Author Archive

In response to continuing Covid variants, Taos Mountain Sangha offers ZOOM-ONLY meetings. We appreciate your understanding as we respond to the changing pandemic environment with as much wisdom and prudence as possible. The board has considered a move to once-a-month in-person sitting + continued ZOOM meeting. Given current rise in Covid cases, in-person sitting will wait for a time.

To receive weekly updates, send message to tmsangha@gmail.com and you will be added to TMS email list.

EVENING SCHEDULE — 6:00 TO 6:30, sitting MEDITATION; 6:30-6:40, mindful movement or walking or continued sitting. 6:45-7:30 TALK, DISCUSSION, & FURTHER PRACTICE.

On every evening, please mention if you’d like instructions for beginning practice.

May 3: Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. Selah Chamberlain will lead meditation and offer a dharma discussion on the topic, “There’s Metta — and what is ‘the perfection of Metta?'”

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Selah has practiced Buddhist meditation since 1969 and taught Taijiquan (”TaiChi”) for several years in the 1970’s. He has practiced acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine since 1981. Selah has led beginning meditation classes at Taos Mountain Sangha and serves as an advisor to the TMS Board of Directors.

May 10: Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. Sean Murphy will lead meditation and guide discussion on the topic, “Self and Selflessness.”

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https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88186556180
Meeting ID: 881 8655 6180
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+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
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Sean is a lay Zen teacher (Dharma Holder) in the White Plum Lineage of Zen. The most recent edition of his One Bird, One Stone: 108 Contemporary Zen Stories won the 2014 International Book Award in the Eastern Religions category. A graduate of Naropa University’s MFA writing program, Sean has practiced Zen meditation for 30 years, training with master teachers including Taizan Maezumi, John Daido Loori, Gerry Shishin Wick, and numerous others. The author of three novels, he is also a 2018 National Endowment of the Arts Fellow in Creative Writing. He is the co-founder and President of the nonprofit Sage Institute, which hosts a regular series of meditation workshops as well as an innovative Meditation Leader Training Program. Sean leads writing programs around the country. You can learn more about Sean’s work at https://www.murphyzen.com/

May 17: Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. Dami Roelse will lead meditation and facilitate discussion on the topic, “Momentary awakenings or a stroke of insight.”

Copy this link to Join Zoom Meeting:
Join Zoom Meeting — Host will admit you from waiting room; no password needed.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88186556180
Meeting ID: 881 8655 6180
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+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)

Dami is a “practical” student of Buddhism. She has practiced meditation off and on the cushion for the last 50 years. She has sat a few Zen retreats, a month-long retreat with Chogyam Trungpa, hung out with Neem Karoli Baba in India but mostly has been a student of Goenka in the Vipassana tradition. Between 1997 and 2002 Dami was a board member for the Oregon Vipassana Organization. Off the cushion Dami has hiked long distances, often solo, on the West Coast Pacific Crest Trail (completed the trail in 2022) and in the Himalayas, (trekked around Mt Kailash, in Ladakh and Nepal) and found the essence of walking meditation while doing so. Dami has explored the mind-body connection through years as a bodyworker (Rolfing and Hakomi work) and doing breath therapies. Dami has taught yoga classes and beginning meditation in correctional settings. You can learn more about Dami’s coaching and writing at https://www.transformation-travel.com/

May 24: Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. Sean Murphy will lead meditation and continue exploring the topic: “Self and Selflessness.”

Copy this link to Join Zoom Meeting:
Join Zoom Meeting — Host will admit you from waiting room; no password needed.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88186556180
Meeting ID: 881 8655 6180
Dial by your location
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)

Sean is a lay Zen teacher (Dharma Holder) in the White Plum Lineage of Zen. The most recent edition of his One Bird, One Stone: 108 Contemporary Zen Stories won the 2014 International Book Award in the Eastern Religions category. A graduate of Naropa University’s MFA writing program, Sean has practiced Zen meditation for 30 years, training with master teachers including Taizan Maezumi, John Daido Loori, Gerry Shishin Wick, and numerous others. The author of three novels, he is also a 2018 National Endowment of the Arts Fellow in Creative Writing. He is the co-founder and President of the nonprofit Sage Institute, which hosts a regular series of meditation workshops as well as an innovative Meditation Leader Training Program. Sean leads writing programs around the country. You can learn more about Sean’s work at https://www.murphyzen.com/

May 31: Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. Julie Tato will lead meditation and offer a talk, “Dharma Travels in Nepal.”

