SMS JANUARY NEWSLETTER
WELCOME 2023!

Dawn of a new day in a new year
deep winter, still of snow coming soon
the mountain, the bare trees simple in grey light
body, mind, heart appear
along with the kitchen light, the teakettle, the hungry cat
a world appears
heartbreaking, marvelous, new
and a tender longing
How to requite this love?

All times listed below are Mountain Time

Overview of January Offerings

Monday, January 2, 6 PM, Zoom: Meditation and Sutra Service

Tuesday, January 3, 6:15 PM, Zoom: Steering Committee Meeting

Saturday, January 7, 10 AM, at Creek Bend, Vows Exploration Group

Monday, January 9, 6 PM, In person at Shove Chapel, and on Zoom:
Dharma Talk, Sarah Bender, Roshi

Saturday, January 14, 10 AM, at Creek Bend, Vows Exploration Group

Monday, January 16, 6 PM, In person at Shove Chapel, and on Zoom:
Community Night: Precepts, Conversation

Wednesday, January 18, 6-7 PM: Zoom, Open Source Koan Series

Saturday, January 21, 10 AM, at Creek Bend, Vows Exploration Group

Sunday, January 22, 9 AM to noon, at Creek Bend, Introduction to Zen Meditation

Monday, January 23, 6 PM, In person at Shove Chapel, and on Zoom:
Koan Exploration, Sarah Bender, Roshi

Wednesday, January 25, 6-7 PM: Zoom, Open Source Koan Series

Saturday, January 28, 10 AM, at Creek Bend, Vows Exploration Group

Monday, January 30, 6 PM, In person at Shove Chapel, and on Zoom:
Meditation, Wayfaring Mind Talk

DETAILS OF SOME OF THESE EVENTS BELOW, PLEASE READ THROUGH “MANY ARMS OF GUANYIN!”

Ongoing Meditation Schedule

Sundays: Candlelight Meditation 8 to 8:30 PM

Mondays: Meditation and evening starting at 6:00 PM

On Mondays you can also join at 6:25 or 6:55

Wednesdays: Morning meditation 6:30-7:30 AM

Saturdays: Morning Meditation 6:30-8:00 AM, discussion 8-8:30 AM

Most Saturday mornings, a sangha member will kick off a discussion with a brief talk, pertaining to their own experience of practice right now. These conversations are rich and real!

Additional Early Morning Meditations
A simple, early morning sit is offered on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, 6:30-7:30 AM. There will be no designated leader, but the Zoom Zendo will be open and available for those who would like to join. Please leave your camera off while the meditation is in progress.

Upcoming Events

Steering Committee Meeting

Tuesday, January 3; 6:15 PM on Zoom
The Springs Mountain Sangha Steering Committee meets once a month for approximately 2 hours on the first Tuesday of the month. All are welcome to attend. We plan to continue discussions about the upcoming calendar for 2023.

Small Group, In Person Meetings

Saturdays 10-noon starting January 7th at Creek Bend Zendo

A small in person group will begin meeting on January 7th continuing weekly for an in depth exploration of Vows and how they meet our lives. Please contact Kelly McFarland at s.kelly.HLS@gmail.com if you are interested in being part of this in person group.

Introduction to Zen Meditation with Sarah Bender, Roshi

January 8th from 9-noon in person at Creek Bend Zendo

Please contact Kelly McFarland at s.kelly.HLS@gmail.com if you are interested in attending this half day introduction to Zen. We will need a minimum of 5 people in attendance for this gathering to happen, so please let Kelly know if you plan to be there.

Suggested donation is $20 and can be placed in the dana bowl at the top of the stairs at Creek Bend. As always, no one will be turned away for financial reasons.

AND FROM THE OPEN SOURCE

Wednesdays, 6 to 7 PM MST, on Zoom (Link will follow)

Open Source Email List

If you’d like to join the info/discussion group for Open Source (which is a place for you to offer your insights, spark discussions, etc. as well as receiving notices) just email the address below with your name and email address.
opensourcezen+subscribe@groups.io

AND, LOOKING AHEAD
Movie Night, Thursday, February 23 on Zoom, 7 PM
Have a movie you’d like to propose? We watch them beforehand at our leisure, and then meet to discuss.

Work in the Room

Work in the Room by telephone or Zoom can be arranged with Andrew Palmer, Sensei at alpalmer128@gmail.com or with Sarah Bender, Roshi at sembender@gmail.com. Work in the Room is a close encounter of the sacred/ordinary kind—an encounter among you, a teacher, and the great matter that is most deeply real for you right now—and what clearly matters because it shows up in a conversation about the Way, whether, on the face of it, it seems sacred or ordinary. No special undertaking is required.

Do you have artwork, a poem or a volunteer story to share in our newsletter? If so, please send them to Kelly McFarland at s.Kelly.HLS@gmail.com.

Many Arms of Guanyin

TESSA was established in May 1977 in response to a high rate of calls to local law enforcement from women threatened or assaulted by their partners. At the time, Domestic Violence was considered a private matter and resources were difficult to locate, if they existed at all. With assistance from within the legal and philanthropic communities TESSA emerged as an information provider and resource referral service. That initial effort has evolved into a multi-faceted agency that includes a confidential Safehouse, Victim Advocacy, Counseling and Children’s Programs, a 24/7 Safe Line, and Community Outreach and Education. Through these efforts, TESSA strives to realize our vision of a community free of personal violence for all.

Fundamentally, we do three things:

1. Provide immediate safety at our confidential Safehouse for women, children, and other victims escaping abuse.

2. Empower survivors through programs and support such as Advocacy and Counseling.

3. Create a safer future through Education and Outreach to schools, businesses, and other organizations.

Ways to Give

Direct to TESSA
https://www.tessacs.org/donate/

Give!
https://givepikespeak.org/nonprofit/tessa-of-colorado-springs/

Empty Stocking Fund
https://emptystockingfundco.org/donate/

However you choose to share the love, your donation to TESSA provides safety, support, and empowerment to those impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and stalking.

Volunteer with SMS

Are you interested in volunteering to help with a specific project within the sangha? Do you have a particular skill or enthusiasm for something that might be helpful? Would you like to help out, but not sure how? SMS truly values and depends on the many efforts given freely by the sangha to the sangha. This is dana and is so much appreciated. If you have questions or want to help, please contact Kelly McFarland S.Kelly.HLS@gmail.com.

About Dana

During these times when we cannot meet in person, you can donate to Springs Mountain Sangha through our PayPal account. You can get to the SMS PayPal link on the SMS web site at:

https://www.smszen.org/supportsms/

You can also mail donations to Springs Mountain Sangha, P.O. Box 2613, Colorado Springs, CO 80903.

We depend on the generosity of our members to support the work of our sangha.If you want to make a donation to Sarah Bender specifically, for example, dana for classes, group meetings or work on the phone (suggested donations for these are $10 per class, or $20 for a 20 min. individual meeting) you can do this by sending a check directly to her.

Sarah Bender
7528 Jenkin Place
Colorado Springs, CO 80919

Support for Cloud Dragon

See also Joan Sutherland’s Patreon site,
https://www.patreon.com/posts/do-you-trust-yr-31567633

This is another good way to support Joan’s work and receive fresh teachings from her.

SMS JANUARY NEWSLETTERWELCOME 2023!