SPRINGS MOUNTAIN SANGHA
SEPTEMBER 2023
Words from Sarah Bender, Roshi; written August 30th
Dear Friends,
Tonight is the night of the full moon, a blue moon (second in this month!) and it’s a time when many Buddhists celebrate Ullambana, a story and festival that affirm the fact that it takes all, simply all of us to bring forth the vastness that permeates everything, through our own collective actions, to help turn the karma of the world. Together, we dream on the Dharma that liberates the love that shines right through everything—through delight, through suffering.
The tide is the highest I’ve seen it this month, and the waves slosh under the deck. A soft rain woke me before dawn, and tonight promises a real storm. Excitement here…..and prayers for others whose storms bring so much suffering.
In mid-September we’ll begin sitting in person again, and a new Open Source series will begin, and we’ll continue exploring Refuge, as we also make preparations for our November retreat. There will be many opportunities to join in!
Sarah
Here’s a poem, thanks to The Writer’s Almanac
Invisible Visitors
by David BudbillAll through August and September
thousands, maybe
tens of thousands, of feathered
creatures pass through
this place and I almost never see
a single one. The fall
wood warbler migration goes by here
every year, all of them,
myriad species, all looking sort of like
each other, yellow, brown, gray,
all muted versions of their summer selves,
almost indistinguishable
from each other, at least to me, although
definitely not to each other,
all flying by, mostly at night, calling to each
other as they go to keep
the flock together, saying: chip, zeet,
buzz, smack, zip, squeak—
those
sounds reassuring that we are
all here together and
heading south, all of us just passing
through, just passing
through, just passing through, just
passing through.
Overview of September Offerings
(returning to some in person mid September)
Monday, September 4, 6 PM, on Zoom:
Meditation, Sutra Service, conversation
Tuesday, September 5, 6:15 PM, online: Steering Committee Meeting
Thursdays, September 7 and 21 (and continuing), 5:30 PM: Refuge Series
with Sarah Bender
Monday, September 11, 6 PM, on Zoom: Meditation and Community
Tuesday, September 12, 7:30 PM, on Zoom: Open Source Ecodharma Group
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87435206671?pwd=MFkwVDZnMmliTS9CS1dXRmcycEZmdz09 (or use Meeting ID: 874 3520 6671 and Passcode: 520753). We will begin talking about Thich Nhat Hanh’s Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet after reading it over the summer. Contact Jennifer Sellers, jen@inspiredmastery.com with any questions
Monday, September 18, 6 PM, on Zoom and in person at Shove Chapel: Meditation, Dharma Talk and conversation with
Sarah Bender, Roshi
Assessing interest for 1/2 day meditation retreat at Creek Bend Zendo, Saturday September 23rd, 9-noon. Please contact Sarah at sembender@gmail.com if you are interested in this retreat
Monday, September 11, 6 PM, on Zoom: Meditation and Community
Monday, September 25, 6 PM, on Zoom and in person at Shove Chapel:
Meditation, Koan exploration and conversation
with Sarah Bender, Roshi
Wednesday, September 27, October 4, 11, 18, 25 and November 1, 6 PM, on Zoom: Open Source Koan Series
Ongoing Meditation Schedule, Zoom except Monday Eves
Sundays: Candlelight Meditation 8 to 8:30 PM (Meditation, evening dedication)
Mondays: Meditation and evening starting at 6 PM
Wednesdays: Morning meditation 6:30-7:30 AM For the month of September, Wednesday morning medication will continue on Zoom from 6:30 to 7:30 but we will have cameras off
Saturdays: Morning Meditation 6:30-8:00 AM, discussion 8-8:30 AM
On Saturday mornings discussions are kicked off by a sangha member with a brief talk pertaining to their own experience of practice we call Zen Threads. On alternate weeks, a “mini-threads” group discussion gives each participant a chance to share what is up for them right now. Both formats lead to rich and lively conversation. Join us! It’s a beautiful way to jump-start the weekend. You can join the meditation at 6:30, 7:00, 7:30 or 8:00.
