Our next Newcomer Orientation will be September 3 from 5-6 PM. We hold these orientations on the first Tuesday of each month. Perfect for people interested in the BDC but wanting to check out the space and get questions answered before coming to a meeting. Receive an orientation to the space, learn about our groups and get some basic meditation instruction. All welcome!
Enjoy a relaxed afternoon mindfully creating cards of compassion using collage and paint. Because art can offer a way of exploring things that trouble us and allows us to practice getting to a non-judging place, it can be a useful way to grow compassion. You do not have to consider yourself an artist to enjoy this offering!
Compassion begins when we can accept all aspects of a person, letting go of judgment and recognizing the universality of the human condition. Using collage and paint, we will compassionately explore something troubling us. It could be different aspects of ourselves: what we like to present and what we prefer not to show in public; it could be a strained relationship, it could be trying to have compassion for a friend… you decide what you would like to work on (although we suggest that you start small). We will explore our feelings on postcard size paper and write messages of compassion and encouragement on them. You have the option of having us mail these cards of compassion to yourself or the intended recipient later in the month.
Space is limited. All materials included. Please pre-register so that we can set up the space accordingly.
The BDC Mindful Creativity classes offer creative ways to explore the teachings of the Buddha. Using arts, crafts and/or writing methods, facilitators from our community will lead creative activities with the purpose of expressing the wisdom, inspiration and compassion of the Dharma.
You do not have to practice Buddhism or have prior experience with the art form to join; everyone is welcome.
There will be a suggested sliding scale fee which includes registration and materials costs for every meeting; scholarships are available on request.
Sample Meeting
● Welcome/introduction
● Meditation (10-20 minutes)
● Introduction to creative activity.
● Creative activity
● Group sharing on the experience of practice or the reading
● Clean up
● Short closing sit and Dedication of Merit
Creativity, innovation and imagination have been part of the Buddhist tradition since the first century BCE when the oral tradition of Theravada evolved into the narrative sutras of the Pali Canon etched into palm leaves. Statues of Buddha were created in the 3rd century Pyu period of Burma. The Dunhuang caves of China revealed a multicultural collection of 5th century Buddhist manuscripts and mural paintings. Tibetans have created thangkas and mandalas for 1,300 years inspiring the practice of Vajrayana Buddhism. The history of Zen in Japan is replete with poems, drawings, paintings and books based on Buddhist themes. Modern western Buddhism is currently producing art, in all its forms, as an exploration of the Buddha’s teachings. Our Mindful Creativity Group will continue this tradition.
Enjoy this summer SoundGate on Friday, July 26 from 7-8 PM. There will be mantras led by Kathleen Karlsen accompanied by Brian Sparks on Tibetan bowls followed by a relaxing therapeutic bowl session for everyone. Kathleen uses the science of mantras to help others create a healthy brain, a happy heart, and a rejuvenated body. Brian is trained in the Nyingma bowl tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. He has received spiritual teachings and instruction from several masters and the granting of Buddhist empowerments. No registration necessary! Any funds collected will be split evenly between the BDC and the guest artists.
Join our Newcomer Orientation event on the first Tuesday of each month to get your questions answered and receive basic meditation instruction. This evening is a great way to check out the BDC, learn about our six different groups and what events we have coming up. No commitment needed. You do not need to pre-register and the evening is offered freely. Bring a friend!
The Bozeman Dharma Center is the culmination of an idea that has been simmering in this community for many years. Finally, in 2013, the right combination of support, leadership and volunteers made it possible to establish a shared home for Bozeman’s Buddhist groups – a place of refuge and silence where we can offer a full schedule of sitting practices, instruction and study of Buddhist teachings.
In the newcomer orientation event, learn about our programs which are meant to inspire practice and honor the inner life – solitude and silence, creativity and growth, compassion and wisdom. In these fast-paced and extroverted times, there is a need for serene and quiet places to nurture our spiritual lives and to foster inner growth.
Whether you are just beginning to explore meditation and Buddhism, or have been practicing for years, you are welcome to join us in quiet sitting times, sangha meetings, study groups, weekend retreats and other programs.
Meditation is compatible with other religious traditions and it is not necessary to forgo any religious affiliation to explore these practices. All are welcome regardless of religious affiliation, race, sexual orientation, political or socio-economic circumstances.
