KPC Sedona Prayer Vigil is nearing capacity!
Visitors to the Amitabha Stupa often find out about another of our activities that takes place around the clock at the KPC Prayer Center: the 24-hour Prayer Vigil for Peace.
The title for this article is an odd characterization of how we maintain this vigil, still it gives an idea about the priority of this vigil among the sangha at KPC Sedona, and the good news is that we are just six “open shifts” of having the prayer vigil covered permanently!
How has it worked so far, you might ask, given that KPC talks about “ceaseless” prayers around the clock (see a sister website, www.prayerwithoutceasing.org)? Even for the sangha who are committed to this prayer vigil, human nature takes over and each week we have been in part in a “wait and see” mode. A week would start off with about 24 of 84 shifts covered and through telephone calls and emails by the end of the week the open shifts were filled. The sangha participating in the prayer vigil would wait to hear what was needed and respond.
A few weeks ago we decided to go about things differently.
The question to the sangha was this: if the vigil was always covered by the end of the week, why not just go ahead and cover it upfront? In the past few weeks, thirty-one sangha members have signed up to take all but six shifts every week; and, it’s very likely that the six “open” shifts – all on weekend days -- will get covered soon as well. Until then, the prayer vigil caretakers will get the open shifts filled as we have always done.
“Nearing capacity” an important milestone for our sangha. It is a witness to a proactive commitment by the sangha to continue prayer without ceasing for the benefit of sentient beings. It says that we have begun to move work and other personal concerns, as much as possible, out of the way of this commitment to prayer.
What happens when we “reach capacity”? One good option is to have more than one person on a prayer shift. Jetsunma never said it needed to be just one person there!
There will always be room to participate in this generator of merit and cause for the liberation from suffering for all sentient beings.
Footnote: The KPC Prayer Vigil for Peace started 22 years ago at the KPC Maryland temple and has been on-going for the nine years that KPC has had a presence in Sedona. The Vigil is held at the KPC Prayer Center located at 3270 White Bear Road in West Sedona. It's a 24-hour prayer vigil so our doors are always open for those seeking a place of refuge for meditation and prayer.
The title for this article is an odd characterization of how we maintain this vigil, still it gives an idea about the priority of this vigil among the sangha at KPC Sedona, and the good news is that we are just six “open shifts” of having the prayer vigil covered permanently!
How has it worked so far, you might ask, given that KPC talks about “ceaseless” prayers around the clock (see a sister website, www.prayerwithoutceasing.org)? Even for the sangha who are committed to this prayer vigil, human nature takes over and each week we have been in part in a “wait and see” mode. A week would start off with about 24 of 84 shifts covered and through telephone calls and emails by the end of the week the open shifts were filled. The sangha participating in the prayer vigil would wait to hear what was needed and respond.
A few weeks ago we decided to go about things differently.
The question to the sangha was this: if the vigil was always covered by the end of the week, why not just go ahead and cover it upfront? In the past few weeks, thirty-one sangha members have signed up to take all but six shifts every week; and, it’s very likely that the six “open” shifts – all on weekend days -- will get covered soon as well. Until then, the prayer vigil caretakers will get the open shifts filled as we have always done.
“Nearing capacity” an important milestone for our sangha. It is a witness to a proactive commitment by the sangha to continue prayer without ceasing for the benefit of sentient beings. It says that we have begun to move work and other personal concerns, as much as possible, out of the way of this commitment to prayer.
What happens when we “reach capacity”? One good option is to have more than one person on a prayer shift. Jetsunma never said it needed to be just one person there!
There will always be room to participate in this generator of merit and cause for the liberation from suffering for all sentient beings.
Footnote: The KPC Prayer Vigil for Peace started 22 years ago at the KPC Maryland temple and has been on-going for the nine years that KPC has had a presence in Sedona. The Vigil is held at the KPC Prayer Center located at 3270 White Bear Road in West Sedona. It's a 24-hour prayer vigil so our doors are always open for those seeking a place of refuge for meditation and prayer.
posted by Gonpo Yeshe (David) Williams at 9:20 PM
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