August 6, 2007

UPAYA ZEN CENTER Santa Fe, New Mexico 505-986-8518 [email protected] www.upaya.org

"A good relationship has a pattern like a dance and is built on some of the same rules. The partners do not need to hold on tightly, because they move confidently in the same pattern, intricate but gay and swift and free, like a country dance of Mozart's. To touch heavily would be to arrest the pattern and freeze the movement, to check the endlessly changing beauty of its unfolding. There is no place here for the possessive clutch, the clinging arm, the heavy hand; only the barest touch in passing. Now arm in arm, now face to face, now back to back -- it does not matter which. Because they know they are partners moving to the same rhythm, creating a pattern together, and being invisibly nourished by it." --- Anne Morrow Lindbergh

This past weekend's Lindisfarne Fellows Meeting went exceptionally well, reuniting for the first time in ten years a group of men and women who have transformed our cultural, social and environmental landscape. It was wonderful to see four generations of friends together: from Saul Mendlovitz, Dag Hammerskjold Distinguished Professor of International Law Rutgers University, age 80, to Gabo Varela, age 15, son of the renowned neuroscientist , who died in 2001. Poet Wendell Berry celebrated his 73rd birthday at Upaya, and Roshi reunited with her dear friend Mary Catherine Bateson, who is a writer, anthropologist, and daughter of and Margaret Mead. Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute (with his 96 year old father and his new wife) and Wes Jackson, founder of the Land Institute, brought us to earth comment after comment. Philosophers David Abrams, Robert McDermott, and offered rich perspectives on vital questions related to sustainability and moral imperatives. Neuroscientist Tim Kennedy, mathematician Ralph Abraham, past Dean of the Cathedral of St. John The Divine in New York James Morton, and political scientist David Orr were all in attendance, listening and weaving together their lives and concerns. Wendell Berry brought the room into silence and awe as he spoke about his life, and then read a story about death. And the Fellows' beloved Founder, William Irwin Thompson, wove it all together in high Druid form.

Each Fellow gave a short presentation, followed by wild and wide ranging discussion, a Lindisfarne specialty. An incredibly diverse range of topics were covered, from genocide to herbicides, sustainable agriculture to cosmology, from social ills to the great potentials present in our challenged and hyperconnected world.

The Fellows have met for over 30 years and have included such luminaries at Gregory Bateson, Stuart Brand, Gary Snyder, and many others. In addition to our Fellows, kind and generous funders were in attendance, including Jodie Evans, founder of Codepink, Jonathon Altman, Gay Dillingham, Andrew Ungleider, Liane Collins, and Tom Callanan of Fetzer. Amy Cohen Varela, Rebecca and Gareth Todd, Nora Bateson, Jane Fonda, Bokara Legendre, Peter Baumann, Jim and Suzanne Gollin, and Tsultrim Allione also attended sessions.

Upaya is itself an outgrowth of the Lindisfarne spirit, and we are deeply grateful to our sponsors at the Threshhold Foundation and other good friends for helping to make it all possible, including John and Margo Steiner, Paul Winter, and John Clausen who could not join the meeting.

As Wendell and others commented, the Fellows have a chance to learn from each other in a way that no other opportunity offers. At the end of the meeting, the Fellows agreed to gather at Upaya at the end of July next year, and to extend our reach through inviting new Fellows into the circle, and focusing our discussions in the upcoming meeting on science, art and the political landscape.

One final note: the Upaya residents were deeply enriched by the presence of the Fellows, with residents joining Wendell and others for meals, stepping into the meeting room to listen, and as Wendell Berry put it, "We are returning to Upaya because it is a place of practice and we like the people here!" Upaya likes the Fellows too, and are happy that they found a home in our midst.

Wednesday, August 8th DHARMA TALK will be given by writer and longtime Zen practitioner Natalie Goldberg, on "Zen and Art." We are looking forward to her upcoming Upaya retreats in August and September of this year. For information on her latest work and workshops, please go to http://www.nataliegoldberg.com/

ROSHI ON FILM! All the previews are now up on YouTube, where you can see thumbnails of all 12 videos of Roshi's dharma talks. http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=upayazencenter We are hoping to have full length DVDs of these talks available by the end of this month...stay tuned!

