Springs Mountain Sangha, March 2024
Dear Friends,
Fires notwithstanding, (or at least we hope not withstanding), it’s still Winter! Leaning, leaning towards Spring, yet relishing the occasional snow day, wanting to linger a little with the sense of things gestating in the dark, of tending that in us that is wanting a little more time.
And speaking of a little more time, we have a beautiful opportunity that comes shortly after the official start of Spring, the Spring equinox. Meditation retreat! A whole string of days in which to settle into silence and the communal forms that let us be alone together, allowing all that is business to diminish, to drop away so we can be intimate with that other world, which is this one——where soul can come forth into awareness, given time and no-time, stillness even in motion. It’s not such an easy thing to do, actually, and so one feels a resistance to it. But the beauty of it is, things happen….walking, we are most intimate with the earth under foot and the sky over head, the crocus that pokes up through leaf litter or snow. Sitting, we fall in love with the way the light travels across the room, the small sounds of an old building that has held meditations and prayers for many a year. Healing happens. We rediscover the partnership of self and soul that we might have thought we’d lost.
It takes some doing to clear time and gather resources for retreat. SMS has scholarship money to offer, so please don’t hesitate to ask. And please consider giving yourself this gift! Information is below.
Yours in the Dharma,
Sarah
March Series with Sarah Bender
A visit with our ancestor, Dongshan Liangjie
Saturdays, March 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30
10 AM to noon
The first 2 sessions will be online only; remaining sessions at Creek Bend and online.
Size of the group will be limited for this series; for more information, resources
or to register, contact Sarah at sembender@gmail.com
Suggested dana: $15 per session can be given directly to Sarah by check, paypal or dana bowl. Please don’t let finances stand in the way of attending.
March Gatherings
Monday, March 4; 6 PM, Zoom only:
Meditation and Dharma talk with Sarah Bender, Roshi
Monday, March 11; 6 PM, on Zoom & in person at Shove Chapel:
Meditation and Community Night, including vows and discussion
Thursday, March 14; 6:15 PM Steering Committee Meeting
Steering Committee meets monthly on zoom.
Everyone is welcome to attend the meetings.
Monday, March 18; 6 PM, on Zoom & in person at Shove Chapel:
Meditation, Spring Equinox Ceremony
Thursday, March 2; 7:30 PM, on Zoom:
Movie Night – movie selection to be announced soon
Monday, March 25; 6 PM, on Zoom & in person at Shove Chapel:
Meditation and Dharma Talk with Sarah Bender, Roshi
Sutra Sing in late March – watch for more details in upcoming weekly newsletters!
Looking Ahead
A Springs Mountain Sangha Retreat
April 8-14
At The Abbey, Canyon City
With Sarah Bender, Roshi
Registration is now open for our April Retreat: https://forms.gle/TyzMKFb2d7LcjruDA
and the coordination team is forming. This is a wonderful way to start to greet the retreat as it moves towards us. It is also what makes retreats possible. If you would like to help coordinate, please contact Kelly McFarland at s.kelly.HLS@gmail.com
Summer Book Study
With Geri Johnson
This summer, we will be offering a summer book study with Geri Johnson. We will center discussions around Susan Murphy’s book, A Fire Runs Through All Things. Keep an eye out for details of the specific dates and times, but you might want to purchase a copy of the book and start reading.
Others
June 21-23
Integrative retreat
with Sarah Bender, Roshi
September 30-October 5
An Open Source Retreat
at Bodhi Manda Zen Center
in Jemez Springs, NM
with Megan Rundel, Sarah Bender, and Tenney Nathanson
Ongoing Meditation Schedule
All Available via Zoom
Monday Evenings 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
The Many Arms of Guanyin
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
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:
Support SMS
“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