Dear Sangha and Friends,
Here we are, at the end of our two month practice period, which seems such an odd transition, given that many of us have laid down during this time patterns of practice that we’ve found supporting us strongly, and hope to continue. And then, we’ve also noticed the ways that life and our time have buffeted us, us individually and also us locally, us in the world, us all the beings on this so strong and yet so vulnerable planet. With news of devastating, utterly devastating losses of life in India, we ache again, love again, dedicate ourselves again. May we, day by day rejoicing in the actual facts, the details of being alive, also at this time day by day dedicate ourselves to bringing all that we have learned and all that we are. We dedicate ourselves to the small, moment by moment and the larger movements of our hearts, minds, bodies, our very lives, to the well being of this one body that we essentially are.
Yours in the Dharma,
Sarah
Please see below, under “Many Arms of Guanyin”, a letter from Zen teacher and climate scientist Kritee (Kanko) suggesting how we can help at least a little to relieve some suffering in India.
April
Friday, April 30 – Sunday May 2, Springs Mountain Sangha Integrative Retreat
May
Monday, May 3, 6:10 PM: Meditation and Sutra Service, closing practice period
Tuesday, May 4, 6:15 PM: Steering Committee Meeting, all welcome
Monday, May 10, 6:10 PM: Community Night: Meditation and PreceptsThursday, May 13, 7 PM: Movie Night, Akira Kurosawa’s “Dreams”
Monday, May 17, 6:10 PM: Meditation and Dharma Talk, Sarah Bender, Roshi
Friday, May 21, 6-7 PM: Outdoor sit at Creek Bend Zendo
Monday, May 24, 6:10 PM: Meditation and Koan Exploration, Sarah Bender, Roshi
Monday, May 31, 6:10 PM: Meditation and Wayfaring Mind Talk
Ongoing Meditation Schedule
Sundays: Candlelight Meditation 8 to 8:30 PM
Mondays: Meditation and evening starting at 6:10 PM
Wednesdays: Morning meditation 6:30-7:30 AM
Saturdays: Morning Meditation 6:30-8:00 AM, discussion 8-8:30 AM
Most Saturday mornings, a sangha member will kick off a discussion with a brief talk, pertaining to their own experience of practice right now. These conversations are rich and real!
Practice Period Early Morning Meditations will continue
A simple, early morning sit is offered on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays
6:30-7:30 AM. There will be no morning sits on Sundays.
Upcoming Events
2021 Calendar
The Springs Mountain Sangha Steering Committee has generated our 2021 calendar which can be found here. There are a lot of exciting things planned for this year! Mark your calendars for the retreats. We are hoping to be able to gather in person for our Fall Open Source Retreat, October 18-24 and are planning more in person physically distanced things as the warmer weather arrives.
Joan Sutherlands’s Website
Have you visited our Founding teacher, Joan Sutherland, Roshi’s website? The Dharma Works is the place to access Joan Sutherland, Roshi’s published writings, videos, and the audio archive of her talks, as well as a growing body of transcripts of those talks. You can find our Sutra Book, reading list, and descriptions of our ceremonies. It is truly a gift to us, awaiting our exploration. Take a look at https://joansutherlanddharmaworks.org/index.html
New Book from Joan Sutherland, Roshi!
Joan Sutherland, Roshi has been working a book that will be published by Shambhala next year. The nucleus of the manuscript is Acequias & Gates, published in 2013. As she reread it, it became clear that the world had changed a lot in the years since and the book needed to, too. So the manuscript is mostly new content, including commentaries on some key koans that are interspersed among the assays. In the end, the book has about doubled in size, with every section rewritten and many new ones added. Become a Subscriber and receive all the recordings of Joan reading her new book!
Here is a link for getting the new audio files from the book in progress when you subscribe (good for the rest of the year).
https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Special-Spring-Subscription-Offer.html?soid=1102775044253&aid=9G9RHV0-5oY
Integrative Retreat
Friday April 30 – Sunday May 2
An Integrative retreat with the Ten Ox Herding Pictures
The Ox Herding Pictures tell a very old story of the Way, coming out of the mists of time to us from even before Taoism but then on through Buddhism to our American experiment in awakening. They tell the story in picture and in verse, in order and in reverse, through words into wordlessness and through heart-minds into our bloodstreams and our feet, if we will. You can find them in many places and voices, and we will bring them into the silence of our singular and plural meditations for a weekend of retreat.
Awakening is both sudden and continuous, both a turning and a straight ahead, both particular and vast. I’m interested in how it shows up for us at this particular time, at the conclusion of a practice period—which is also a beginning without a signpost. It’s a good time to stop and visit with this old story, I think. I hope you will think so, too.
