Category Archives: Weekend Retreat

Weekend Retreat: Kathie Fischer

Kathie Fischer

Kathie Fischer returns to Bozeman with this weekend retreat on the Therigatha– Teachings of the First Buddhist Women. Hosted by the Bozeman Zen Group, the retreat will take place May 3-5. This retreat will take place in person and via Zoom.

During the weekend, Kathie Fischer will help us discover the lives and teachings of early Elder Buddhist nuns through their stories, poems, and histories. These poignant tales of courage, tragedy and commitment can inspire us in our lives even 2500 years later.

With a mixture of zazen, stories, poems and dialogue we will enjoy the weekend with Kathie, our good friend and teacher.

About Kathie Fischer

Sokaku Ryotan Kathie Fischer began practicing Zen in 1971 with Sojun Mel Weitsman at the Berkeley Zen Center. She was ordained a Zen priest at San Francisco Zen Center in 1980 by Zentatsu Richard Baker, and continued residential practice at Zen Center for 15 more years. Kathie also studied and practiced with Maurine Stuart MyoOn Roshi.

She received Dharma transmission from Sojun Weitsman in 2011 while in the midst of her 28-year career as a school teacher in Mill Valley. Since retiring from teaching science to adolescents she has turned her attention to studying and teaching Dharma.

Retreat: Finding Refuge with Pamela Weiss

Pamela Weiss

Pamela Weiss returns to Bozeman for a weekend retreat on Finding Refuge.

The word refuge comes from the Latin, re-fuge, which means to fly back, to return, to come home. So much of our suffering comes from “lookin’ for love in all the wrong places…” We imagine we will find love, safety, refuge out there somewhere. But Buddhist practice teaches us that true refuge is always and already right here. Right where we are, just as we are.

This is not an invitation to apathy or passivity. It is a call to do the difficult, deeply satisfying work of transforming our tangles (reactive habits and patterns) into clear, compassionate action. This is what it means to be a Bodhisattva, a person dedicated to alleviating suffering—ours, others’, the worlds’—and to walk the Bodhisattva Path. It is exactly what our wide, aching world needs now.

Over the course of this weekend, we will focus on the theme of Finding True Refuge, and explore how to untangle our personal and collective tangles within our beautiful, aching world.

Schedule

Thursday, March 21, 7-8:30 PM: Pamela Weiss will join Bozeman Insight Community to discuss the Genjo Koan (No registration necessary)
Friday, March 22, 7-9 PM: Teachings on Refuge (There is an option for registering only for Friday night)
Saturday, March 23: 9 AM – 4 PM: The Three Jewels
Sunday, March 24: 9 AM – Noon: Closing Thoughts and Full Moon ceremony

Retreat: Brad Warner

Join the Bozeman Zen Group in welcoming Brad Warner, Zen teacher, Punk Rock musician, blogger, and all-around Not A Jerk! Brad will help us learn more about our ancestor, Eihei Dōgen through the writings of Dōgen in a weekend retreat November 10-12.

A “Friday night only” option is available at registration. No one turned away for lack of funds.

You can learn more about Brad on his website: Hardcore Zen.