Category Archives: Information

Getting various types of information to you

See Confusion as Buddha & Practice as Emptiness

Dharma Thoughts, Zen

This Dharma Thought is brought to you by Karen DeCotis of the Bozeman Zen Group, currently studying the book Training in Compassion: Zen Teachings on the Practice of Lojong by Norman Fischer.

From Norman:

If we could unhook ourselves for a moment from the blaming and the whining and the self-pitying and could look instead at the actual basis of what is in fact going on, what would we see? We would see time passing. We would see things changing. We would see life arising and passing away, coming from nowhere and going nowhere. Moment by moment, time slips away and things transform.

So we really can do less, not more in order to align with life and allow most things to take care of themselves. Especially in practice – what Suzuki Roshi called “effortless effort,” we can ease up on the “shoulds,” and relax as we endeavor to wake up, moment by moment. How is it….now?

Sit Still or Still Sitting?

Dharma Thoughts, Non-denominational

This is a new feature showcasing thoughts and musings about the dharma in our everyday lives by BDC leaders, teachers and community members. You can find these categorized as “Dharma Thoughts.” This contribution is from Steve Allison-Bunnell, leader of Joining Rivers Sangha:

Dear Friends,
Even with noticeably longer days, this latest cold spell has made it hard for me to get up in the morning to sit. When I have, it seems like my mind is everywhere else. Lofty goals of great concentration and wonderful insight while meditating fall away as I rehearse my day and mentally solve problems.”Sit still!” my inner adult admonishes. I open my eyes and look at my altar, seeing Thay’s serene face there next to the Buddha. Or I feel my hands tightening in my lap. The cats are outside the bedroom door begging for breakfast. I am back in the present moment. I may not be sitting still, but I am still sitting. And that quantum of patience I muster carries me out into my day.

Joining Rivers meets on Mondays from 7-8:30 PM and practices in the tradition of Plum Village & Zen Master the Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh.

Commitment to Transparency

From the Board, Non-denominational

We are grateful to the Bozeman Dharma Center community for participating in our Maha-sangha/Community meetings in November 2022. Between the conversations and the worksheets, the Board of Directors gathered great information about our community feels we are doing and where you see the BDC going. Using this information we created a three year vision for the BDC and first steps to take in 2023 to get us there.

As part of our commitment to transparency, these goals for the BDC are on the website. Click here to view!

Annual Appeal Final Tally

From the Board

WOW! Thank you all so much for your generosity and support! We raised $25,121, surpassing our goal of $20,000! This annual appeal is a significant portion of our operating budget and means we are in good shape for the new year. Looking forward to practicing with you in 2023!

Our Annual Appeal is Underway

From the Board, Non-denominational

We know you hear a lot of requests for financial support at this time of year and hope you consider the Bozeman Dharma Center when you make your end of year giving. The annual appeal is extremely important to us; it provided 22% of our operating budget last year. Your support literally keeps us operating! You can contribute through our donation page under the Giving Tab. You can also contribute through Venmo by scanning the QR code below. Any amount is helpful and appreciated!

Dana Paramita is a fundamental Buddhist practice. It encourages us to be as generous as possible in support of three facets of life: generosity of resources, generosity of time and attention, generosity of sharing the Dharma. Your financial support will make a meaningful difference for maintaining our new home.

The BDC has an Executive Director!

From the Board

The BDC board is delighted to announce that we’ve hired Karen DeCotis as the Executive Director of the Bozeman Dharma Center. As well as being the guiding teacher of the Bozeman Zen Group, Karen brings a wealth of practice experience from her work with Greater Gallatin United Way & from leadership roles at Berkeley Zen Center. Karen will begin later this month and will work part time. The BDC now has two staff members; Karen joins Michãel Palmer, the BDC general manager. Please help us welcome Karen in this new role at the BDC! 

Masks Required

From the Board, Non-denominational

Our safety policy requires masks be worn at in-person events when levels of COVID transmission are high. Last Friday, the CDC reported that COVID-19 transmission levels for Gallatin County have reached that level and therefore we will again require all participants to wear masks at BDC events. Remember that Zoom is an option for most of our programs. The BDC safety policy can be read in full here.

Space Update

From the Board, Non-denominational

Work is continuing on our new space at 3810 Valley Commons! Construction needed to take out offices in what will be our meditation hall has finished. A new wall has been put in to make an office for staff in the lobby area. Many volunteers have been working hard to get us ready to open and we’d like to take a quick moment to thank them!

Oscar Wongstrom took care of the electrical rewiring of our renovation. 
Brad Webb did an amazing job prepping and painting the space.
Steve Barkley has worked tirelessly coordinating remodeling efforts (and putting in labor as well). 
Marilyn Raffensperger, Doug Beaudoin, Mem Schultz and Karen DeCotis spent many hours researching flooring options and paint colors. 
Denny Raffensperger was essential in helping to evaluate potential space options and creating an affordable remodeling plan.

Be sure to give them all some gratitude next time you see them!

We know you’re wondering when we’ll be opening. New flooring for the meditation hall is scheduled to be installed May 23-24. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we should be able to open our doors in June. We’ll let you know the exact date as soon as we can.

We’ve Signed a Lease!

From the Board, Non-denominational

The board is excited to announce that we’ve signed a new lease! We won’t be moving in right away, however; we still have a multi-month process to go through to get it ready to occupy. There are multiple ways you can support this endeavor. To help with renovation costs, donations are always welcome. We hope to lower these costs by doing some simple jobs ourselves and could use anyone with DIY skills to help with those efforts. Finally, we will eventually need people to help us move in when that time comes. Thanks for your support everyone!