* WANTED: HOUSE-SITTER FOR UPAYA CAMPUS, August 25-29 With all the residents going north to Prajna Mountain for the Natalie Goldberg "Nature of All Things" retreat, we are seeking a person who would serve as Upaya's caretaker for a few days. This would involve spending the night of the 25th, 26th, 27th, and 28th here. The main purpose is to watch after things. There will be explicit directions provided, in case we get some more of the sudden torrential rains that caused the flash flooding a few weeks ago. This person could come and go during the day when the professional staff will be here, then return in the evening and overnight hours. For more details about this assignment are available by calling Juan Torres, Assistant Director, at 986-8518, ext. 7.

** URGENT: VOLUNTEER LEAD COOKS NEEDED for August 11-24 Not so much for chopping veggies and washing up, but to head the preparation of some very simple oryoki meals. Breakfasts and lunches consist of one bowl of grains, one bowl of soup/veggies/protein, and one bowl of salad; dinners have only the first two bowls. Keizan, our kitchen manager, swears that if you know how to operate a rice cooker, you will be more than qualified enough to do it! Deep thanks for your kindness and generosity in allowing our kitchen staff the chance to participate fully in the Summer Ango practice period along with everyone else.

~ STRANGER THAN FICTION ... China has now extended its sovereignty even into otherworldly realms, with its new policy on reincarnation: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article2194682.ece

* CORRECTION: Our retreat catalog incorrectly lists the start date of the Summer Ango Bodhidharma Sesshin as August 18th. The correct date (which does appear on our website) is August 19th. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this might have caused.

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INVITATION: 2007 Summer Practice Period

Dear Friends,

Each August, one of the most beautiful and lush seasons of Santa Fe, we gather together at Upaya to affirm our practice and our life by stepping inward together for a time of intensive practice and learning, offering our whole lives to the realization of the Way. Please join us for our Summer Practice Period: Ango and the Arts, from August 10-30.

This training period is rich with practice, learning, exploration and experimentation. It is “buddhism out of the box,” a way for us to learn that is both innovative and traditional.

During all of Ango, Roshi Joan will guide us through the various lenses of Buddhist practice, experience, art, engaged Buddhism, and learning. Along the way, we will explore Big Mind with Genpo Roshi, learn traditional Zen craft from Kyojo Bakker, practice traditional and wild calligraphy with Kazuaki Tanahashi, drop into a very concentrated space of intensive practice with Roshi Joan, learn from the natural world and the arts with Natalie Goldberg and Roshi Joan, and be touched by the traditional when many of our community will receive Jukai and formally become Buddhists. We will do daily zazen, sit in council, do yoga, art practice and chi gung, meet Roshi Joan and other teachers in private interviews, and engage in the profound life of the sangha.

You may participate in the whole retreat, by the week, program, or day. Each year, many of our friends gather to offer our whole presence in practice. Please join us for this time of complete practice and learning and a time of closeness with Roshi. Appropriate for both seasoned practitioners and beginners. Tuition: For entire period, $1350 member; $1650 non-member. Per week, $470 member; $550 non-member. Includes lodging. Dana to teacher. To register, email [email protected] or call 505 986-8518. Individual programs are priced below:

Aug. 10 - 12: THE OF BIG MIND. Genpo Merzel Roshi The Big Mind process is a direct exploration of our true nature. Genpo Roshi (http://www.zenriver.nl/genpo_merzel_roshi.htm) draws from over thirty years of Zen teaching and Western therapeutic practices to bring forth a radical technique that can unlock the wisdom of Zen with directness and clarity. The Big Mind process gives one a profound perspective on our great potential to be free. Participants learn to sit with non-seeking mind in its vastness, rather than grasping after the truth. Genpo Roshi is Abbot of Kanzeon Zen Center and author of many books on Zen. Tuition: $220 members; $250 non-members; plus lodging. Dana to teacher.

Aug. 13 - 16: THE ART OF ZEN TRAINING. Irene Kyojo Bakker The craft of Zen permeates every aspect of monastery life, and can inform and deepen every dimension of our life in the world. In this training retreat, students will learn liturgy, nuances of meditation practice, explore koans, and discover a path of precision and gentleness that liberates the mind and body, as well as open compassion and wisdom. Four hours of meditation a day, samu and seminars. Irene Kyojo Bakker is a Dharma Holder and student of Roshi Genpo. She has taught at Upaya for many years, and carries Roshi Joan’s teachings in Europe on care of the dying. Tuition: $255 members; $270 non-members. Dana to teacher. Plus lodging.

