Notes from the Buddhist Insight Network Conference
The Buddhist Insight Network Intersangha Conference was a great opportunity to meet and talk with members of sanghas of many different locations and sizes. There was a lot of sharing of ideas and experiences, of what has worked and what hasn’t. This year’s conference was at the Insight Meditation Retreat…
Thoughts on the recent election from Dharma Zephyr community
The recently-concluded election year has been hard on the country. No matter who we voted for. Here are some offerings from Dharma Zephyr community members. They are alphabetical by last name. If you want to contribute something, please use the curated comment section below. Let’s have a conversation. Struggling At…
Old Age, Sickness, Death and the Sangha
Old age, sickness, death. Not what we really want to think about, right? But the Buddha urges us to think about them anyway. First, because it lends an urgency to our practice. We just don’t know how much time we have left, so we’d better get on…
Training a puppy is like training the mind
Meet Sammy. She’s the newest addition to our family. It has been a very long time since I’ve trained a puppy, longer than I’ve been practicing meditation so I was surprised how training a puppy is very much like training the mind and not only because of how they…
“Touching the Earth”
There is a story of what took place on the night of the Buddha’s enlightenment. Prince Siddhartha, who had left his home and palace three years earlier to become a wandering ascetic, finally sensed that his mind and heart were ready for liberation from all suffering, so he sat down…
Already Broken
When my friend saw the exfoliating pot in the garden by my driveway, she gasped. “What happened?” Then she realized that I must have put it there deliberately. It’s a good daily reminder to me of the truth of impermanence. Everything eventually disintegrates. I often think of a frequently told…
One River Sangha to stop meeting
All things rise, and then pass away, and One River Sangha is no exception. When One River Sangha started in 2003, the group of us who started it wanted to continue the practice of meditation we had begun with Christy Tews. We had just finished her six-week class, and in…
Tired of cynicism, denial and despair?
Dharma Zephyr’s earth care sangha has been meeting now for over a year, so we thought we’d share with you what we’ve been doing – and invite you to take part. Partnerships and action Janet Melander and David Zahrt have started the first Nevada chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby, a…
Bringing the Dharma to newcomers
This spring Dharma Zephyr offered a 5-week class on basic techniques of insight meditation according to the early teachings of the Buddha, co-taught by Christy Tews and Steve Swartz. Here is some of what Steve had to say about the class: On the first night around 24 people showed up. That…
Hooked and unhooked – Buddhist approaches to greed and aversion
This summer Dharma Zephyr’s Beginners Mind group is going to consider “the hook” – that moment we all experience of grasping, tensing, tightening, and closing down. What are our hooks? An annoying coworker? Our partner’s behavior? Political views? Shopping? Finances? We’ll look at wise and unwise approaches to the hook,…