Our retreat will include a fair bit of silent meditation, interspersed with Dharma talk and conversation and some time for stepping away from your screen into the day while staying in your retreat space.
For registration information, please email Kelly McFarland at s.kelly.HLS@gmail.com. It helps tremendously with planning if you would let us know if you plan to attend as soon as you can. Registration deadline has passed, but please contact Kelly if you would like to join this retreat. Cost of the retreat is $100 and you can pay on the Springs Mountain Sangha website here:
Scholarships are available. Please contact Kelly McFarland for more information on scholarships. We don’t want finances to stand in the way of you attending the retreat.
Practice Period
We will mark the close of our Practice Period with conversation and ritual on Monday May 3rd during evening meditation beginning at 6:10 PM. Huge thank you to our practice period coordinators, Debbie Stavish and Regan Arntzen for so much love and planning that they have poured into this practice period for us. Here’s a note from them:
As the 2021 Practice Period comes to an end we are hopeful you found an offering that was interesting, inspiring, meaningful to your practice. Yeoman work was done by our Roshi- Sarah- who not only conducted weekly koan practice sessions, but also expanded her availability for Work in The Room and contributed weekly to the newsletter. Much, much appreciated. In addition to Sarah, we were blessed with the dedication of several volunteers. Special notice and appreciation has to be given to Kelly and Susan who led the morning meditation sessions four days a week-every week of the practice period. Amazing! Piper graciously volunteered to lead several days over the course of the practice period which was extremely helpful. Clay led two great hikes on Thursday nights at some wonderful locations. Frank moderated the Hakuin Happy Hour which was really appreciated. Mary Kay contributed wonderful artwork for the beautiful practice period booklet. The booklet was splendidly designed by Kelly M. Fox Love coordinated and updated the Art Gallery and many of you sent in beautiful poetry, paintings, poems, thoughts and more. Several members assisted in various tasks and all the work was appreciated.
“A sangha is a community of friends practicing the dharma together in order to bring about and to maintain awareness”- T.N. Hanh. This practice period truly reflected a vibrant sangha. Thanks to everyone.
-Your Practice Period Coordinators Debbie and Regan
Steering Committee
Tuesday, May 4th, 6:15 PM
All are welcome to join us at our monthly steering committee meeting if you would like to share thoughts with the steering committee or take a more active role in the business side of the sangha. No commitment is required, feel free to drop in. We typically meet the first Tuesday of the month, but at times this changes due to steering committee members’ schedules. Due to this, it may be a good idea in future months to email Kelly McFarland, s.kelly.HLS@gmail.com, if you plan to attend and she will let you know if there have been changes to the dates of the meeting.
Movie Night
Thursday, May 13th, 7 PM
On Thursday, May 13th, we will be gathering to discuss Akira Kurosawa’s movie, “Dreams”
Dreams is a film that weaves eight short stories in one film similar to a piece of artwork on canvas. And it is also with those stories that create a historic past that Kurosawa dwells upon within the stories from ancient relics to war torn and disastrous events.
Please watch the movie prior to Thursday evening, and join us prepared to discuss it. Family and friends welcome!
In Person Meditation, Creek Bend Zendo
Friday, May 21st, 6-7 PM
Join us on Friday evening, May 21st at Creek Bend Zendo for our first in person meditation of the season. We will be outdoors and socially distanced. Please contact Kelly McFarland, s.kelly.HLS@gmail.com, if you plan to attend, so we can have some cushions and chairs set up for you. Also contact Kelly if you need the address.
June One-Day Open Source Retreat
June One-Day Open Source Retreat
with Andrew Palmer, Megan Rundel, Tenney Nathanson and Sarah Bender
Sunday June 6 (online)
Watch for more information soon
Fall Retreat – Save the Dates
The Open Source will be offering a retreat from October 18-24th. We are currently planning for this to be an IN PERSON retreat at Pueblo Mountain Park in Beulah, CO. If you would like to help plan this retreat, please contact Kelly McFarland at s.kelly.HLS@gmail.com.
Open Source Email List
If you’d like to join the info/discussion group for Open Source (which is a place for you to offer your insights, spark discussions, etc. as well as receiving notices) just email the address below with your name and email address.
opensourcezen+subscribe@groups.io
Newcomer’s Orientation
Newcomer’s orientation is offered by request. This is a brief introduction to our meditation sessions and forms, which we pre-covid had offered on Community Night on the second Monday of the month. Please contact Kelly McFarland at s.kelly.HLS@gmail.com if you are interested in this orientation.