Aug. 17 - 19: CLASSIC AND WILD CALLIGRAPHY: SMALL, MEDIUM AND GIANT BRUSHES. Kazuaki Tanahashi This powerful and wild workshop offers the practice of classical Zen calligraphy working on the most intimate scale to the largest scale with giant brushes. In the tradition of Asian calligraphy, we engage the creative process by reproducing ideograms and paintings from ancient Chinese masterpieces in all sizes. We interpret these works and explore creativity and how it works in our life as a source of insight. For beginners and seasoned artists. Kazuaki Tanahashi is a master calligrapher, Dogen scholar, and social activist (). Tuition: $220 members; $240 non-members; $70 materials; plus lodging. Dana to Sensei. Here are some photos of Kaz's last workshop at Upaya: http://www.flickr.com/photos/upaya/sets/72157594261439082/

Aug. 19 - Aug 23: BODHIDHARMA SESSHIN: THE ART OF DIRECT SEEING. Roshi Joan Halifax The First Chinese Patriarch said that Zen is seeing your nature, not thinking anything, and everything you do. This is a profoundly quiet, simple and direct sesshin, emphasizing complete openness, strength of posture and presence, and complete surrender. We practice fifty minute periods of zazen throughout the day, walking meditation, work practice, two meals a day, two interviews with Roshi, two dharma talks during the sesshin, and no other formal aspects of Zen practice. The monastery drops into utter stillness as we sit and move invisibly and silently, cultivating our natural nobility of mind and heart in the experience of boundlessness. Roshi Joan Halifax is Abbot and Head Teacher, Upaya Zen Center. Tuition: $340 members; $365 non-members; plus lodging. Dana to Roshi.

Aug. 24 - Aug 29: NATURE OF ALL THINGS: FOREST REFUGE RETREAT. Natalie Goldberg and Roshi Joan Halifax With the fundamental base of sitting and walking meditation, we will settle into the deep mountains to create poems, draw, listen, look and practice letting the earth come home to us. We will be at Prajna Mountain Forest Refuge, practicing with the land, the forests, streams, and mountains. Be prepared to meet the trees with an open heart. Going to the gorgeous Refuge , nestled in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, we do deep hermit and sangha practice, mountain walking, dharma talks in alpine meadows, and zazen. We write, draw, and contemplate. This is the practice of the ancients who revered the great mountains. It is a time of perfect quiet in the remote wilds of New Mexico. Accommodations are camping, bunk house, or hermitage; food is simple or you may fast. Mountains are high, clear and accessible from the Refuge. Utter simplicity of practice. All levels of practitioners, writers, artists, and nature lovers are welcome. Natalie Goldberg is a renowned writer, lover of Zen and the natural world (http://www.nataliegoldberg.com/). Roshi Joan Halifax is Head Teacher at Upaya Zen Center. Tuition: $475 members; $500 non-members.

Aug 29 - 30: ANGO COMPLETION: JUKAI, ORDINATIONS. Roshi Joan Halifax, Kyojo Bakker The last two days of Ango will be teachings on completion, letting go, and marking change through the power of ceremony. Tuition: included for those who enroll in the month-long program; otherwise $70 per day.

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UPCOMING PROGRAM DETAILS

AUGUST 10-30: SUMMER PRACTICE PERIOD. Please see the preceding section for details.

SEPTEMBER 7-9: "AGAINST THE STREAM." Noah Levine The program is especially appropriate for social workers, teachers, and anyone interested in how the Buddha's teachings relate to personal and societal transformation, because the path of awakening was described by the Buddha as being one of rebellion and subversive action. He said that the experience of freedom from suffering was "against the stream". Retreat participants will learn to rebel against greed, hatred and delusion through the meditative practices of mindful investigation and compassionate action. Teachings on the Buddhist path to freedom will be offered and meditation instructions will act as a guide in the upstream journey to liberation. Noah Levine is author of "Dharma Punx" and "Against the Stream."

SEPTEMBER 14-19: "WRITING AND THE NATURAL WORLD." Natalie Goldberg and Wendy Johnson Pen, paper and the human mind are the basic tools of the writer. The more we understand the mind, the better we can work with it. Through writing, andsitting practice, and slow walking we will enter the natural luminous state of the mind. Through studying the untamed world of plants, soil, water, and trees we will experience the reverberation and affirmation of what we intuitively know inside. Come prepared to listen deeply, fill notebooks, write in small and large groups, take simple walks in nature. Open to all levels of sitters, walkers and writers. Sitting and slow walking instruction will be given along with writing practice teachings. Bring notebooks and fast writing pens. Upon registration, a reading list will be mailed out.

