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Springs Mountain Sangha
week of October 4th, 2026
SMS Meditation and Class Zoom Meeting Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83419146660?pwd=UGJ6SkhYMjlIZHBQdytLT2x4Nk4zZz09
This Week:
Sunday Candlelight Meditation, October 4th,
at 8PM MT
Monday Meditation, October 5th,
at 6PM MT
Meditation, Sutra Service and Conversation
In Person at Shove Chapel and Zoom Zendo
Upcoming:
Save the Dates for Upcoming November Koan Series
Sundays, November 1, 8, 22 and 29 from 3-4:30 PM
In person at Creek Bend and online
New Cloud Gate Zen Newsletter and Email List
Our Cloud Gate Zen mahasangha (formerly Open Source) is launching a new newsletter. If you’d like to receive these monthly mailings, as well as occasional emails that go out to the Cloud Gate community, you can do so by clicking on this link to sign up for Cloud Gate’s new Mailchimp:
http://eepurl.com/lcrPZaJQiM
2026 Retreats:
Mark your calendar and save the date for these retreats coming up in 2026 – more information will be available as the dates get closer.
October 17-23 Open Source/Cloud Gate retreat in Tucson
In early Autumn, our Cloud Gate community offers a retreat at the Redemptorist Renewal Center in Tucson (a.k.a. Picture Rocks). Saturday evening to Friday afternoon—one day longer than our recent retreats. Sarah Bender, Tenney Nathanson and Megan Rundel will teach. Accommodations at the center are comfortable and the setting, in the Sonoran Desert, is magical. Come and let the retreat, the community, the place and the teachers hold you while you take a good stretch of time to release your heart-mind into a sustained experience of meditation and koan practice.
Please note: The registration for the Cloud Gate Zen Autumn Retreat is now closed
December 6, 2026 Bodhi Day retreat
If you are interested in helping to coordinate a retreat, please let Kelly McFarland know via email at s.kelly.HLS@gmail.com Coordinating a retreat is a great way to support the sangha. All who have an interest are welcome regardless of how long you have been practicing with SMS. One of the challenges that comes with offering this many retreats is that we can't hold a retreat without a coordinator so we really appreciate people offering to step up and help coordinate.
Coming up this week quick view:
Sunday evening, October 4th, 8 to 8:30 PM
Candlelight Meditation online
simple, quiet, and refreshing
Zoom Zendo
Monday, October 5th, 6 PM
Meditation, Sutra Service and Conversation
In person and Zoom Zendo
Tuesday, October 6th, 6 PM
SMS Steering Committee Meeting
All are welcome!
Sunday evening, October 11th, 8 to 8:30 PM
Candlelight Meditation online
simple, quiet, and refreshing
Zoom Zendo
Also, Ongoing:
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
Individual Meetings with Sarah Bender, Rōshi
Sarah Bender offers individual meetings with students.
It is okay to ask for a meeting whether you've worked individually with a Zen teacher before, or not.
Contact info:
sembender@gmail.com
(this work is supported by donations, called dana; see below for more info)
Many Arms of Guanyin:
Please share with us ways we can support our wider community in practice and service, to be included here.
Follow our community on Facebook 
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
Welcome Packet Available online:
https://www.smszen.org/newcomers/
If you missed our latest newsletter, let us know and we can forward it to you.
Springs Mountain Sangha Zoom Link:
Computer: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83419146660?pwd=UGJ6SkhYMjlIZHBQdytLT2x4Nk4zZz09
Mobile Phone App: Meeting ID: 834 1914 6660
Password: 387139
Telephone: (669) 900-9128 Then enter the Meeting ID: 834 1914 6660
Password: 387139
One tap mobile
+12532158782,,83419146660#,,,,,,0#,,387139# US (Tacoma)
+13462487799,,83419146660#,,,,,,0#,,387139# US (Houston)
This is a toll (you pay) call. You can see if there is a local number with this link:
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdZ4Z85FCX
For those on the phone, you can mute or un-mute yourself by pressing *6
All times listed are Mountain Time
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About Dana
You can donate to Springs Mountain Sangha through our PayPal account. You can  get to the SMS PayPal link on the SMS website 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 80901
*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
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