Saturday April 4, 9 AM to 12:30 PM, Hybrid!
Senior BDC practitioners, Katie Travis-Arnold and Nick Woodward, explore central teachings of our 2600 year old Buddhist tradition. The class will discuss the different lineages of Buddhism, the life of the Buddha, the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path and the precepts. Great for those new to meditation and Buddhist practice; seasoned practitioners are warmly encouraged as well.
With Brittany and James Nepenthe, Saturday March 28, 9 AM-12:30 PM. Zoom only!
This half-day workshop offers practical tools for directly investigating the sense of self. Through guided inquiry and experiential exercises, participants will learn how to look closely at present-moment experience and examine whether a separate self can actually be found. The emphasis is on active investigation rather than philosophy, supporting clear seeing in everyday life.
Brittany & James Nepenthe are dharma practitioners specializing in the intersection of relationship as spiritual path, transcendent awakening, and trauma healing. With years of extensive silent retreat experience, they are committed to deep realization in the midst of ordinary life. As a married couple and expectant parents, they are devoted to awakening as householders, with no part of life excluded from the path.
Yamama! is back on Friday, March 20 from 7- 8 PM.
Explore meditation and connection through sound. Yamama! will offer a meditative soundscape using drums, percussion and vocals. No registration necessary. Donations welcome! Any funds collected will be split evenly with the artists. In person.
Come learn about meditation and the Bozeman Dharma Center! The first Tuesday of every month, we host a newcomer orientation. Receive basic meditation instruction and learn about what the Center offers. The next one is on Tuesday March 3, from 5-6 PM. Bring your questions! No registration necessary. In person.
The Dharma Book Club will meet on Monday March 2 from 1-2 PM to discuss the book, “The Power of Awakening: Mindfulness Practices and Spiritual Tools to Transform your Life” by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer. All are welcome to join this informal discussion. Come even if you haven’t finished the book! Free. No registration necessary.
Karen DeCotis will be in Bozeman in early March! She will be giving a public talk on Friday, March 6 from 7:00 – 8:30 pm and a Daylong retreat on Saturday, March 7 from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm.
Our Inmost Request: Consciousness and Ethics in Buddhist Practice
Suzuki Roshi encourages us to be fully who we are, not to try to figure out who we are or have an idea of how to be.
What is an authentic life? How does Mind help or hinder our authentic self? What does this mean for our approach to how to be in the world?
To be fully who we are, we look to realize our inmost nature, our inmost request of ourselves. As we identify this, we must find how to maintain this, to have a continuous practice and have this deep request inform our effort in all of our arenas of practice – meditation, relationships, parenting, activism, art, service.
This weekend we will explore the quest of our inmost aspiration and how it relates to being upright in a wonderful and troubled world. It will include meditation, instruction, Dharma talks, writing and reflection and group conversation.
The Bozeman Dharma Center’s annual community meeting is an opportunity for the board members and staff of the BDC to share the organization’s goals and get feedback from the community. On Friday February 20th, join us to hear about actions taken based on last year’s community meeting feedback, get updates about the finances and direction of the organization and connect with the current members of the Board of Directors. Come at 5:30 to socialize, the meeting will start at 6 PM. www.bozemandharmacenter.org. 406-219-2140. Free! Open to all.
Guest Teacher Cara Lai will join us via Zoom for this daylong workshop on Saturday, February 14 from 9:30 AM – 3:00 PM. There will be a break from 12-1. Hybrid.
The number of parents in the world is tremendous, and yet it’s easy to believe that parenthood, or caregiving more broadly, presents a barrier to deep practice. The lack of sleep, the constant attention to others, the endless list of agenda items, and the obstacles to going on retreat all might lead to the belief that one has to choose between having a serious practice and becoming a parent or caregiver. And yet, parenthood and caregiving are clearly abundant with opportunities for practice in metta, generosity, patience, and letting go. This day of practice and connection will explore and celebrate the many ways that being a caregiver has tremendous potential to be its own path to awakening. We will share stories, practice, reflect, grieve, and laugh together; and we will remember the wisdom of parents walking the path before us, to recognize the richness of our awakening as caregivers.
Bio: Cara Lai is a meditation teacher, artist, and writer who helps people step out of the cycle of suffering and into the fullness of life. She spent most of her life trying to figure out how to be happy, or at least avoid total misery, which ultimately led her to spend the majority of her adulthood meditating. She’s explored what it means to be alive through many adventures in consciousness, including a full year of solitary retreat, living with chronic illness, and having two whole humans come out through her vagina.
She once worked as a wilderness guide, social worker, and psychotherapist, but traded it in for an all-out mindfulness rampage. She’s a working mom whose teaching is relatable, authentic, funny and sometimes crass, and is accessible for many people. She is authorized to teach in the Theravada Buddhist Lineage through IMS/Spirit Rock, and she teaches at centers across the country, for the Happier app, Ten Percent Happier, Hatch, and more. She lives with her husband, toddler, and new infant in Hinesburg, Vermont, ultimately hoping to get woke enough to bend spoons with her mind in front of large audiences. And to help everyone get free.
Learn more about Cara and her offerings here: CARA LAI
At some point, meditators find themselves challenged with their practice. You may feel like you are doing something wrong, but everyone experiences obstacles! We’ll explore your questions and challenges together in community and come away with new tools and inspiration. Led by Amy Strom and Michãel Palmer, on Saturday February 7 from 9 AM -12:30 PM. Please register online. Hybrid.
Come learn about meditation and the Bozeman Dharma Center! The first Tuesday of every month, we host a newcomer orientation. Receive basic meditation instruction and learn about what the Center offers. The next one is on Tuesday February 3, from 5-6 PM. Bring your questions! No registration necessary. In person.
