On February 12, Dingeman Boot turned 90 years old! Congratulations on this wonderful age, we are grateful that you regularly enrich our platform with inspiring lectures. We would like to put you in the spotlight on Sunday April 7 during a Sangha Live afternoon. Everyone is cordially invited to this celebration, even if you do not know Dingeman very well personally. Many guides and people from the sangha will address Dingeman.

Sangha Live was devised some time ago to 30NOW to meet more often via Zoom Meetings, so that we can see each other. These meetings provide more room for interaction and personal contact with fellow practitioners. Next week – not on Easter Sunday, but on Monday – there will also be a Sangha Live evening. Erik van den Brink offers an interactive preview of “Compassion for All Ages,” his six-week live online course at 30NOW.

In this newsletter we also pay attention to a new supervisor: Paul van Gogh. He has already guided two meditations and, as a Buddhist Spiritual Caregiver at Defense, is also participating in the new podcast series 'The Spiritual Warrior'.

Furthermore, of course, attention will be paid to Susan Bögels' workshop (tomorrow, Sunday March 24), Frits Koster's live course and Michael Verlouw's year group.  

Welcome!

Dirk & Joost

Sangha Live – Monday April 1, 20:00 PM

This meeting has the character of an interactive workshop and is open to members and other interested parties. It offers a taste of “Compassion for All Ages”, the six-week live online course at 30NOW, inspired by the Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living program, which Erik developed together with Frits Koster. This course will start for the third time on Wednesday evenings from May 28 and is aimed at people from diverse backgrounds, in various age stages, looking for compassionate answers to the challenges of our time. Suitable for people with some meditation experience who want to deepen their compassion practice – towards themselves, towards others and towards the earth as a whole. The course also offers space for what we pass on from generation to generation, and how we can deal with the collective trauma underlying many of the worrying developments of our time. Anyone who wants can participate in a monthly practice group after the course.

This Sangha Live evening is a special occasion that is exclusively accessible to January of 30NOW.

• Date: Monday April 1  
• Times: 20.00:21.15 PM – XNUMX:XNUMX PM

Sangha Live – Sunday April 7, 15:00 PM

Dingeman has guided many retreats and is a spiritual friend to many, a compassionate and wise companion on the path of awakening. He also played an important role in founding the Insight Meditation Foundation (SIM), which promotes the practice of vipassana or insight meditation in the Dutch-speaking area. The SIM has been able to develop very well under the chairmanship that Dingeman has held for many years.

Dingeman is also a spiritual friend to Dingeman's colleagues – from the Vipassana.nu collective. They are grateful for his presence and input during the moments of togetherness and intervision. They would like to put him in the spotlight and do so with this Sangha Live afternoon.

This Sangha Live afternoon is a special occasion that is exclusively accessible to January of 30NOW. For this tribute to Dingeman, we hope for the presence of many who meditated or worked with him. If you would like to speak to Dingeman or have specific questions, please send an email to Joost in advance: [email protected]

• Date: Sunday April 7  
• Times: 15.00:16.30 PM – XNUMX:XNUMX PM

☝️ Last Sunday Dingeman gave a lecture 'How do I deal with everything that happens in me and around me?' We cordially invite you to watch this lecture via this link.

“You can't put love in the bank. Holding on to it does not earn any interest, on the contrary: precisely when you distribute it, it turns out to be a growth fund.”

– Joan Halifax –

Mindfulness in family life – March 24

This workshop offers tools to live consciously, reduce stress and strengthen the bond within the family. Discover, through your own meditation experience, how mindfulness can contribute to the dynamics of a family.

Eight Steps to Happiness – Starts March 31

This year group is intended for anyone who wants to become acquainted with Buddhist psychology, deepen his/her meditation practice or become acquainted with a clear and accessible view of life. Once understood and integrated into your daily life, it provides a feeling of happiness and freedom, regardless of the circumstances.

Four Paths to Well-Being and Fulfillment – ​​Starts April 2

In this live course we explore four paths or 'directions' to (spiritual) growth, realization and satisfaction. These paths, known in Buddhist psychology as the four iddhipāda or 'foundations of magical power', include: deep interest, devotion and commitment, a positive and wholesome attitude, wisdom and insight.

These qualities are crucial in the practice of meditation and help realize life values. Throughout the course we will explore both the value and pitfalls of these indicators.

Paul van Gogh – New accompanist

'In 2003 I ended up on a meditation cushion for the first time during the 'classical Buddhist meditation' course in Nijmegen. I was immediately captivated by meditation practice and also by Buddhism. Over the past 20 years, I have immersed myself in the practice by attending retreats and studying with various guides. I feel at home in the tradition of insight meditation.

I am particularly inspired by Theravada Buddhism. Through my work and studies as a Buddhist spiritual counselor (BGV), I have also immersed myself in other Buddhist movements. I am also trained as a mindfulness and compassion trainer. In my work as a BGV, I have guided meditation to various target groups such as prisoners and soldiers. I strive to offer my meditations in an accessible and recognizable way.

Paul Van Gogh works as a Buddhist spiritual counselor at Defense and sometimes appears in uniform 30NOW.

Would you like to know more about Paul and his role at Defense? View his profile page with its current offering 30NOW.

The Spiritual Warrior

In the podcast series 'The Spiritual Warrior' the world of Buddhism comes together with that of Defense. Two Buddhist Spiritual Caregivers of Defense - Paul van Gogh and Alie Rozendal - sit down at the table with Zen teacher Annetje Jikai Brunner and Vipassana teacher Joost van den Heuvel Rijnders. They take you on an inner journey and explorations of meditation and Buddhism. And all this based on the qualities of a spiritual warrior: courageous, strong, but also open and vulnerable. Ready for a dose of inspiration and powerful down-to-earth spirituality?

There are already three episodes and an intro ready on our platform. At the end of each episode there is a reflection or short meditation. For example, Annetje concludes a 'Soft front, strong back' meditation in Episode 2.

Live subtitles

During the daily live meditations and lectures you can now benefit from live subtitles. This way you can follow everything that is said in text form. This makes participation even more accessible! Simply activate the subtitles with a click or press 'CC' during the session. Please note that automatic subtitling is not always error-free, but we believe it is a valuable addition to enrich your experience. We hope you're excited about this new addition.