to be a teacher is the view that learning together in dialogue is certainly as important to our Dharma practice as sitting in silence. The people who have attended our intro classes, alumni group meetings, retreats, and those who engage in dialogue after a Tuesday night talk have all helped clarify things immensely. It is between us as human beings, often in the space called conversation, that this treasure of the Sangha resides. Since you can not see me bow to you with thanks for your conversation, companionship and noble friendship, I hope you feel the bow.

With appreciation,
John

Our Reunion group for the Introduction to Buddhism class will not meet on March 11.

Please stay and help us Clean Sangha House! Immediately following the Dharma talk on Tuesday, March 24, we will be staying to give our building a clean sweep. We have several volunteers who clean the building on a regular basis. This is a chance to help them do a deeper clean. Everyone is welcome and appreciated. If you have any questions, please reach out to Dave Clough in person or via email at clough.david@gmail.com. If you are interested in helping, just stay after the Dharma talk that evening.

We are helping Kalyana Mitta (Pali) groups form. Shortened to KM, means "spiritual friend" or "admirable friend," referring to a virtuous companion who supports your spiritual path, guiding you with qualities like wisdom, compassion, and ethical conduct, and is exemplified by peer-led support groups where practitioners share, learn, and practice together. It emphasizes that having good, supportive friends is essential for the spiritual life, whether they are teachers, senior practitioners, or fellow travelers on the path. If you are interested in becoming a member of a group newly forming, please sign up on our website.

We have many volunteer opportunities to support Insight Meditation Fort Wayne. If you are interested in seeing if some of these are a good fit with your skills, please contact Dave Clough via email (clough.david@gmail.com) or reach out to him at Sangha House before/after meditation. We have a wide array of opportunities. We welcome your help. 

Our mission is to provide for the study and practice of Insight (Vipassanā) Meditation according to the Theravāda Buddhist religious tradition and to support and encourage the development of community based upon Buddhist ideals, teachings and practices.

In difficult times, it’s even more important to call to mind the most fundamental teachings of the Buddha. Mindfulness of Breathing seems like a simple instruction that's easy to follow, but when reading the Sutta, one can become a bit confused by what can seem like obscure language that is no longer relevant for contemporary meditators.

The sixteen steps of the Ānāpānasati Sutta are a liberating practice that sometimes gets overlooked in its in-depth guide and precise instructions to calm the mind and realize the Buddha’s most profound insights. 

Tammy Dyer will lead a seven-week course that meets bi-weekly, based on Bhikkhu Anālayo’s book, Mindfulness of Breathing. The classes will meet every other Wednesday evening, from February 25, 2026 to April 8, starting at 6:30 PM to include time for instruction, meditation, and Q&A, wrapping at 8:00 PM.

To register click here. For more information contact Tammy at tamaradyer6@gmail.com.  It is recommended that students have completed an introductory course in The Four Foundations of Mindfulness, which includes the Introduction to Insight Meditation offered spring and fall at IMFW. 

The Spring Introduction to Insight Meditation Class will be offered by Barb Lahman and Tammy Dyer from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM starting April 6 and running until April 27.

The course will provide fundamental instruction in Insight Meditation, with an emphasis on mindfulness practice of awareness of breath, feelings, emotions, and thoughts.

Explanation and discussion of the teachings central to Insight Meditation are part of each class. The course is appropriate for beginners as well as experienced meditators who wish to maintain their “beginner’s mind.”

Because many things in life are beyond our control, it is crucial to take responsibility for our state of mind. The only real antidote to our own personal difficulty and sorrow is to see them clearly.  Insight practice helps us to see our fears, anxieties, and confusion more clearly. With practice, we begin to see that it’s not so much what is happening in our life but how we are relating to what is happening.

Insight Meditation trains the mind to be mindful of what is happening, when it is happening. When we see our experience more clearly, we become better able to make choices about how we might live our lives with less stress and anxiety. As the mind settles and sees more clearly into difficult situations in life, the qualities of love, compassion, and wisdom naturally arise.

Classes will be held from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM on Mondays, April 6, 13, 20, and 27. For more information contact Barb at lahmanb@gmail.com. If you are interested in participating in this class that is “freely offered” (on a donation basis), please get in touch with IMFW.org. You can sign up here.

A group of Buddhist monks have completed their walk for peace that captured the attention and hearts of many people around the world. Can we do something like this in our own little way? That question is what this morning will be about. Every faith tradition has teachings on the importance of peace. How about those people getting together and walking with their steps guided by the peace teachings of their faith?

This session will be an exploration of that possibility. There is a deep desire to appreciate peace, to grow the value of peace in our often fractured and contentious world. We will explore the possibility of expanding peace through conversation, community, and walking peacefully in our community.

I will present the view of Appreciative Inquiry described in another article in this newsletter. We will have time to talk about teachings of peace and explore the possibility for walking together as varied faith traditions united for peace. We will hopefully have a diverse group at this gathering with people from different traditions. Please invite people you know of different faiths, or no particular faith, who would like to explore how to expand peace in our community and world.  

Those that attend should bring short teachings on peace that inspire them. These teachings could be on paper, in books, on that phone we all seem to have or in the heart. What are the words and passages that incline your mind to peace?  If you are attending, please bring those words with you. If you invite someone to attend, please ask them to bring such words to share.  

This half day might lead to something and might simply be a day of community. That will be up to those that attend and we will try to get some clarity on possible continuation that day.

John and Pam Steinbach will be offering a retreat to explore an appreciative approach to Dharma practice. This retreat will focus on the approach of “Appreciative Inquiry” and applications to understanding Buddhism and our Dharma practice. There will be lots of time for conversation and exploration and some silent meditation. The retreat will be from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturday, March 28.

Please read the article on Appreciative Dharma in this newsletter for a further explanation.  

Please bring a lunch and plan to attend for the entire day. As always, there is no set fee for the day. Dana for the teachers and for IMFW is greatly appreciated and your generosity helps keep the lights on and supports the teachers in developing and presenting offerings.