Special thanks to Mary Montoya for sharing this photo from a Springs Mountain Sangha Retreat in 1998 at Benet Pines Monastery,now called Benet Hill Monastery
We return to this wonderful refuge in the Black Forest for our retreat starting on Monday, April 7.
Snow and Bodhidharma could appear once again, you never know!
Springs Mountain Sangha, April 2025
April Offerings
Monday, April 7; 6 PM, on Zoom, Meditation, Sutra Service, and conversation with Shane Nelson
please note that this meeting will be zoom only
Monday, April 7-14, SMS Spring Retreat at Benet Hill Monastery
Monday, April 14; 6 PM, on Zoom & in person at Shove Chapel, Meditation and Dharma Talk with Sarah Bender, Roshi, conversation
Monday, April 21; 6 PM, on Zoom & in person at Shove Chapel Community Night: Meditation, Precepts and Conversation
Monday, April 28; 6 PM, on Zoom & in person at Shove Chapel,
Simple Sit—- poems and short readings are welcome!
Candlelight Meditation
Every Sunday from 8 to 8:30 PM, you are invited to join candlelight meditation online. Simple and lovely.
Spring Retreat
April 7-13, 2025, Benet Hill Monastery, Black Forest, CO
While Registration is closed, all are welcome to join the evening talks starting Tuesday through Saturday. If you would like join these talks, please arrive by 6:15 so you can find a seat and get settled.
The Great Matter of Livingdying
a series of conversations with Sarah Bender
continues Thursday, April 24, May 15 and 29, 6:30-8 PM MT
Zoom Zendo
suggested dana $10-$15 per session, offered directly to Sarah
If you’d like to join the series and haven’t let Sarah know already please do so, to be added to the email list.
http://sembender@gmail.com
Announcing the dates for our
Open Source Fall long retreat!
October 13-18th at Bodhi Manda Zen Center
Jemez Springs, New Mexico.
The Open Source is excited to return to Bodhi Manda Zen Center, in the gorgeous Jemez River Valley.
Center staff have been able to make some significant repairs and improvements, and work on the privacy wall is progressing well.
They’ve issued a warm invitation to us to return, and it is such a treat to retreat in this wonderful place, dedicated to awakening.
Upcoming Retreats
Save the dates – more information coming
Spring Retreat
April 7-13, 2025, Benet Hill Monastery, Black Forest, COIntegrative Retreat
June 20-22
Ullambana Retreat
September 7
Bodhi Day Retreat
December 7 hybrid
Ongoing Meditation Schedule
All available via Zoom; Monday Eves available in person as well
Weekly Meditations (all times MDT) on Zoom:
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday are 6:30 to 7:30 AM. We sit for two periods and people come and go as they need to, and leave camera off. (Often a poem or koan will drop in at some point.)
- Saturday we sit from 6:30 to 8:00 AM, then someone speaks for a bit about their practice to kick off a deep and lively discussion (til roughly 8:30) These Zen Threads talks are now alternating every other week with “mini-threads” group discussions of practice with multiple paths emerging and joining seamlessly. You can join the meditation at 6:30, 7:00, 7:30 or 8:00.
- Sunday 8:00-8:30 PM Candlelight Meditation
Many Arms of Guanyin
Some of us recently attended a wonderful event with Pike’s Peak Habitat’s Interfaith Build for Unity: Dedication of the fourth IBU house, complete with Mariachi band and ribbon cutting, and Groundbreaking for the 5th house.
The joy of doing something real and close in, witnessing the creation of a neighborhood with so many hands together, was deeply encouraging. SMS members will be participating in the building this June.
Volunteer with SMS
Save the date: June 14, an interfaith Habitat Build
We’re forming a team for this!
If you know you’re in, or for more info, please contact Brandy Lancaster
bdl0824@gmail.com
Support for Springs Mountain Sangha
You can donate to Springs Mountain Sangha in person at Shove Chapel using the dana bowl at the entrance to the dharma hall. You can also donate through our PayPal account. You can get to the SMS PayPal link on the SMS web site at:
http://www.smszen.org/supportsms/
or by selecting the donate icon:
Or you can mail a check 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
or by Paypal to sembender@gmail.com
Support for Cloud Dragon
The easiest way is to make a donation at the website, here:
https://joansutherlanddharmaworks.org/cgi-bin/dharma/page.cgi?g=Support%2FDonate%2Findex.html;d=1