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ENGAGED BUDDHISM

METTA COUNClL - Living with Illness Tuesdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12.00 noon--a weekly group for people who are ill, their partners, caregivers, hospice volunteers, nurses, and anyone interested in exploring issues around living, sickness aging and death. Beginning around 12:05 p.m. until 1:00 p.m. the group engages in contemplative writing. This is not a writing group per se but rather an alternative way of exploring what is alive for people in the moment. No previous writing experience is needed, just a willingness to be fully present. Please call Jean at 505-986-8518 or email [email protected] for more information.

PRISON OUTREACH PROJECT Volunteers in the Prison Outreach Project offer weekly mindfulness instruction classes in three correctional facilities: Central New Mexico Adult Correctional Facility, Santa Fe Youth Development Facility, and the Santa Fe County Adult Detention Facility. These classes provide inmates with a way to reduce the stress of their time in prison and to encourage a shift in thought and behavior patterns away from violence and harming. Studies show that this training reduces violent behavior among inmates as well as between inmates and corrections staff, preparing them to re-enter society without relapsing into addiction and ending back in prison.

Since the first of this year, a number of inmates from around the country have written asking for information about meditation or Zen practice. Several of these inmates have requested participation in our Pen-Pal Program which provides information about spiritual practice, meditation and Zen practice, and assistance in setting up a Buddhist meditation group in their prison. In the past eighteen months, 15 volunteer Sangha members have engaged in correspondence with prison residents. The hyper-masculine ethos of prison life often makes sharing personal thoughts and feelings with another man taboo, so we are especially in need of female volunteers for the Pen-Pal Program as some inmates feel much more comfortable talking about their inner feelings of anger and isolated loneliness with a woman. If you would like to participate as a volunteer in the Pen-Pal program, please call Ray at 505/986-5835 or email him at [email protected]

Donations of books on Buddhism or meditation are warmly welcomed and will be offered to prison residents. If you have books you would like to donate, please leave them at the Upaya front office, clearly marked “Books for the Prison Project.” Your generosity will be greatly appreciated.

We have received some valuable books from Jennifer Stevens (from Janesville, WI), who requested that two books be sent to each of the two prison inmates with whom she corresponds, and that the rest of the books be distributed to other prison residents in our Pen-Pal Program. We are deeply grateful to Jennifer for this gift.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY Upaya is always grateful for a helping hand. We have volunteer opportunities in the office, kitchen, and housekeeping. There is the possibility of earning retreat credit for hours volunteered. If you are interested, please call Eddie at 505-986-8518 or email [email protected]

ROSHI JOAN HALIFAX ON THE WEB Some of Roshi's students on Zaadz invited her to join this social network and over the last Thanksgiving weekend, she did. Many people are now sourcing the site, where she discusses dharma, offers koanic poetry, considers the works of Ken Wilber, William Irwin Thompson, and Francisco Varela, and brings us into her lifestream through her constant attention to detail. It complements her Flickr photo site, http://flickr.com/photos/upaya/, where she constantly adds new photos of current Upaya happenings, as well as some great archival photos of her life. To find out more, go to http://jhalifax.zaadz.com/blog

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WANTED: Land Steward for the Prajna Refuge Someone who loves both wilderness and people, is reliable and kind; can plan and execute projects; do land work (from fence mending to clearing slash and deadfall); can work safely with a chain saw and do simple construction; works well with people; is a practitioner, and loves the adventure in the development of a new endeavor. Couples are also welcome. For more info: [email protected] c/o Roshi re. Refuge

“NATIVE GRACES” photo exhibition by Thomas L. Kelly will run June 29 - August 25 at Verve Fine Arts in Santa Fe, with an Opening Reception on the 29th, 5-7pm and a Gallery Talk with the artist on the 30th, 3-4pm. Thomas is an internationally acclaimed photojournalist who’s lived in Katmandu for the last 25 years while travelling the world to document indigenous cultures and traditions. He will be leading Upaya’s upcoming trip to Mongolia in July, along with anthropologist Carroll Dunham. For more info on Thomas and to view some samples of his stunning photography, please visit www.vervefinearts.com and click on “Thomas Kelly” under the Represented Artists box.

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