Mindful Heart Buddha Sangha History

The Sangha was established by Mary MacGregor. She began to have an interest in Buddhism after reading a book by Jack Kornfield in 1994. Mary then attended a retreat at the Insight Mediation Center in Barre, Mass., which led her to return to Evansville and begin offering silent meditation days once a month. Feeling that this was not enough practice, Mary began inviting people with similar interest to mediate weekly at her office. Later she traveled to France to attend a three-week retreat at Thich Nhat Hanh's center in Plum Village and embarked on extensive individual study.

After that experience, Mary knew she wanted to focus on meditation as part of a Buddhist practice. In the fall of 1997 she began weekly meditation sessions in her home. In February the sangha was officially named as The Mindful Heart Buddha Sangha. It also participated in its first outside activity as a group during Global Ethnicity held in New Harmony, Indiana in the spring of 1998.

In November of 1999, Mary began individual study with Matthew Flickstein. Matthew is the author of 2 books and has been a long-time student of Bhante Henepola Gunaranta. He is the resident teacher at Forest Way Insight Meditation Center. That same year, The Mindful Heart Buddha Sangha was invited to help establish a sangha at Branchville Correctional Facility in Tell City, Indiana.

The following year Mary began participating in teacher training retreats with Matthew Flickstein. The sangha began hosting events in this same year with an Extended Sitting and Day of Mindfulness with Jack Lawler from Illinois. The sangha's first overnight retreat was held in April, 2000 at Kordes Enrichment Center in Ferdinand, Indiana led by Jack. In 2001, the sangha hosted retreats with Matthew Flickstein in the spring and later in the year with Genny Morgan.

The Mindful Heart Buddha Sangha is a tax-exempt organization as recognized by the State of Indiana.

Currently, the sangha is made up of a diverse membership. Several sittings are offered weekly. Combinations of book discussions, Dharma study, walking and sitting meditations make up these sessions (See meditation times page for further details).

This inmate, named Ananda, described the efforts of small group of inmates who wished to establish a Buddhist meditation practice and dharma study group at the facility. Because prison rules dictate that the men cannot meet or be in groups of over three without a sponsor, they needed our assistance in order to meet regularly. At the time, they had been receiving limited support from a Tibetan Buddhist in Bloomington, Indiana, who visited once every 6 to 8 weeks. Additionally, the men were meeting with the prison chaplain but he was overworked and did not understand Buddhism and they hoped to expand their practice and thus asked for our sponsorship. In November of that year, Sangha board members Mary MacGregor and Lee Buchtman went to the Branchville to visit with the chaplain and conduct a short discussion and sitting meditation with about 15 inmates.

The chaplain who was director of the Religious Services Program was supportive and cooperative which greatly helped our efforts. Experience that day convinced us that the inmates were sincere and had a real need for support from outside the facility. By the end of 1999 a regular two-hour meditation and dharma practice was established at the prison. Since then Mindful Heart Buddha Sangha volunteers have gone to the facility almost every Wednesday to facilitate discussion and lead sitting meditation. Volunteers must attend a two-hour training prior to facilitating the sessions, which is repeated every other year. Volunteers are also given a badge allowing entry into the prison. No one is allowed to take anything or anyone into the prison without permission from the chaplain. The prison sangha is a long-term project and collaboration effort for the Mindful Heart Buddha Sangha. We have committed to maintain regular visits and the participating inmates rely on the volunteers for support in order to deepen their practice. A goal of this effort is to develop inmate participants into capable leaders of discussion and meditation.

Unfortunately, there is a high turnover rate of inmate population and the prison sangha requirements are constantly changing. Mary MacGregor is contacting individuals and groups who are experienced working with prison populations for future guidance and resources in order to support this project. Ananda, the inmate that originally requested our support, began an extensive study of Zen Buddhism through mail correspondence with the aspiration of becoming a Zen teacher. He was ordained while still in prison and directed the prison study as well as gave the precepts to the other participants at that time. He has since been released and we believe he is currently living in California under the supervision of a Zen group. He cannot visit the prison for a year but is hoping to return to Indiana at some point in the future after his supervision is completed. Currently, the inmates work together to plan the discussions and study. Each session ends with silent mediation. Our support continues to allow the men to meet as well as provides needed materials.

Current volunteers are in addition to Mary MacGregor and Lee Buchtman, Diana Brown, Kay Loewer, Connie Stambush, and Sam Towers. Additionally sangha member, Dean Reitz recently started providing yoga to the men on Tuesday afternoons. We encourage all who are interested to get involved with this project. Volunteers are needed to make visits, lead discussion & dharma study, and facilitate silent meditation. We would also appreciate ideas for other activities with this project. Anyone who would like to volunteer or assist with ideas, please contact the sangha.