Dear Friends,
Today is a tough day in Colorado Springs. We are grieving for neighbors and police officers who are dead, injured, or traumatized by a shooting at Planned Parenthood; and for the man who shot. In the midst of a time of thanksgiving, of gratitude for life, after a day of beautiful, gentle fall of fluffy snow, this looms huge in our hearts. There are no walls between us and the things that happen; infinite lines of connection make up this universe, make up us….and we ask, “How can I help?” and as we ask, the darkness can feel dark, indeed.
One thing we do as a community of practice, of spiritual friendship, is to ask together. And one way we do this is in encountering koans together.
Here’s the koan we’ll be taking up this Sunday, at the last meeting of our fall koan series.
The World Honored One Points to the Ground
CASE
As the World Honored One was walking with the congregation, he pointed to the ground with his finger and said, “This spot is good to build a sanctuary.”
Indra, Emperor of the gods, took a blade of grass, stuck it in the ground, and said, “The sanctuary is built.”
The World Honored One smiled.
For more info or with questions about koans and how we might meet them, feel free to contact sembender@gmail.com
It’s fine to come to any one of the koan sessions. Everyone is welcome. No special preparation is required.
Sunday, 3:00 PM, 7528 Jenkin Place