The Tampa Bay chapter of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship will sponsor Change Your Mind Day on Saturday, June 5 2004. The event will be from 10 am to 4 pm, at Crescent Lake Park in St Petersburg (22nd Ave & 5th St North : 1.5 East of I-275 exit 24 on 22nd Ave).

Change Your Mind Day was first held in 1994 in New York City's Central Park. This year it will be held in over 40 cities nationwide. The event is coordinated nationally by Tricycle magazine. Rande Brown, Change Your Mind Day coordinator, has commented that, "You don't have to be a Buddhist to share in the afternoon. As when Buddha taught, sitting under a tree in a forest grove, everyone is welcome. Because the teachings and meditations focus on awareness and compassion, they can be appreciated by anyone wanting more spiritual understanding. Change Your Mind Day reflects the Buddhist concept that if we transform our thinking from confusion to wisdom, we will have much happier lives."

Our St Petersburg event will consist of a series of segments, each of which will be the responsibility of a local Buddhist group or individual. Buddhist teachings will be presented in longer segments; Buddhist-influenced musical performances will be presented at lunchtime.

Group-sponsored presentations will be about 30 minutes long, and will involve some traditional Buddhist teaching or practice, such as chanting, meditation, a ceremony, or a Dharma talk. Participating groups will include:

Chua Phat Phap Vietnamese Temple and Vihara - St Petersburg
Dancing Waters Sangha - Lutz (in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh )
Soka Gokkai - Tampa Bay
Flowing Dharma - Tampa
Florida Kadampa Buddhist Centers - Safety Harbor & Sarasota
Dhamma Wheel Meditation Society - Clearwater
Shambhala Meditation Group of St Petersburg / Tampa

The short musical entertainments at lunchtime will not necessarily be related to a particular Buddhist tradition, but will have some definite relation to Buddhism. Food provided at lunch time will include vegetarian Vietnamese fried rice and spring rolls, and gourmet macrobiotic food (brown rice, organic vegetables, miso soup).

For the Buddhist teaching presentations, an alter and platform will be set up under a large tree. Nearby, we will set up some tent-style canopies with literature tables, children's activities, and other items. Free new and used Buddhist books will be available (donations welcomed). Participating groups will leave some literature there, and may set up additional tables.

We hope that the presentations will be appreciated by both Buddhists and non-Buddhists, and that they will be suitable for both beginning and experienced meditators. We would like the event to be as inclusive as possible, to reflect both the diversity of Buddhists and the diversity of Buddhist traditions. We want to be respectful of all lineages.

We hope that this event will provide valuable teachings for those who attend, encourage fellowship among local Buddhists, and promote Buddhism in the Tampa Bay area.

Sponsored by the Tampa Bay Chapter of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship.

For more information, call 727-392-7698, visit www.bpf-tampabay.org, or email cymd04@bpf-tampabay.org.

general information on change your mind day nationwide: Tricycle Magazine