Ongoing Events
Zen Threads: We will not have a Zen Threads in January.
Dharma Talks: (note switching of dates!)
January 18 Andrew Palmer, Sensei
January 25 Sarah Bender, Sensei
Work in the Room: There is no WITR this month, Sarah Bender is on retreat.
Where: 417 Prairie Rd. CSC 80909 Parking on the side off St. Vrain and in front of house. For more information contact: Jacque Minehart jqmi
JANUARY
New Years Day Simple Sit
Friday, Jan. 1:
“Simple Sitting” at The Woman’s Club, 20 Mesa Road, 10:00 to 2:30.
No registration needed, and part-time participation is fine. Brown bag lunch, 12:00 to 12:30.
SMS Practice Period, 2016
Dear Springs Mountain Sangha,
Here’s to Winter!
Over the Fall months, a number of you have expressed a desire to deepen, to strengthen your Zen practice.
As we take our first steps into Winter, we are fortunate indeed to have a community strong enough to offer a practice period to start off the year, running from January 9 to April 17.
What’s a practice period? It’s a time that you can design for yourself, and that a community can design together. In a practice period, the community will offer a number of opportunities for you to engage deeply in practice—both individually, and collectively. And you might, for yourself, explicitly set out to protect time and energy for your Zen practice during this period. How much, and when, is such an individual matter! While our offerings will span a little over 3 months, of course you can determine the length of your own practice period.
Below is a listing of opportunities Springs Mountain Sangha will be offering. You’ll see, there are quite a lot! And remember, these are in addition to our regular schedule of meditations and community nights. As you mull this over, and consider what will deepen your practice and embed awakening more and more in your life, please be aware, also, that your practice—and your presence—are very significant gifts to your companions. You support the practice of the community, as it supports you. As a koan says, “Morning and evening, we entangle eyebrows and rub shoulders.”
We’ll be sending out a form that you might complete, as a reminder for yourself of the commitment to practice that you are making for this specific time. This is not necessarily about doing more. It might be about doing less, non-doing more!
Also:
Clear Eye, Open Heart:
Saturday, Jan. 9:
A Day of Meditation for a New Year with Sarah Bender, Sensei
All are welcome; to register, contact Liz Cramer, elizabeth.cramer51@gmail.com
suggested donation, $20
One Day Retreat with Andrew Palmer, Sensei
Contact Andrew, alpsensei@gmail.com
Zen Practice for your Actual Life:
An Introduction and Workshop with Sarah Bender, Sensei
Saturday, January 30:
Resident Teacher for Springs Mountain Sangha
9 AM to 3 PM (brown bag lunch)
20 Mesa Road, Colorado Springs (AKA The Woman’s Club)
Includes an introduction to Zen
Instruction and practice in seated and walking meditation,
Discussion of spiritual practice in this Buddhist tradition,
Time for exploration in community.
All are welcome. To register, please contact Liz Cramer, elizabeth.cramer51@gmail.com
(See Maja Sangha January Events underOpportunities for Engagement below)
LOOKING AHEAD
Retreat Friday evening and Saturday day
Simple Sit at The Woman’s Club
Saturday March 19
10:A.M.-2:30 P.M.
Integrative Retreat
April 15-17
(to close practice period)
This may incorporate a bare bones meditation retreat starting Weds eve, Apr. 13 for any who would like the longer stretch, e.g. those taking refuge.
MahaSangha Retreat
Our first ever Open Source MahaSangha
Retreat will be June 19-25, 2016.
The Open Source is the network of communities in the tradition of Joan Sutherland, Roshi and the Pacific Zen School.
Our setting is the lovely Catamount Center, near Colorado Springs. It’s a beautiful spot on the flanks of Pike’s Peak, with basic but pleasant lodging, tenting area, great vegetarian food, a Dharma Hall (and by then there will be a big yurt), a lake with a barrel sauna, a tipi, and lots and lots of space with trails. It’s a bit high, at 9,500 feet, but there will be little golf carts to help anyone who needs a boost getting around.
http://www.catamountcenter.
This week-long meditation retreat will be co-led by our four Open Source teachers: Sarah Bender, Tenney Nathanson, Andrew Palmer and Megan Rundel.
With a full week’s retreat, there will be plenty of time for silent meditation, community koan meditation, Dharma talks, individual and collective conversation, and hanging out on the sacred ground of this young, rocky mountain at the spine of our continent.
More information, including cost and registration, will follow. For now, we just hope you will be planning to attend and saving those dates in your calendar!
Opportunities for Engagement
“Letting Go and Opening to Presence”
New Year’s Retreat
December 30th to January 1st, with Ayya Dhammadhira
With Bhikkhuni Ayya Dhammadhira; a multi-session retreat for the new year. Follow this link for more details.
EARTHHOLDERS—CALL TO GATHER
After the David Loy workshop in December, a group of people from the various Colorado Springs Sanghas are getting together to bring practice and action together, to effect change in our community. If you are interested in deep practice and making environmental and social change, please attend a meeting of “Earthholders” on Saturday, January 16 at 9:30 am, 950 E. Cimmaron at the Quaker House. Follow this link for more details.
P.S. Please bring your own cup…tea, coffee, and hot water provided..
Awakening the Heart Mind & Body Class
8 Thursdays, 5:30-7:30pm, January 21st – March 10th with Saturday Daylong 9am-2pm, February 27th.
Suggested Donation for the 8 Meetings and Daylong: $105
TO REGISTER or For A Scholarship:recktenwaldkaren@gmail.com
For more information, select this link