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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.

March 1: Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. Selah Chamberlain will lead meditation and offer a dharma discussion on the topic, “The Perfection of Sacca: “Truthfulness? Honesty? Truth?”

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)

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.

March 8: Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. Sean Murphy will lead meditation and guide discussion on 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/

March 15: Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. Jean Smith will lead meditation. After offering a brief Dharma Reflection, “Practice for What?” she will facilitate follow-up discussion.

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)

Jean has practiced Buddhist meditation since 1986 and has published nine books on Buddhism–including The Beginner’s Guide to Insight Meditation (with Arinna Weisman); Now! The Art of Being Truly Present; Life Is Spiritual Practice (the Paramis); as well as a novel, Himalayan Passage. Jean is a member of Taos Mountain Sangha, where she is a regular guest teacher, and she serves on the board of The Mountain Hermitage.

March 22: 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/

March 29: Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. Barbara Sheppard will lead meditation and guide a dharma discussion.

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)

Barbara is a long-time member of Taos Mountain Sangha. She has served on the Board and helped organize local retreats with visiting teachers, including Susie Harrington. Barbara has worked extensively with Insight Dialogue practice, supports her meditation practice with regular long retreats, and maintains a close connection to her teacher, Lila Kate Wheeler.

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