Sitting Alone, Together
Support for your personal retreat
Tuesday, October 19 through Sunday October 24
Open to Everyone
Dear Friends,
It was very difficult, though necessary, to make the decision to cancel our October retreat. It’s a time when many of us are really ready for a time of retreat, even though circumstances may make it difficult to commit to one.
Speaking of this, Kelly McFarland and I found ourselves thinking about how it might be possible to support sangha members in holding a personal retreat during the time we had designated for the Open Source retreat.
We came up with something that we both think will be a very interesting experiment! This will be held on the SMS Zoom account, with no registration requirement and no fee. You can enter and leave the Zoom temple with your own timing, which allows you to create your own retreat, while at the same time really joining others in a fully dedicated retreat time.
Inspired partly by the theme, “In the morning, we rub shoulders; in the evening, we entangle eyebrows”, we came up with the following structure for support during your retreat. There’s a koan that seems to want to come as well. Bet you can guess.
I will be with you in your early mornings, will offer work in the room in the afternoons, and will join you for conversation in the evenings. So I will be in retreat with you, and my days, like yours, will include sitting meditation, walking, cooking and other work practice, koan inquiry alone and with you, work in the room. I will be leaving Nova Scotia the day after we conclude this period, and I think this will be a creative and nourishing retreat time with which I can close my time here.
Please note, this is an opportunity available to everyone whether you had signed up for retreat or not.
Yours in the Dharma,
Sarah
Some people will be doing individual retreats during the time frame that the Open Source was scheduled to happen. This schedule will allow time to touch in throughout the day to offer support to each other during our retreats.
Some of you who were not able to commit to the formal retreat may also find that this sort of supported individual retreat might be workable for you. If so, please feel free to join in!
WITR with Sarah Bender, Roshi will be scheduled for 15 minute time slots Wednesday through Saturday. Please email Kelly McFarland at s.kelly.hls@gmail.com if you plan to be in retreat and would like Work in the Room with Sarah. Kelly will schedule you for a time slot between 2:30 and 4:30. Please let her know which days you would like a WITR time slot.
Tuesday Evening
6:30-7:30 PM In the evening we entangle eyebrows. Conversation and suggestions for the retreat days and evenings.
7:30-8:00 PM Evening Meditation
Wednesday through Saturday
6:30 AM In the morning we rub shoulders. Early morning meditation with SMS
7:30 AM (Wed-Fri) Small break to gather a cup of tea, followed by:
Time for conversation, gather dreams
On Saturday we can sit with Springs Mountain Sangha from 6:30-8, then listen to a Zen Threads talk by an SMS member
2:00 PM Afternoon Tea and Invitation to sing or say any part of the Sutra Service
2:30-4:30 PM Sarah available for Work in the Room
6:30-7:30 PM In the evening we entangle eyebrows: conversation about the day’s meditation experience—-What is it like for you now?
7:30-8:00 PM Evening Meditation
Sunday Morning
6:30 AM Early morning meditation
7:30 AM Small break to gather a cup of tea, conversation, and dream gathering
11:00 AM Gathering and final conversation