Earlier this month our Zen teacher Sarah Bender, Sensei met with her teacher Joan Sutherland, Roshi and received transmission: an ancient and honored way of investing individuals with the highest teaching authority. Sarah herself is now a Roshi. Bestowing this title is a way of recognizing her ability to embody the Way and her dedication to carrying forward this Zen koan tradition. It puts her in the line of teachers extending back to the founder, Sakyamuni Buddha, and invests her with the responsibility to create a unique manifestation of the Way to meet our time.
What this new role will mean for our sangha remains to be seen. Last Monday night in her talk to the community, Sarah said she would continue to teach and lead retreats but wanted to devote more time to writing. It is a privilege for the sangha to have a resident Roshi, and we will want to support her in any way we can.
You can find Sarah’s talk on our website by going to smszen.org. Go to the tab for “Resources” and in the drop-down list, click on “Dharma Audio”, and select the talk for June 19. That will get you there. And you can find the notice of this event from Cloud Dragon: The Joan Sutherland Dharma Works here: Happy_News!
Ongoing Events
Newcomer Orientation: 2nd Monday of the month, CC Shove Chapel, Dharma Hall upstairs at 5:45 pm to meet anyone who would like some orientation to meditation, to our tradition, or to our sangha and customs.
5:15 Dharma Study and Discussion before Monday’s meditation, with Sarah Bender Roshi: Shove Chapel Downstairs, from the north entrance. These discussions focus on supporting an ongoing practice in all of its aspects. Anyone is welcome to join in.
Note! While Sarah is away late July through August and into September, Clay Taylor and Frank Actis will lead the discussions.
Buddhism and the 12 Steps For more information contact:
Jacque Minehart jqminehart@yahoo.com
Steering Committee Meeting: time and place to be determined
July
July 10 Community Night: We will be refreshing our community night. Watch for specifics to come via email.
Dharma Talks:
July 17 Sarah Bender, Roshi
July 24 Andrew Palmer, Sensei
July 15 Saturday Work in the Room: 6:30 to 8:30 AM with Sarah Bender, Roshi. To schedule an appointment please contact Sarah Bender sembender@gmail.com
July 16: SMS/WMS Summer Gathering Pot Luck
SMS would like to invite everyone to a mid summer gathering with our sister sangha Wet Mountain Sangha
and
There will likely be a bit of celebration for our new Roshi!
Time: 4:00 – 7:00
Place: 7528 Jenkin Place COS 80919
Family and Friends Welcome
Further information will be forthcoming.
RSVP: hikerhodges@gmail.com
July 29-30 Camping Retreat: Contact Jeff Wagner at jjusafa23@gmail.com
Looking Ahead
(mark your calendar!)
August
August 20th: SMS Retreat/Hike, Catamount
This will be a moderate level hike 3-4 hours total with everyone bringing a bag lunch. We will bring in a koan, we will sit; and, we will do a period of silent walking.
Contact: elizabeth.cramer51@gmail.com
September
Fall Koan Series
with Sarah Bender, Roshi
at Creek Bend Zendo, 7528 Jenkin Place
September 24, October 1,8, 19, November 19, Dec 3
October
Introduction to Zen Classes
with Sarah Bender and other sangha members
Thursday Evenings October 5,12,19, and November 2
7 PM in Shove Chapel
Fall Retreat
October 23 – October 29
The Abbey, Canon City
save the date!
contact: Steve Milligan steve_milligan08@comcast.net
Indra’s Net
This is a place for thoughts/poems coming from our sangha members. This below is from Donella’s Wayfaring Mind talk given last month.
“Don’t ask what the world needs.
Ask what makes you come alive and go do it.
Because the world needs more people who have come alive”
Howard Thurman
“Walking, I am listening to a deeper way.
Suddenly all my ancestors are behind me-
Be still they say. Watch and listen.
You are the result of the love of thousands.”
Linda Hogan b. 1947, Native American Writer
And then Donella added– “the tenacity, the resilience, and the good fortune of thousands…
And when one starts to investigate one’s family tree it can be in the thousands of beings…certainly many hundreds…”
Opportunities for Engagement and Interest
(In the wider community,not sponsored by SMS)
You are welcome to submit requests for posting here to elizabeth.cramer51@gmail.com