The VISION of the BDC is to realize our awakened minds and compassionate hearts for the benefit of all beings
The MISSION of the BDC is to provide a welcoming community to practice and study Buddhism in our contemporary world.
The OFFERINGS of the BDC are opportunities to explore the Buddha’s teachings through the practices of multiple traditions. We offer classes, retreats, sitting groups, and drop-in meditations in person and online.
The Bozeman Dharma Center is committed to cultivating an awareness and appreciation of the value of diversity and to acknowledging the need to recognize and dissolve barriers that separate us from each other.
We open our doors and hearts to all social identities including all races, classes, sexual orientations, gender identities, ages, abilities, cultures, and ethnicities.
Everyone is welcome in the spirit of an open heart and mind.
The Bozeman Zen Group will no longer offer an afternoon sit on Monday and Friday evenings at 5:20 PM. Please feel free to drop-in to our online, 6AM sits every week day or join the noon sit in person at the BDC. We hope to sit with you soon!
The Taoism, Ch’an and The Tang Dynasty Poets class is canceled for now. We hope to offer it again in the fall. Thank you for your patience and understanding. We’re sorry for any inconvenience.
This year, the BDC is fundraising to support our many teachers, local and visiting, who provide Dharma teaching at our space and on Zoom. We call our campaign – Teachers are the vessel of the Dharma – they bring forth the teaching of the Buddha, the freedom from suffering. We are fortunate that our teachers offer in person and online teachings.
Our $13,000 goal is for travel and hosting costs of visiting teachers as well as offer financial, administrative, and marketing support to our local teachers.
If you are able, please make your gift soon,
With warm bows to all,
Karen DeCotis
BDC Executive Director
The BDC Community Meeting is your chance to learn more about how the BDC operates, what the staff does, where the money goes, and give input for our future direction! This meeting is so important that we hold it twice! Once on Sunday, April 21 from 4-5:30 PM and again on Monday, April 22 from 7-8:30 PM. You can attend in person or via Zoom. Both meetings will have the same content.
The April 5th SoundGate program features a frequency vibration soundscape created by Jessie Solon. Enter a timeless space of listening as Jessie facilitates deep states of relaxation through the intentional use of overtone rich, sound healing instruments including crystal and Himalayan singing bowls, a symphonic gong, bells & chimes, wave, and monochord. The layering of these frequency vibration elements will offer a unique sound experience that will encourage a tangible shift in perceptual awareness, as well as an increased sense of nourishment and well-being. No registration necessary! Donations welcome; any funds collected will be split equally between the BDC and the facilitator.
We’re excited to have Dr. Marilia Librandi host a writing meditation workshop for our Mindful Creativity series on April 14. Marilia excels at creating a space to create freely, to experiment with forms and content, to discover our spontaneous mind, to let our inner critic speak but not to stop us, to express ourselves effortlessly and to surprise ourselves with the energy of our listening words.
It’s a workshop inspired by the encounter between Allen Ginsberg and Trungpa Rinpoche, carried on by Natalie Goldberg’s writing practice, Zenju Earthlyn Manuel’s spiritual writings and Brazilian Clarice Lispector’s “writing by ear.”
Marília Librandi has a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of São Paulo, Brazil. She taught Brazilian Literature and Culture at Stanford University and at Princeton University. She is the author of Writing by Ear (Univ.of Toronto Press, 2018) and co-editor of Transpoetic Exchange (Bucknell Press, 2020). Learn more on her website: https://mywritinglab.org/
Here’s what past participants have said about Marilia’s workshops:
“Marilla’s writing lab spurs my daily creativity in ways I never expected. I’m delighted to have more clarity about my intentions, with fresh ideas on how to live and work. Most of all, the rich exchange of sharing spontaneous writing is a treasure. Kind listening and warm encouragement ‘ go a long way to make writing both joyful and rewarding.” -Margaret Kachadurian
“I really appreciate how Marilia makes the Writing Lab a group experience where it feels safe to write from a place of freedom and vulnerability. She offers inspiring prompts for our writing and maintains a structure that supports good conversation and writing time. I thoroughly enjoy my time at the Writing Lab!” -Travis Burdick
Registration fees will be split between the BDC and the facilitator. No need to bring extra dana.