Copy this link to Join Zoom Meeting:
Join Zoom Meeting — Host will admit you from waiting room; no password needed.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88186556180
Meeting ID: 881 8655 6180
Dial by your location
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)

Julie has practiced meditation, primarily Vipassana, since 1988. She has studied with Marcia Rose, Sharon Salzberg, Ven. Tsoknyi Rinpoche, and others. An instructor of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Julie has a particular interest in Loving Kindness meditation and practice in daily life. Julie also teaches meditation with youth and those recovering from loss. She is developing a local program based on the Mindful Schools, to bring meditation to a wider youth community. Julie has lived, worked, and practiced in spiritual community, including many years at the Lama Foundation and the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA. Julie works locally to support people with disabilities and their families.

Donations for the teachers and TMS are greatly appreciated. At these online events, we continue to depend on your generosity to sustain the teachings. Please be as generous as your circumstances allow.You can offer dana to the sangha by sending a check to Taos Mountain Sangha at POBox 2854, Ranchos de Taos, NM 87557 or by donating online at Give Butter – Taos Mountain Sangha

Living This Life Fully: Stories and Teachings of Munindra (Shambhala), is a new dharma book about a pivotal figure in the transmission of Dharma to the West and “the teacher of our teachers.” Anagarika Munindra was Joseph Goldstein’s and Kamala Masters’ first teacher and one who also influenced Sharon Salzberg, Jack Kornfield, Daniel Goleman, James Baraz, Christopher Titmuss, Christina Feldman, Sylvia Boorstein, Larry Rosenberg, Marcia Rose, and many others. He was responsible for teaching Dipa Ma and introducing her to his Western students. Munindra was greatly appreciated not only for his knowledge as a Pali scholar but most especially for his embodiment of Dharma, for being a living example of the qualities that lead to awakening, qualities that are part of everyday life. When asked, “Munindraji, what is Dhamma?” he used to say, “Dhamma is living the life fully.” He did not reserve practice for a special time, in a special place, on a special cushion, but for everywhere and in every moment. His open-minded, accessible, enthusiastic, friendly, and cheerful manner was inviting and encouraging. He inspired others to believe that, yes, it is possible here and now.

The way of the Buddha is to know yourself;
To know yourself is to forget yourself;
To forget yourself is to be awakened by all things. Dogen – Thirteenth Century Zen Monk

Concentrating the Mind

Walking meditation can be a very powerful practice and is a wonderful way to help concentrate the mind.  It has been used in monastic traditions for centuries and is especially helpful when the mind is restless.  It is often done in conjunction with a rotation of sitting and walking meditations on retreats.

Select a level place, indoors or outdoors, where you can walk in a straight direction for about 100 feet or so.  In conjunction with each footstep, you silently note the count.

For example; the first step is one, the second step is one-two, the third step is one-two-three, the fourth step is one-two-three-four, and so on until you reach the count of ten.  Then, pause for a moment and reverse your direction and the counting. For example; ten, ten-nine, ten-nine-eight, ten-nine-eight-seven, descending back to one.

The practice can be repeated in a walking session for as long as you want. It is a good technique to free the mind from other thoughts and it can be done at a slow or moderate pace.

Bob Parker – 15 January 2010

Weisman, Arinna, and Jean Smith. The Beginner’s Guide to Insight Meditation (New York: Bell Tower, 2001). Clear explanations of the Buddha’s teachings with personal stories highlighting some of the challenges and insights of practice.

Smith, Jean. The Beginner’s Guide to Walking the Buddha’s Eightfold Path (New York: Bell Tower, 2002). An exploration of how the concepts central to practicing the Buddha’s teachings can be applied in daily life in such areas as environmental consciousness and interpersonal relations.

