Dear Friends,
Our Sitting Alone, Together retreat concluded just Sunday afternoon (the anniversary of our Refuge Retreat of last year!), and for me, it continued into packing, pulling the little blue kayak up into the house, washed and ready for next year….closing my two little lodgings in Nova Scotia and hitting the road on Monday morning. Last night found me in Maine, just across the St. Croix River from Canada, watching the lights of St. Stephens reflected in the water. And today, driving through Maine, into rain and wind, brief New Hampshire and on into Boston. It was a sort of rainy tunnely meditative space on the road, with glorious huge trees in their Autumn best making the walls of the temple. On my way, as you all are on your ways….on our Way together. The sort of retreat we did seems to truly lend itself to continuation. Where does meditation begin or end? It certainly continues in dreamtime, and crops up in unexpected times and places.
And here’s the world, the news on the television, and the news of friends, of loved ones ill or gone, suffering and beauty. It is indeed the time of thin veils between worlds, and this month holds our Ceremony for the Beloved Dead, as well as gatherings, returns from voyages, renewal of commitments and connections.
May you find the vows of your own true heart-mind bring forth the power of the Way through you, and bring you joy.
Yours in the Dharma,
Sarah
For our ongoing schedule please see our website at smszen.org
We have moved many of our gatherings to the zoom zendo for now, but….stay tuned! We are hoping to have several in person opportunities in November. This will include the All-sangha meeting, see below.
We will continue to use the SMS Zoom link from month to month. If there is a need to change it, we will send out an email.
October
Wednesday, October 27, 7-8:30 PM, Zoom: Open Source Koan Ancestors Series with Megan Rundel, Sensei
Some words from Megan:
This week I’ll be taking up some koans and stories about women practitioners in China who were not teachers or nuns, but rather laypeople like us. Some are the infamous tea ladies, and others are ordinary women who were devoted to the Way. I’m wondering if there is something distinctive about women’s Zen practice and realization that has been obscured and that we might fruitfully take up. In particular I’d like sit with koans about embodiment, desire, eros, and healing. Please join us for this opportunity to practice and share together.
Megan
November
Monday, November 1, 6:10 PM, Zoom: Ceremony for the Beloved Dead
Tuesday, November 2, 6:15 PM, Zoom: Steering Committee Meeting
Wednesday, November 3, 7-8:30 PM, Zoom: Open Source Koan Ancestors Series
Sunday November 7, 4 PM, Hybrid In person/Zoom All Sangha Meeting
Monday, November 8, 6:10 PM, Zoom: Community Night: Meditation and Conversation
Wednesday, November 10, 7-8:30 PM, Zoom: Open Source Koan Ancestors Series
Monday, November 15, 6:10 PM, Zoom: Dharma Talk, Sarah Bender, Roshi
Wednesday, November 17, 7-8:30 PM, Zoom: Open Source Koan Ancestors Series
Monday, November 22, 6:10 PM, Zoom: Koan exploration, Sarah Bender, Roshi
Wednesday, November 24, 7-8:30 PM, Zoom: Open Source Koan Ancestors Series
Ongoing Meditation Schedule
Sundays: Candlelight Meditation 8 to 8:30 PM
Mondays: Meditation and evening starting at 6:10 PM
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
2021 Calendar
Our 2021 calendar can be found here. Save the dates for our Fall Open Source Retreat, October 19-24 . Details and registration info coming soon.
Sitting Alone, Together Retreat
Some words from Jan Meserve
I am touched by the flow of “Sitting Alone, Together” A loosely linked schedule with 2 and 3 hours of meditation without specific guide to time of walking or reading or singing sutra book completely. But in morning time we came together in meditation and conversation; afternoon time in reading sutras as each person wished to speak and WITR with Sarah; evening time for meditation and koan discussion. At random times, someone would offer a bit of retreat form which they wanted to add. Jen read the “Welcome” poem from the retreat manual during the first evening. Frank led morning and Jen afternoon tea. Jan rang the densho before one period of meditation. and several people rang bells at times when it felt right. It was an easy atmosphere where something could be added, organized on-screen and included immediately.
During the speaking times, conversation was easy with respectful silences between speakers.
A wonder-filled retreat – formed in spacious, spontaneous heart-time by contributions from everyone.
I say THANK YOU again.
Jan
Koan Ancestor Series
Wednesdays 7 PM Mountain Time
With Open Source Teachers
Andrew Palmer, Megan Rundel,
Sarah Bender and Tenney Nathanson
This will be a series of presentations and koan explorations, running through December 8, where we will focus on the lives and teachings of a number of our ancestors in Ch’an and Zen, spending more than one session on each so that we can really get a taste. All are welcome.
To make a donation, please go to https://www.desertrainzen.org/residential-retreats.html . You’ll see a way to donate for this series. Donations will go to all four teachers.
Please note – for this series we are using a different Zoom link. That link is below:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84468205285?pwd=TnM4VC84YUdxWHdyNTFSb3ZhNk9Vdz09
Meeting ID: 844 6820 5285
Passcode: 540935
Dial by Phone: 669 900 6833
Meeting ID: 844 6820 5285 Passcode: 540935
SMS Hiking Group
SMS is forming a hiking group! We will create an email distribution list, whose members will receive and create occasional invitations to join the group on hikes around the area. We plan to have outings available for all levels of comfort and experience. If you would like to be added to this group, or have questions, please email Brandy Lancaster at bdl0824@gmail.com.
Ceremony for the Beloved Dead
Monday, November 1, 6 PM
We will be offering a ceremony for the beloved dead on Monday, November 1 at 6 PM during our traditional Monday evening time. This ceremony, created by Joan Sutherland, is similar to a Dia de los Muertos or All Souls Day though includes elements of a Mahayana Forty-nine Day Ceremony. We will have an opportunity to light a candle and remember those who have passed. More details will come out in a separate email, so stay tuned.
Steering Committee Meeting
Tuesday, November 2, 6:15 pm
All are welcome to join us at our monthly steering committee meeting if you would like to share thoughts with the steering committee or take a more active role in the business side of the sangha. No commitment is required, feel free to drop in. We typically meet the first Tuesday of the month, but at times this changes due to steering committee members’ schedules. Please email Kelly McFarland, s.kelly.HLS@gmail.com, if you plan to attend; she will let you know if there have been changes to the dates of the meeting.
Save the Date – All Sangha Meeting
Sunday, November 7th, 4 PM hybrid zoom/in person
Please save the date for our All Sangha Meeting scheduled for November 7th at 4 PM. We will gather both in person and on zoom for this meeting. While the steering committee loves to hear feedback on how things are working and what needs attention throughout the year, this opportunity is set aside for you to share your musing on what the sangha might want to do in the coming year. This is also when we approve our annual budget and elect the steering committee. Please ponder whether or not joining the steering committee might be something in which you are interested.
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
Newcomer’s Orientation
We occasionally hold newcomer orientations. This is a brief introduction to our meditation sessions and forms, and a chance to ask questions and begin to get to know us. Please contact Kelly McFarland at s.kelly.HLS@gmail.com if you are interested in this orientation.
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
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/ or by selecting the donate icon:
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