Dear SMS Steering Committee & Community : It is with deep happiness I tell you that last weekend Sarah Bender received transmission from me, in a simple ceremony on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. She is now a Roshi of the Pacific Zen School, with the lineage name Noble Servant in the Temple of Heron Dreaming, a name whose meanings she can tell you about. It is a small moment in a thousand-year old tradition, but its radiance extends…

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Springs Mountain Sangha would like to invite you to a mid-summer gathering of our sister sanghas: Sunday, July 16,  4:00 PM 7528 Jenkin Place, Colorado Springs 80919   Families and friends welcome!     RSVP:  sembender@gmail.com

New Years (Eve) Celebration Saturday Dec. 31st 11-2 We have a New Year tradition that is nearly as old as our Wet Mountain Sangha. We gather together for meditation, ringing of the Temple Bell 108 times (a much much older tradition,) good food and conversation. Anyone and everyone is invited – teachers and first time visitors, family and regular members. It is a great opportunity to celebrate the New Years moment. We also get to talk with each other which…

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The dharma study group is discussing “Always Maintain a Joyful Mind” by Pema Chodron. The book is collection of the 59 lojong slogans from classic Tibetan mind-training teachings. These pithy sayings are reminders of “how to awaken our hearts in the midst of day-to-day life, under any circumstances.” Included with the book is a CD of Pema Chodron’s in-depth instruction ontonglen. On the next meeting, Dec. 18, the group will use the CD instructions to explore this powerful meditation technique.

These are koan seminars led by Andrew Palmer, Sensei. Second Friday of every month, 6:00 – 7:30 pm at the home of Kerry Kramer.  Email Sensei if you’re interested in joining alpsensei@gmail.com

Join us on Wednesday the 7th from 6-7 for 2 meditation periods, and a brief sutra service.  On Saturday the 10th, we’ll have 4 periods of silent meditation starting at 8am.  Refer to the Schedule tab of our website for in depth information about what to expect, and if you’re new check out the Basic Meditation Forms page.

Fifth Wednesdays are fairly rare but when they arrive, Wet Mountain Sangha usually schedules a Wayfarer Talk.   On these occasions, one of our members tells their own story.   Where they have come from, the twists and turns in their life and how they encountered Buddhism and this path that many of us share.   We at the Sangha generally share a lot of silence together, so the opportunity to listen and share personal histories and thoughts is special.  …

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