How This Space Came About
This online space was created to accommodate activities when our Sangha members cannot be physically together.
Through moderate and skilful use of one of the latest online video conferencing platforms, we are able to make possible a much wider range of activities, especially those guided and facilitated by overseas Dharma Teachers. This online platform also helps connect Sangha members who are travelling, who have relocated to other countries, and those who practise with Sanghas in other parts of the world.
The Horse is Technology
... if technology can help you to go home to yourself and take care of your anger, take care of your despair, take care of your loneliness, if technology helps you to create joyful feelings, happy feelings for yourself and for your beloved ones, it’s going in a good way and you can make good use of technology...
- Thich Nhat Hanh
Examples of our online activites
- Regular practice sessions with our Dharma Teacher Sister Lương Nghiêm who is based in PV Thailand.
- Regular mentoring sessions for members of the Order of Interbeing, facilitated by Sr. Lương Nghiêm and Sr. Trish Thompson who is based in Vietnam.
- Short meetings of our Care Taking Councils
How This Space Works
Please take your time to read through the guideline below so that this online space can be a happy place for everyone.
This space can only accommodate one meeting/practice session at a time. The capacity of the room is 100 participants.
If you are invited to a meeting, avoid entering the room when it is not the scheduled time. There might be another meeting going on!
If you are scheduling a meeting, coordinate with other Sangha members to make sure no meetings are overlapping, or even back-to-back.
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Room location:
www.joyfulgarden.sg/online
The room is locked using a simple passcode which will be asked after you click the button to enter the room.
If you are invited to a meeting, make sure you get the passcode from the organiser.
If you are scheduling a meeting, make sure you let your guests know the passcode.
You need a quiet space, good internet connection and a laptop/tablet/phone.
For the best experience, use a laptop with earphone/headset.
When you join such activities for the first time, your device will take a minute to install a small application called "Zoom".
It is in fact much more difficult to be present and to feel the presence of other people when we are in a virtual environment. Practising online also lacks the "human touch" compared to being physically together. But those gaps can be effectively minimised with a few simple practices.
Before the session
- Take your time to transition from your previous activities to the scheduled meeting/practice. The convenience of being able to join a meeting from home may trick us into squeezing in a house-chore just two minutes before the meeting, thinking we can still be on time and it would not make any difference. But it does make a lot of difference, and it will surely affect the collective atmosphere.
- What you can do is to take ten or fifteen minutes before the scheduled time to "virtually travel" to this space. Find a seat where it is comfortable and quiet, and where your internet connection seems strongest. Get your laptop/tablet/phone ready. Give your laptop a Restart if you have been using it for a while. Close other programs or browser tabs to minimise distraction/temptation during the session. Prepare your favourite drinks. Enter the room 5 minutes early. Check your audio and video. Breathe. Wait.
During the session
- Keeping your webcam on all the time will help other people feel your presence better. That also helps the teacher or facilitator know if you are following.
- Know how to mute and unmute your microphone. For better sound quality, mute your microphone when you are not speaking.
When You Are Ready
Click the button below to enter the meeting room.