Salzberg, Sharon. Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness (Boston: Shambhala, 1995). This inspiring book by a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, introduces the West to the practice of metta, or lovingkindness, practice.

Salzberg, Sharon. A Heart as Wide as the World: Living with Mindfulness, Wisdom, and Compassion (Boston: Shambhala, 1997). Stories, anecdotes, and brief teachings that show how to live this spiritual practice in the everyday world, by a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA.

Salzberg, Sharon, ed. Voices of Insight (Boston: Shambhala, 1999). A rich anthology of writings by teachers who lead retreats at the Insight Meditation Society, in Barre, MA.

Kornfield, Jack. The Wise Heart: A Guide to the Universal Teachings of Buddhist Psychology (Bantam Books, 2008). A definitive guide to Buddhist spiritual life and psychology through the teachings of the Buddha and insight meditation, by the founder of Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, CA, and cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA.

Kornfield, Jack. A Path with Heart: A Guide Through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life (New York: Bantam Books, 1993). A practical and moving guide to living a spiritual life through the practices of Insight Meditation, by the founder of Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, CA, and cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA.

Gunaratana, Venerable Henepola. Mindfulness in Plain English (Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1991). A simple guide to Insight Meditation whose conversational style complements the depth of wisdom of Venerable Gunaratana’s teachings.

Goldstein, Joseph, and Jack Kornfield. Seeking the Heart of Wisdom: The Path of Insight Meditation (Boston: Shambhala, 1987). A rare blending of wisdom and practicality, presenting the keys to meditation and the practice of mindfulness, by two cofounders of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA.

Goldstein, Joseph. Insight Meditation: The Practice of Freedom (Boston: Shambhala, 1993). Succinct and clear essays on key aspects of Insight Meditation practice and how they can be integrated into daily life.

Goldstein, Joseph. The Experience of Insight: A Simple and Direct Guide to Buddhist Meditation (Boston: Shambhala, 1987). Unusually clear instructions on the practice of and hindrances to meditation by this master teacher and cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA.

Boorstein, Sylvia. It’s Easier Than You Think: The Buddhist Way to Happiness (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1995). A delightful presentation of major Buddhist teachings.

Boorstein, Sylvia. Don’t Just Do Something, Sit There: A Mindfulness Retreat (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1996). The experience of meditation on a retreat, shared with practicality and down-to-earth humor.

Walshe, Maurice, trans. Digha Nikaya, Thus Have I Heard: The Long Discourses of the Buddha (Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1987). The classic translation of the Long Discourses.

Smith, Jean, ed. Radiant Mind: Essential Buddhist Teachings and Texts (New York: Riverhead, 1999). A compilation of key texts and commentaries from all major traditions, selected for their accessibility to those new to Buddhism.

Rahula, Walpola. What the Buddha Taught (New York: Grove Press, 1959). A classic presentation of the key concepts of Buddhism by a Buddhist monk and scholar.

Nanamoli, Bhikkhu, and Bhikkhu Bodhi, trans, Majjhima Nikaya,
The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha (Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1995). The authoritative translation of the 152 middle-length teachings.

Murcott, Susan. The First Buddhist Women: Translations and Commentary on the Therigatha (Berkeley, CA: Parallax Press, 1991). A fascinating compilation of the enlightenment verses of the earliest female disciples of the Buddha during his lifetime.

Bodhi, Bhikkhu, trans. Samyutta Nikaya, The Connected Discourses of the Buddha (Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1995). The authoritative translation of the one of the four great collections of the Buddha’s teachings.

Bodhi, Bhikkhu, ed. and trans. In the Buddha’s Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon (Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2005). A definitive introduction to the Buddha’s teachings in his own words. This volume is especially accessible because of the clear translation and systematic presentation.

Reference and Background

Bodhi, Bhikkhu, ed. and trans. In the Buddha’s Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon (Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2005). A definitive introduction to the Buddha’s teachings in his own words. This volume is especially accessible because of the clear translation and systematic presentation.

