On July 22 and 29, Tergar Bozeman will be taking a break from their regular schedule. All of the group leaders will be on retreat, so the group will not be meeting on these dates. We will resume our regular schedule on August 5th, and hope to see you then.
Category Archives: Lineage
Special Guest: Shannon Smith
On Thursday, July 30th from 6:30-8PM, the Bozeman Insight Community will host Shannon Smith via Zoom. Over the last decade Shannon has been sitting and studying in the Theravada tradition integrating Dharma Practice and addiction recovery practices resulting in more than 25 years of sobriety. In 2014, she stepped out of a long and successful career to have her first son and to become a Co-Founder to a Buddhist-based Recovery Treatment Center working with recovering addicts and their families. During this time, she also graduated from a four-year teacher training program with Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society. Shannon has taught meditation, led Recovery groups and co-facilitated Year-to-Live groups since 2008. She founded the Secular Dharma Foundation with Dave Smith.
Knowing and Wisdom
Join us on Saturday, July 18th, from 8am to noon for a half-day with the Bozeman Zen Group. Sometimes knowledge is equated with wisdom; we have a picture of a wise old master who knows all the answers. Yet Zen practice teaches us to be okay with not knowing. What is it about “knowing” that’s so compelling and how do we cultivate wisdom? This half-day of practice offers an opportunity to sit with these types of questions and discern our own meaning. Register here.
Mahasangha Picnic
Come get to know each other outside of the meditation hall at our third annual mahasangha picnic on Friday, July 17th, from 5-7pm at Bozeman Ponds Pavilion. Everyone is welcome! Please join us.
Wondering what to bring? Here are some suggestions based on your last name:
A-G: Beverages
H-M: Appetizer/Snack/Side
N-T: Salad/Main
U-Z: Dessert
Green Tara
You may have noticed that the main altar in the meditation hall looks a little different now! On May 30th, during our Mahasangha 1/2 day, we placed a Green Tara statue on the altar. Green Tara is sometimes known as “the Mother of all Buddhas” and represents the awakened activity of compassion. In the Tibetan lineage, the Green Tara practice helps liberate oneself from fear and afflictive emotions.
Having more female representation at the BDC was requested during the 2025 Community meeting. Having Green Tara on our altar partly meets our goal of making the BDC a more inclusive, welcoming space. Other actions we’ve taken to feel more inclusive is to start having our handouts available in both English and Spanish and to post a land acknowledgment on the wall in the foyer. We hope to add books in Spanish to our library soon. If you have other suggestions, please let us know!
Inter-Dependence Day
Celebrate the connections we have to ourselves, each other, and all beings on Saturday, July 4, 9-11AM. In a world trying to divide us, it’s more important than ever to recognize our interdependence. This morning will include reflection and meditation practice.
This event is freely offered; no registration necessary. You may want to bring a journal and a pen or pencil.
Social Sangha Supper
Many BDC members have expressed interest in having more social events outside of the meditation hall. To that end, we have scheduled our first Social Sangha Supper for this June! We will meet on Friday June 26, from 6-7 PM at Fork & Spoon.
Come have dinner with us! Not only will we get to socialize, we will get to support Fork & Spoon, Bozeman’s only pay-what-you-can restaurant where buying one meal helps buy a meal for someone else’s. Typically a dinner costs around $12.50, but you can pay more or less as you need.
Email info@bozemandharmacenter.org to let us know if you can join us so we can reserve a table for everyone. See you there!
Newcomer Orientation
Come learn about the Bozeman Dharma Center. No registration necessary. No fee! Just bring your curiosity. Learn basic meditation skills, get a quick orientation to the Center and ask your questions. It’s an easy, low-commitment way to learn about Buddhism and meditation.
The June Newcomer orientation is Tuesday June 2 from 5-6 PM.
Dharma Book Club
On Monday June 1 from 1-2 PM you are invited to join an informal book discussion. This book club is held the first Monday of every month. Come even if you haven’t read the book! For June, the group will be reading Vigil by George Saunders. No registration necessary. In person.
Mahasangha Half Day Retreat
Coming up on Saturday May 30 from 9 AM to 12:30 PM is one of our favorite gatherings of the year, the Mahasangha Half-Day Retreat! This retreat is an opportunity to learn about all the different lineages represented at the BDC. It is free! No registration needed. All are welcome!
Practitioners and leaders from each group will discuss their traditions–for this retreat we are focusing on the theme of grief. Join leaders as they share their teachings on loss, letting go, equanimity, transformation, remembrance, and peace.
One of the traditions will be sharing will be burning the remembrance cards from the Kwan Yin altar.
After the retreat, stick around from 12-12:30 PM for our Spring Pop Up Sale! We’ll be selling items we no longer need–books, cushions, a bell! Any remaining items will be available for purchase for the rest of the week.