Additional Early Morning Meditations
A simple, early morning sit is offered on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, 6:30-7:30 AM. Someone will ring bells, and the Zoom Zendo will be open and available for those who would like to join. Please leave your camera off while the meditation is in progress. This way, people can come and go easily as needed. Sometimes the whole hour is in silence; sometimes, a koan or poem appears.
Coming in September
Refuge Series Continues
Thursdays, September 7 and 21, 5:30 to 7:00 PM , online
every other week through November 2nd
It’s about refuge in the Bodhisattva Way as it finds us and we find it now. What better time could there be to discover and express the depth and extent of our relatedness, our intimate connection to all of life?
Meeting these vows, these precepts up close and personal offers a refuge that is not from, but in this very life.
Requested dana is $15 per session, you can mail a check to Sarah Bender, Roshi or send her donations via paypal at sembender@gmail.com.
Monday meditation returns to Shove Chapel
Monday September 18th
Return to in person and zoom combined meditations, talks and conversations on Monday evenings with a dharma talk and conversation with Sarah Bender, Roshi. If participating in person, please enter Shove through the North East door. It is helpful if you can arrive by 5:45 pm or 6:25 pm to settle in. Many hands make light work, and arriving between 5 and 5:30 pm to help set up is great dana and a helpful way to support our sangha.
Interested in a Half Day Retreat?
Saturday, September 23rd
Are you interested in welcoming autumn with a half day meditation retreat at in person at Creek Bend Zendo? Retreat would start at 9 am and last until noon with a brown bag lunch. Please reach out to Sarah at sembender@gmail.com if you are interested in this retreat. Early responses will help determine if we have enough interest to host this retreat.
Open Source Koan Series
Wednesdays, September 27, October 4, 11, 18, 25 and November 1
The Open Source teachers will be starting a koan series on September 27th. Each teacher will lead two sessions. This is a great opportunity to practice with our teachers and sangha-mates from across the country in an intimate setting. There will be plenty of time for discussion, and everyone is welcome regardless of experience.
November Way of the Bodhisattva Retreat
Springs Mountain Sangha
Way of the Bodhisattva
Retreat Registration is open
November 7-11, Meditation Retreat in-person
at the Abbey, in Canon City
with Sarah Bender, Rōshi
Register here: https://forms.gle/7gE9Ytgonk6BUSjZ9
As the days shorten and Earth in our hemisphere hunkers down toward winter, we gather in a place apart, taking refuge in each other’s company and practice, the quiet of a dedicated time and place, and the depth of our own connection to the mysterious and plain truths of human life. We take refuge, in rituals handed down to us from ages past and in the Dharma itself, renewing our vows and opening ourselves to the awakening that is already among us.
This retreat includes our Ceremony of Taking Refuge in the Bodhisattva Way, and all who are present are part of this ritual along with those who are formally taking refuge.
PROGRAM
Our retreat day runs from 5:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and includes periods of sitting and walking, Dharma talks and discussion, yoga or qigong, individual meetings with a teacher, vegetarian meals, rest, and walks outside. Ours is primarily a silent retreat. Some previous experience with meditation is necessary. We do our best to make the retreat accessible to people with special physical needs.
LOCATION
The Holy Cross Abbey in Canon City, at 2951 East U.S. Hwy. 50, Canon City, CO 81212.
More information is available at http://theabbeycc.com/.
SPECIAL NOTE
If this will be your first time attending a Springs Mountain Sangha retreat, please contact the Registrar, Brandy Lancaster at bdl0824@gmail.com. She will arrange for you to speak with a teacher before registering.
RATES
The actual cost of this retreat is $750 per person, which includes accommodations and meals. Your paying at least this amount will help support our sangha. Registration is on a sliding scale from $650 to $850 per person, and you choose the rate that is best for you. If you need further assistance, generous scholarships are available; please ask! See the registration form below to make your payment choice.
DUE DATES
A lot of people have expressed interest in this retreat, and there is a limit of 23 participants. Registration will be taken on a first-come-first-served basis.
Registration and full payment are due by October 23rd. If you need an extension, please contact the registrar.
Scholarship requests are due with registration; please ask!
In order to complete registration, a deposit of $100 is due when you submit this form; your registration is not complete until you have made the deposit. If you need additional time to pay the deposit, please contact our registrar, Brandy Lancaster, at bdl0824@gmail.com to discuss details.