Work in the Room
Work in the Room by telephone or Zoom can be arranged with Andrew Palmer, Sensei at alpalmer128@gmail.com or with Sarah Bender, Roshi at sembender@gmail.com. Work in the Room is a close encounter of the sacred/ordinary kind—an encounter among you, a teacher, and the great matter that is most deeply real for you right now—and what clearly matters because it shows up in a conversation about the Way, whether, on the face of it, it seems sacred or ordinary. No special undertaking is required
Newsletter Additions?
Do you have artwork, a poem or a volunteer story to share in our newsletter? If so, please send them to Kelly McFarland at s.Kelly.HLS@gmail.com.
Many Arms of Guanyin
Dear all,
Many of you have asked me how to help bring relief to Indians at the time of catastrophic COVID-19 disaster. Below are excerpts from my short article in Lion’s Roar posted today on how to help India breathe. I offer links to three organizations you can financially support at the time, resources on how to do metta/Tonglen and/or how to understand the crisis in the long term
A few excerpts:
” While Indians are rising up to help each other in the spirit of mutual support, we are also feeling collectively traumatized. I’m asking the wider community around the world to step up and help the Indian subcontinent…. Most Indians haven’t seen anything like this in our lifetimes and the modeling suggests that the worst is yet to come. If you personally know any Indians, please give them space to slow down, rest, and possibly grieve. If you are inclined and are trained to do metta or tonglen, please pass on your spiritual, psychic and energetic support to us.
Oxygen for India: This GoFundme campaign is trying to raise 1 million USD to deliver 3000 oxygen concentrators to India at a record cost of $350 per concentrator. I am personally inspired by their creative approach to helping cities which are not in the limelight right now. https://www.gofundme.com/f/o2-for-india…
Coronavirus Relief Fund (Ketto): This portal hosts many individual fundraisers for supporting individual families in dire financial need. The Mission Oxygen (accepts donations from non-Indians) initiative under this Ketto Fund was started by a group of respected Indian entrepreneurs who post regular updates on the progress of procuring concentrators for India. https://www.ketto.org/…/mission-oxygen-helping…
Goonj: This respected disaster relief organization is providing essentials (includes food, supplies) for communities across India. Their initiative ‘Rahat’ was started last year. Their immediate and long-term support measures in cities and villages are addressed to families who due to paucity of resources and livelihood options were badly affected by the pandemic. You can read more about their approach, ground reports on the link.
https://goonj.org/support-covid-19-affected
If you have the means to make a financial contribution, please know that there are thousands of people who have died gasping for air because of a lack of access to oxygen cylinders or concentrators in hospitals and in the market.
This is preventable pain.
The Buddha’s teaching of dependent co-arising guides us to see how institutions and systems of our society co-arise with us…. There are innumerable institutional causes including decades of ecological plunder at the planetary level and international trade/patent laws that have led to the current situation in India. The immediate cause, as in other parts of the world ruled by right wing governments, is India’s response and approach to the COVID crisis, including neglecting science, allowing mass election rallies and Hindu religious festivals, and usurping money donated for COVID relief. …
In the longer run of the next few months and years, I pray that each reader of this article will work to skillfully and compassionately confront the international and Indian systems of oppression that have brought these crimes against humanity to India. In the midst of sleepless nights to help family and friends, I myself am ploughing ahead to lead “Dharma of Resistance” — a six-month long online course to resist in ways that are aligned with dharma and are trauma-informed!…..
I ask you to surrender to the reality of death and suffering while energetically trying to reduce suffering — especially for those who are most vulnerable. Together, we can embody the bewildering paradox of embracing and accepting death and sickness in India while doing our best to reduce sickness and death.”
Please feel free to share: Full post here – https://www.lionsroar.com/help-india-breathe/
Warm bows,
Kanko
Kritee (Kanko), Ph.D.
Pronouns: she/her
Zen priest & meditation teacher
Climate scientist, Environmental Defense Fund
Co-Founder, Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center
http://boundlessinmotion.org/
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COVID-19 has exacerbated the food insecurity which one in four Americans have suffered at some point in their lives. Pets have indirectly suffered due to unemployment and financial crises abound. Consider learning more about the following local outreach groups :
- Colorado Springs Food Rescue:
- Westside Cares:
- San Luis Valley Animal Welfare:
- Colorado Springs Humane Society:
- Family Promise Shelter of Colorado Springs: https://familypromise.org/
Wellness Committee
Our sangha’s wellness committee is headed by Linda Hodges, who updates the committee regularly on needs of particular members so that we can reach out to each other when needed!
If you could use a boost of any sort, or if you’d like to be available to respond when the need arises, please contact Linda at hikerhodges@gmail.com.
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