Image by John Harder
A note from Sarah Bender:
Dear Springs Mountain Sangha and friends,
The air here in Colorado Springs is carrying intimations of Autumn; sleeping with windows wide open is a luxury to be savored. The huge sunflowers, audacious and generous beings that they are, laugh out back and are nodding their heads already, and they and the Zinnia and Cosmos in their understory are full, full of small birds, tiny hummingbirds and bees all day long, drinking and gathering. The very first yellow leaves speckle the big cottonwoods down by the creek at Creek Bend, and a family of beavers is at work making a new dam. Next door, deer are feasting on fallen apples, the bucks sporting fuzzy racks. Meanwhile, humans are meeting huge changes, both obvious and more subtle, both nearby and far. Many are recognizing that what we thought to be true, assumed to be true, or wished was true is not, was not. Change is not only what makes life possible, it is also, wrenchingly, what makes life precarious, challenging, heart-breaking. Sometimes impossible.
For as long as we have been alive, we have been meeting change, moment by moment. This is not something foreign to us. And yet, we wonder how we will ever meet these changes with open hearts and minds, with courageous spirit and with generosity of action. Many of us feel battered, tired, oppressed and confused. Despair seems to lurk nearby, and sometimes closer.
Fortunately, we have more tools than we might think. We have more confidence than meets the eye—the confidence that has kept us getting up after each fall, over and over. We could call that faith. We have great doubt—-the questioning mind that we have developed all our lives, day and night, wondering and not just accepting all of our own opinions (or others’) and beliefs. And we have perseverance. The dogged allegiance to life and love that comes with the territory of being human.
And fortunately, we have teachings and practices that will help us deepen, expand and explore all three of these, going forward. And we have each other, in community.
Please do take advantage of the offerings listed below. Please do stay connected with and in this community, because this can be a source of power in your life and a gift to the lives of others.
Transformation is the name of this, and we can, as I Ching often advises, “Cooperate with the ongoing process of change.” It’s alive!
Yours in the Dharma,
Sarah
For our ongoing schedule please see our website at smszen.org
We have gone to a single Zoom link for the whole month.
Please watch for a new September zoom link,
to be sent by email in the next few days.
August
Monday, August 31, 6:10 PM: Koan/Poem Dharma Talk and Conversation with Tenney Nathanson, Sensei
September
Thursdays, September 3, 10, 17, 24: 6:30 PM Precepts Practice Group,
with Sarah Bender, Roshi
Monday, September 7: 6:10 PM Sutra Service
Friday, September 11: 6-8 PM Creek Bend Meditation Night, Zoom avail.
Saturdays, September 12, 26: 4 PM Book Study, The Inner Work of Racial Justice, Geri Johnson
Monday, September 14: 6:10 PM Community Night
Tuesday, September 15: No Ecodharma group
Friday, September 18: 7:30 PM Movie Night, Cherry Blossoms
Monday, September 21: 6:10 PM, Dharma Talk
Monday, September 28: 6:10 PM Dharma Talk, Andrew Palmer, Sensei
Ongoing Meditation Schedule
Mondays: Discussion group starting at 5 PM
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
Upcoming Events
Save the Date – October Retreat
Thursday, October 15 through Sunday, October 18
Refuge Ceremony will be held on Saturday, October 17
More details to follow in future emails
Save the Date – Fall Koan Series
With Sarah Bender, Roshi
Saturdays, October 10, 24, 31, 4-6 PM
Everyone is welcome
No previous experience required
Tenney Nathanson, Sensei
Dharma Talk and Conversation
Monday, August 31, 6:10 PM
We are pleased to welcome our guest teacher, Tenney Nathanson, Sensei to give a dharma talk and lead a conversation. Tenney is the resident teacher for Desert Rain Sangha in Tuscon, Arizona, which is part of our Open Source Zen Community.
We’ll pair a koan with a poem and explore how they might illuminate each other. The pairing is designed to help open up the koan by considering it in the light of our experience of the poem. Let’s see what happens!
Creek Bend Zendo Meditation Night
Friday, September 11 6-8 PM
You are invited to join in meditation outdoors at Creek Bend Zendo, weather permitting. Zoom will also be available for those no able to be physically present at Creek Bend.
Summer Book Study
Saturdays Sept 12, 26; 4-6 PM
Contact Geri Johnson gejohnson411@gmail.com
Our Summer book study group continues to meet discussing The Inner Work of Racial Justice: Healing Ourselves and Transforming Our Communities Through Mindfulness by Rhonda V. Magee. Discussions include Magee’s concept of ColorInsight which brings in mindfulness and compassion practices while considering our own Race Story and the experiences of others. Ecodharma Group
There will be no meeting of the Ecodharma Group in September
Contact Debbie Stavish gardenmail@msn.com
Movie Night – Cherry Blossoms
Friday, September 18, 7:30 PM
Directed by
Doris Dorrie (2008)
This film won the 2008 German Film Award for Feature Film, Leading Actor and Costume Design.
Trudy (Hannelore Elsner) and Rudi (Elmar Wepper) have been married for many years and live in a small Bavarian town. He works as a civil servant in the Dept. of Waste Management and is very attached to the regular routines of his life which he follows diligently. She is a dreamer interested in the arts and adventure. She had wanted to become a Butoh dancer and move to Japan. Despite their differences, they have forged a strong marriage and live alone now that their three children are grown.
When Trudy learns that Rudi only has a short time to live, she convinces him to take a trip to Berlin to see two of their children. He reluctantly agrees. In Berlin the story takes a shocking and unexpected turn, which results in Rudi traveling to Japan at the precise moment when the cherry trees are blossoming. There, he embarks on unique and remarkable course of profound spiritual awakening.
All Sangha Meeting in November
In October after community night we will begin discussions in preparation for our November All Sangha meeting. The budget will be presented, so please make arrangements to join us in zoom if you can.
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.
Recordings of Talks
Did you know that you can listen to previously recorded talks online? Sarah Bender, Roshi’s talks are available here. This link also includes talks she has given through Pacific Zen Institute. Andrew Palmer, Sensei’s talks are available here.
News Letter 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
Wellness Committee
Our sangha’s wellness committee is headed by Linda Hodges, who updates the committee regularly on needs of particular members so that we can reach out to each other when needed!
If you could use a boost of any sort, or if you’d like to be available to respond when the need arises, please contact Linda at hikerhodges@gmail.com.
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 sanga. 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:
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.