CANCELLATION POLICY
Up to September 15 we can refund in full your deposit or payment
From September 16 – October 23, we are able to refund all but $50 of any deposit or payment
After October 23, we cannot guarantee a refund
ACCOMMODATIONS
Most rooms are double rooms with dormitory style restrooms. Sheets, blankets, and towels are provided. Meditation cushions, mats, and chairs are available at all times, and you may switch between them as needed. Feel free to bring your own mats and cushions or chair if you would like.
COVID CONSIDERATIONS
Due to the frequently-changing trajectory of the Covid virus, our protocols may need to change
as our retreat date draws closer. We have high hopes for not needing a mask-wearing mandate for
our time together in the meditation hall. The conditions that will support a mostly mask-free
retreat will require your careful observance of protocols. We anticipate asking everyone to take a rapid test within 24 hours of the start of the retreat. We’ll be announcing any additional protocols prior to the close of registration (October 23rd). If you have concerns regarding Covid protocols, please contact Kelly McFarland at
S.Kelly.HLS@gmail.com.
PAYMENT PARTICULARS
The registration and payment due dates are listed above. When you make a payment, please indicate that it is for the retreat.
Payment may be submitted via PayPal here:
https://www.smszen.org/supportsms/ and click on the Paypal Button
Checks may be sent to:
Springs Mountain Sangha
P.O. Box 2613
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Registration is taken on a first-come, first-served basis, and will be secured once we receive your deposit or payment in full.
If you have untreated mental health challenges, we ask that you contact Sarah Bender, Roshi at sembender@gmail.com to set up a brief conversation before completing your registration.
A copy of your responses will be emailed to the address you provide.
Please direct any questions about registration or the retreat itself to our Registrar, Brandy Lancaster at bdl0824@gmail.com .
We look forward to practicing in community with you!
Important announcements:
The Open Source Email List If you’d like to join the info/discussion group for The 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
Work in the Room
Work in the Room by telephone or Zoom or in person can be arranged 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 as it arises in your life right now—it is a practice central to our Koan Way.
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
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
Maui Fire Community and Recovery
The Hawaii Community Foundation- Maui Strong Fund https://www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/maui-strong
The Hawai’i Community Foundation (HCF) is a 501 (c)(3) organization whose mission is to “inspire generosity, advocate for equity, forge connections and invest in community to create a better Hawai’i. Every contribution to HCF’s Maui Strong Fund, large or small, will make a difference as we work to support communities through services including shelter, food, financial assistance and other needs as they arise. 100% of funds raised will be distributed for the community needs in Maui.
Habitat for Humanity Interfaith Build, #3 Support
We are signed up! We are going to participate in
2 work days: Sunday, Oct. 15, and Sunday, January 21
Come, and bring a friend!
We’ll be working together with members of Temple Beit Torah.
You can participate for morning, afternoon or both
(sharing lunch is part of the fun)
For more info or to sign up, please contact Andy Sparks, andysparks1@yahoo.com
Early sign ups really help! So if you are pretty sure you want to join this community action, please let us know.
Ecodharma Meetings resume in September
The next Open Source Ecodharma meeting will be Tuesday, September 12 at 7:30 p.m. Mountain on https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87435206671?pwd=MFkwVDZnMmliTS9CS1dXRmcycEZmdz09 (or use Meeting ID: 874 3520 6671 and Passcode: 520753). We will begin talking about Thich Nhat Hanh’s Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet after reading it over the summer.
Contact Jennifer Sellers, jen@inspiredmastery.com, with any questions or thoughts, and please join us!
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:
https://www.smszen.org/supportsms/
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*
Support for Sarah Bender, Roshi
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 $15 per class, or $20 for a 20 min. individual meeting) you can do this by sending dana through paypal to sembender@gmail.com or sending a check directly to her.
Sarah Bender
7528 Jenkin Place
Colorado Springs, CO 80919
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=Who_We_Are%2FDharma_Works%2Findex.html;d=1
See also Joan Sutherland’s Patreon site,
https://www.patreon.com/posts/do-you-trust-yr-31567633
This is another good way to support Joan’s work and receive fresh teachings from her.