Photograph and Watercolor by Susan Rogers’ sister-in-law, Leslie H. Carson
Dear Friends,
The word that comes first this month is breathe. It arises as I look at the two images above, each beautiful in its own way. The photo, on the left, has a closeness, an intimacy of non-arrangement, a comfort with disorder. The found moment, in no need of improvement. And in the watercolor painting, I feel I have room to breathe, room to breathe by way of the artist’s keen attention, a sort of tenderness towards her subject that creates space for the imagination.
And this reminds me that our meditation, too, is an art, from the very beginning–the art of allowing one’s attention to be released from the exigencies of our time, our business; and instead to linger on each tiny detail of the actual moment of our lives, with a subtle and deep enjoyment of simply being here to live it—-even when the content is tough, even hard to bear, and maybe makes no sense. Our meditation incorporates both kinds of art: the appreciation of the moment unarranged, and the experience of the imagination breathing its way into the same moment.
Breath and breathing are very present, also, as needed refuge. It’s helpful, in the sometimes more constricted spaces of winter, to remember practices of breathing, the simplest of which is just to find yourself returning to breath, releasing tensions, allowing breath to extend both all the way inward and all the way outward. Home.
Here’s also a link to some more formal breathing practices., for continued exploration.
https://uhs.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/breathing_exercises_0.pdf
This month again includes many opportunities to explore together. Come join us!
Yours in the Dharma,
Sarah
We have moved many of our gatherings to the zoom zendo for now, but….stay tuned! We are hoping to have some in person opportunities soon.
January
Saturday, January 29, 10-noon, Zoom: Winter Study Series, Sarah Bender, Roshi
Monday, January 31, 6 PM, Zoom: Wayfaring Mind Talk, Shane Nelson
February
Tuesday, February 1, 6:15-8:15 PM, Zoom: Steering Committee Meeting
Wednesday, February 2, 7-8:30 PM, Zoom: Open Source Koan Series
Saturday, February 5, 10-noon, Zoom: Winter Study Series, Sarah Bender, Roshi
Monday, February 7, 6 PM, Zoom: Meditation and Sutra Service
Wednesday, February 9, 7-8:30 PM, Zoom: Open Source Koan Series
Thursday, February 10, 7 PM, Zoom: Foundations of Zen Practice, Sarah Bender, Roshi and Kelly McFarland
Saturday, February 12,10-noon, Zoom: Winter Study Series, Sarah Bender, Roshi
Monday, February 14, 6 PM, Zoom: Community Night: Meditation and Conversation
Wednesday, February 16, 7-8:30 PM, Zoom: Open Source Koan Series
Thursday, February 17, 7 PM, Zoom: Foundations of Zen Practice, Sarah Bender, Roshi and Kelly McFarland
Monday, February 21, 6 PM, Zoom: Meditation and Dharma Talk, Sarah Bender, Roshi
Wednesday, February 23, 7-8:30 PM, Zoom: Open Source Koan Series
Thursday, February 24, 7 PM, Zoom: Foundations of Zen Practice, Sarah Bender, Roshi and Kelly McFarland
Monday, February 28, 6 PM, Zoom: Koan exploration, Sarah Bender, Roshi
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
Upcoming Events
2022 Springs Mountain Sangha Calendar
Here’s your opportunity to look at our 2022 calendar! Please take note of retreat dates and mark them in your calendar.
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.
Open Source Koan Series
One Wild Word, Many Enlightening Encounters
Wednesdays 7 PM Mountain Time starting January 19
With Open Source Teachers
Andrew Palmer, Megan Rundel,
Sarah Bender and Tenney Nathanson
Koans are gateways to awakening, words for wordless transmission of the Way.
So how does that work? We’ll explore the different ways koans can come to meet us, and we can come to meet them.
This Series will continue through May 11.
Foundations of Zen Practice
A place to begin or a place to revisit beginning
with Sarah Bender, Roshi and Kelly McFarland
Thursdays, February 10, 17, 24 and March 3, 7 PM Mountain Time
Sarah Bender and Kelly McFarland will be offering a series of four Foundations of Zen Practice sessions starting in February. This is an opportunity to experience our Zen Tradition and ask questions in a relaxed atmosphere. All are welcome to join us for these gatherings.
Save the Date for Two Upcoming Springs Mountain Sangha Retreats
Springs Mountain Sangha is offering a meditation retreat from March 24 – 27th. This retreat will begin our practice period, a time where we can relax into our practice letting it fully support us. Practice period will close with an integrative retreat on May 13 – 15th. Mark these dates in your calendar and plan to join us. More details coming soon.
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.
Newsletter Additions
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
Many Arms of Guanyin
The Open Source Ecodharma Group is re-starting!
We will meet Tuesday, February 8th.
- Meet second and fourth Tuesday of each month
- Zoom room opens at 5:20 p.m. Mountain, begin in earnest at 5:30 Mountain, and end by 6:20 Mountain
- Simple, flexible structure:
- ~10 minutes – I will lead a guided meditation to ground us in practice
- ~30 minutes – We all take action together
- I will make sure we have at least one thing to work on or a couple of ideas
- You can bring something you’re interested in
- You can research something you’re interested in
- We can use break-out rooms as desired
- ~10 minutes – We say whatever we’d like to say to be complete
- Attend as many or as few meetings as you would like. Come when you can; come as you are!
If you have thoughts about this or anything else related to Ecodharma, let me know.
Here we go!
Jen
Jennifer Sellers
520-229-8585 (home) | 520-977-3983 (cell)
Refugee and Asylee Volunteer Program through Lutheran Family Services, Rocky Mountains
As we, in our collective and individual ways, enter a new year (which feels like an ongoing infolding and unfolding, from solstice on through the new calendar year), we may also be feeling keenly the suffering of others in our world right now….and once again and always, wondering how to help. What are the eyes of my hands seeing right now? What sounds of the world are catching my ear?
In our newsletter, we like to highlight opportunities that our members find. Here’s one. Lutheran Family Services in the Springs has developed a sophisticated program for supporting and assisting refugees. Right now, especially refugees from Afghanistan. There are many needs and many levels of engagement. Here’s where to get started finding a place for you to enter, if you are called to do so.
Anyone like to put together an SMS team for this? Or just maybe find a buddy with whom to navigate the process of getting engaged?
https://smszen.us4.list-manage.com/track/clicku=bbc7215f79587650dd5f75ed6&id=a8c0daa87d&e=8441108089
To donate, click here: https://www.lfsrm.org/give/donate/
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
An easy way to support Cloud Dragon, the Joan Sutherland Dharma WorksAmazon shoppers, sign in at smile.amazon.com and choose Cloud Dragon Dharma Works as the charity you would like 0.5% of your purchases to go to. It costs you nothing extra. We’re grateful for your generosity.
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.