Bodhi, Bhikkhu, trans. Samyutta Nikaya, The Connected Discourses of the Buddha (Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1995). The authoritative translation of the one of the four great collections of the Buddha’s teachings.

Murcott, Susan. The First Buddhist Women: Translations and Commentary on the Therigatha (Berkeley, CA: Parallax Press, 1991). A fascinating compilation of the enlightenment verses of the earliest female disciples of the Buddha during his lifetime.

Nanamoli, Bhikkhu, and Bhikkhu Bodhi, trans, Majjhima Nikaya,
The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha (Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1995). The authoritative translation of the 152 middle-length teachings.

Rahula, Walpola. What the Buddha Taught (New York: Grove Press, 1959). A classic presentation of the key concepts of Buddhism by a Buddhist monk and scholar.

Smith, Jean, ed. Radiant Mind: Essential Buddhist Teachings and Texts (New York: Riverhead, 1999). A compilation of key texts and commentaries from all major traditions, selected for their accessibility to those new to Buddhism.

Walshe, Maurice, trans. Digha Nikaya, Thus Have I Heard: The Long Discourses of the Buddha (Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1987). The classic translation of the Long Discourses.

Insight Meditation Practice and Teachings

Boorstein, Sylvia. Don’t Just Do Something, Sit There: A Mindfulness Retreat (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1996). The experience of meditation on a retreat, shared with practicality and down-to-earth humor.

Boorstein, Sylvia. It’s Easier Than You Think: The Buddhist Way to Happiness (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1995). A delightful presentation of major Buddhist teachings.

Goldstein, Joseph. The Experience of Insight: A Simple and Direct Guide to Buddhist Meditation (Boston: Shambhala, 1987). Unusually clear instructions on the practice of and hindrances to meditation by this master teacher and cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA.

Goldstein, Joseph. Insight Meditation: The Practice of Freedom (Boston: Shambhala, 1993). Succinct and clear essays on key aspects of Insight Meditation practice and how they can be integrated into daily life.

Goldstein, Joseph, and Jack Kornfield. Seeking the Heart of Wisdom: The Path of Insight Meditation (Boston: Shambhala, 1987). A rare blending of wisdom and practicality, presenting the keys to meditation and the practice of mindfulness, by two cofounders of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA.

Gunaratana, Venerable Henepola. Mindfulness in Plain English (Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1991). A simple guide to Insight Meditation whose conversational style complements the depth of wisdom of Venerable Gunaratana’s teachings.

Kornfield, Jack. A Path with Heart: A Guide Through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life (New York: Bantam Books, 1993). A practical and moving guide to living a spiritual life through the practices of Insight Meditation, by the founder of Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, CA, and cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA.

Kornfield, Jack. The Wise Heart: A Guide to the Universal Teachings of Buddhist Psychology (Bantam Books, 2008). A definitive guide to Buddhist spiritual life and psychology through the teachings of the Buddha and insight meditation, by the founder of Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, CA, and cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA.

Salzberg, Sharon, ed. Voices of Insight (Boston: Shambhala, 1999). A rich anthology of writings by teachers who lead retreats at the Insight Meditation Society, in Barre, MA.

Salzberg, Sharon. A Heart as Wide as the World: Living with Mindfulness, Wisdom, and Compassion (Boston: Shambhala, 1997). Stories, anecdotes, and brief teachings that show how to live this spiritual practice in the everyday world, by a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA.

Salzberg, Sharon. Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness (Boston: Shambhala, 1995). This inspiring book by a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, introduces the West to the practice of metta, or lovingkindness, practice.

Smith, Jean. The Beginner’s Guide to Walking the Buddha’s Eightfold Path (New York: Bell Tower, 2002). An exploration of how the concepts central to practicing the Buddha’s teachings can be applied in daily life in such areas as environmental consciousness and interpersonal relations.

Weisman, Arinna, and Jean Smith. The Beginner’s Guide to Insight Meditation (New York: Bell Tower, 2001). Clear explanations of the Buddha’s teachings with personal stories highlighting some of the challenges and insights of practice.