Mission, Vision, and Values
Sarana Institute is a non-profit where we believe compassion and mindfulness can transform us.
Our Vision: Mindful Presence That Awakens Compassionate Care
We dream of a world where self-care deepens our capacity to care for others, where facing suffering enhances our self-acceptance and blooms into self-compassion. We envision communities where mindfulness and compassion are not just practices, but inner resources that reignite joy and vitality in caregiving roles. In moments of overwhelm, disconnection, or distress, it's easy to become misaligned with life's vibrancy. Our programs aim to cultivate wisdom in caregiving, whether professionally or in everyday life, arming individuals with the awareness to navigate life's complexities with compassion and understanding.
Our Mission: To provide mindfulness training that supports awakening compassion, inviting us to better care for ourselves, others and the earth.
Our mission is twofold: to awaken personal growth and compassionate wisdom through education and experiential training, and to foster stewardship and interdependence in community life. We provide mindfulness and compassion-based training to deepen presence and self-compassion, essential for personal well-being. By starting with mindful awareness practices, we delve into contemplative and relational techniques that enhance acceptance, non-judgment, emotional regulation, empathy, equanimity, and compassionate communication. Our community-centered approach is vital in transforming caregiving stresses and unhealthy patterns into resilience and relationship-centered care.
Our Inspiration: Sarana, A Sanctuary of Strength and Meaning
Inspired by the meaning of 'sarana'—a refuge, inner source, or sanctuary in Pali—Sarana Institute symbolizes inner strength and support, spiritual meaning, and interconnectedness with all life. Our programs draw from a rich tapestry of wisdom traditions, including Buddhist and secular mindfulness, psychotherapy, social psychology, neuroscience, and Earth-based traditions.
Founded by (Revs.) Angie & Andrew Blake, our vision extends to creating an intergenerational community that embraces mindfulness and compassion in facing the challenges of health care, end-of-life care, and environmental stewardship.
Our Values
1. Mindfulness: The Bedrock of Compassionate Engagement
At Sarana Institute, we believe mindfulness is more than a practice - it's the foundation of how we engage with life and how we express our care. Without mindfulness, we act without awareness and can easily fall into old patterns and reactive habits. Mindfulness is not only about being fully open and present to what arises in each moment; it is about expanding our capacity to recognize where we are and how we can respond with greater thoughtfulness and compassion. Our approach to mindfulness emphasizes practice, self-reflection and everyday skills that reveal inner stability, awareness, and acceptance, naturally cultivating a more loving heart that leans gently towards greater ease and well-being.
2. Compassion: Facing Fear and Obstacles with Curiosity and Caring
Some might say compassion is about the courage to embrace fearlessness through the softness of the human heart. We would say compassion is our willingness to face our fear, our weakness, our long-standing patterns or our avoidance, and to meet our obstacles with curiosity and strength to stay the course, no matter what shows up. Any journey moving towards healing must first explore how we bring compassion to our suffering and patterns. When this self-caring is authentically experienced within us, it naturally extends towards others. When it's about facing our discomfort and disease, lessening self-judgment, self-grasping, and even forgiving, a transformation is possible, where we can shift from guilt, shame, fear, or anger into compassionate wisdom that sees we are all together. It is possible to let go of our attachments and cultivate caring in all our relationships.
3. Responsibility and Intention: Guided by Mindful Actions
Mindfulness transcends self-awareness and presence; it embodies responsibility and insight into the motivations behind our actions. Every action is significant, propelled by intentions, whether conscious or not. Conscious intentions lead us to make choices that are positive and life-enhancing. However, when our intentions are veiled by negative emotions, our decisions may not align with healthy or beneficial paths, causing disarray in our world. These unconscious decisions often stem from enduring patterns or deep-seated beliefs of inadequacy, unlovability, or feelings of being misunderstood. Embracing positive intentions, rooted in our genuine desires for life and change, propels us towards alternative actions. A sense of powerlessness hampers action, whereas the belief in achievable change, though incremental, encourages us to foster our intentions with kindness. The journey to build our vision at Sarana has required immense perseverance and commitment to our core intentions, fostering their development. This dedication has endowed our community service with deep significance and purpose. Facing challenges and achievements with equal acceptance, we rely on steady growth—what we term evolving in tune with our capacity.
4. Openness and Transparency: The Power of Compassionate Communication
Central to the fabric of community life is navigating the complexities of communication and fostering trust in the transformative power of speaking one’s truth with gentle sincerity. The impact of our words can lead to profound breakthroughs when coupled with heartfelt compassion. We cherish the practice of mindful listening in all aspects of our work, holding ourselves accountable for our emotions and how we convey them. When our dialogue is infused with compassion, it enables us to openly discuss our challenges within a supportive space, where obstacles are approached with an openness and a collective desire to understand, finding unity in our shared human experience. These principles steer our interactions within our organization and are what we aspire to exemplify in the broader community we are dedicated to serving.
5. Interdependence and Environmental Stewardship: Walking Gently on Earth
Reflecting on the insights of the revered Buddhist teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, who highlighted the profound miracle of coexisting peacefully with our planet, we are committed to deepening our grasp of interdependence. This commitment involves honoring the complex interconnectedness of all life forms and recognizing how every element of existence is intertwined with the rest. Thich Nhat Hanh frequently illustrated this concept with the metaphor of a sheet of paper, describing its inseparable connection to the tree, its roots, the mycelial network beneath the soil, the sunlight, the rainfall, the lumberjack, and even the store clerks who sell the paper. He taught us that nothing exists in isolation, challenging the illusion of our solitude.
At Sarana Institute and within our sanctuary, Sarana Springs, our dedication to inclusivity encompasses the earth and all its creatures, pursuing environmental stewardship and acknowledging the land's original custodians and their enduring sovereignty on Turtle Island. Our journey is one of gentle exploration, aiming to foster a profound respect for life, our planet, and all its dwellers, through practices that celebrate and protect the earth, ensuring a legacy worthy of passing to the generations that follow.
