Principle: Shared Presence

What this means in practice

Gatherings, circles, and fellowship are the heart of the community. Being together matters. The community comes together to read, to reflect, to hold space for one another, and to walk alongside each other.

In practice, this means showing up matters as much as understanding. When you join a gathering, you are there to be present. When you sit in a circle, you are there to listen and to be heard.

It also means Shared Intentions carries weight. When you post a prayer or a reflection, you are placing something real in a shared space. When you read what others have placed, you are holding their concern alongside your own.

A passage

No man is tired of receiving what is useful. But it is useful to act according to nature. Do not then be tired of receiving what is useful by doing it to others.

Source: Meditations, Book VII, Marcus Aurelius, George Long, 1862

A question to sit with

When I am with others in this community, how fully present am I?

A practice to try

The next time you join a gathering or sit in Conversations, set aside everything else for those minutes. Close the other tabs and let the other thoughts rest. Just the people and the text. Notice what changes when you give your full attention to the shared space.