Huiho Sangha
The Huiho Sangha is a worldwide family of friends who have been called over the years to spend time at Hui Ho’olana, a Living Sanctuary on the island of Molokai in Hawaii. We are a network of people who share an aspiration for awakening to the most profound truth of who and what we are. We seek to serve the world generously and wholeheartedly. The Huiho Sangha is a Buddhist-informed bridge for anyone wanting to connect with the myriad resources available.
In the Hawaiian language, hui ho means “being together.” It can be used both as a warm greeting on arrival as well as a heartfelt expression of affection upon parting. The term “hui” signifies an assembly or community, the same definition used for the Sanskrit word “sangha” where members come together for a shared purpose,
Ho’olana means “inspiration rising up from within the heart”. An additional ancient meaning is ”the lowest floor of the oracle tower where offerings were placed.” This is the deep foundation of our shared aspiration: to make offerings inspired from the heart. This is the life-force of a community of people who have discovered this Living Sanctuary — Hui Ho’olana — a sacred place where we channel our inspiration and creativity, as we care for the land and the world we share.
Dharma Teachings
Dharma Teachings are lively channels for new information and practice opportunities. For now, all sangha activities are online, as they are for many more traditional practice centers. Each week people from around the world gather online to sit in silence and stillness, listening to live dharma talks by Zen teachers, engaging them with questions and reflections. This is a rich and nourishing practice.
This practice activity of the online Huiho Sangha is offered through Appamada, a center for contemporary Zen practice and Inquiry whose home is in Austin, Texas. On Tuesdays from 12:30 - 1:30 PM Central time we join Zen teacher Flint Sparks and listen to his inspirational guidance. Following this hour, there is an additional opportunity to remain online and visit with other sangha members and support each other’s practice. The Zoom access link for these weekly gatherings can be found on the Appamada calendar.
You may access a rich archive of previous Inquiry sessions, dharma talks, and classes online. There are video archives of Inquiry sessions on the Appamada Zen Youtube channel and many audio dharma talks available on the Soundcloud platform.
There is a lively family of sanghas which are also resources for local practice. These are listed below:
- Appamada in Austin, Texas
- Open Door Zen Community in Madison, WI
- Awakening Together Community on Facebook
- Just This, a family of sanghas within the UK
- San Francisco Zen Center
- Ecumenical Buddhist Society
Each of these sanghas have their own website with abundant resources. They each offer regular practice opportunities, both in-person and online, and they schedule regular hybrid retreats throughout the year. All of this is accessible to anyone, anywhere, including the Huiho Sangha.
Flint Sparks - guiding teacher
Flint Sparks, a longtime teacher and friend of Hui Ho’olana, is the guiding teacher for the Huiho Sangha. He is a mentor and consultant to HuiHo Ho'olana, where he offers teachings and periods of meditation scheduled during his regularly scheduled retreats and workshops led by other teachers.
For more information about Flint and his teachings, please go to www.flintsparks.org and view recorded video presentations through the links provided below: Flint's TEDx talk, an in depth interview done at the Cape Cod Summer Institute and a YouTube video.
Although there is not a meditation and training center on Molokai to support a formal student-teacher relationship, we hope there will be in the future. If you are interested in online activities, future in-person retreats associated with the Huiho Sangha, or even the possibility of volunteering at and for Hui Ho'olana, please submit your email address below, or on the front page, to be placed on our mailing list.
