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Newsette 9-7-2022

Although it’s still early September, the Autumn Equinox will soon be here. With the full moon this coming weekend, we can enjoy the beauty of moonlight and the cooler night air, as many parts of California, the U.S., and the world are experiencing temperatures above 100 degrees.

In the midst of concerns about one another and our planet, I invite you to take a moment to view the images on the website Collecting Fog, by Jaune Evans, founding teacher of Heart of Compassion Sangha in Pt. Reyes, CA. Collecting Fog is also the title of an exhibit of Jaune’s work at Commonweal Gallery in Bolinas, CA from September 12 to November 4. There will be an opening reception on September 18 from 3 to 5 p.m. PDT.

Djinn Gallagher writes from Black Mountain Zen Centre in Belfast, Northern Ireland, “our much-loved teacher Paul Haller will be visiting Belfast from Thursday, September 8 to Sunday, September 18, and there will be many joyful opportunities to experience his wisdom, good humour and insight. We are offering two workshops, plus a zazenkai, the Sunday morning programme, and lots of online and in-person events. He will also lead an in-person sesshin in Slovenia after his time in Belfast.” Here is the link for dates and times.

Many teachers and sanghas are engaging with social justice issues as well as environmental concerns. I’m including a few of their offerings in this Newsette.

Members of Branching Streams Zen Center, from Brattleboro, VT to Bellingham, WA, are joining with other socially engaged Buddhists to support voter turnout in this fall’s elections. If this is of interest to you, the Buddhist Election Retreat Organizing Committee is organizing four online letter writing retreats this fall. 

Kannon Do Zen Meditation Center is holding a two-day in person interactive and experiential workshop on Right Use of Power (RUP) facilitated by Tenku Ruff on September 10 and 11 from 11 a.m. to 4:30p.m. PDT each day, outdoors at Kannon Do. RUP, developed by Cedar Barstow, is also known as “ethics of the heart.”

Reirin Gumbel, guiding teacher of Milwaukee Zen Center, writes: “Many Zen centers are aware of the state of the death penalty in this country and have protested against it. Right now, executions are on the rise again, and there is a lot we can do about it. Please follow this link and watch the one-minute video!”

Reirin will be giving the dharma talk at Ancient Dragon Zen Gate in Chicago, IL . as part of the Sunday morning program on October 2 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. CST.

I am sharing again these workshops offered by Valley Streams Zen Sangha in Sacramento, CA. They are co-sponsoring two events with the BIPOC Sangha Sacramento featuring Rhonda Magee, author of The Inner Work of Racial Justice. The first program, Meditation for People of Color, is September 11 at 4:15 p.m. PDT (online only) and is for BIPOC. The second event on September 12 at 7 p.m. PDT is for everyone and is both in person and online (Rhonda Magee will be online).Her topic is “Reflections on Engaged Mindfulness and Social Justice Work.” For more information, see the attached flyer.

Lee Klinger Lesser brings her training in Sensory Awareness and Zen practice together with her concerns about our planet in a nine-month journey of engagement and responsiveness beginning in September: “Relying on Sensory Awareness, Mindfulness and Meditation Practice to Nurture and Sustain Our Ongoing Response to the Climate Crisis.” See the attached flyer for more information.

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