Give Big is Next Week!

From the Board

This year we ask you to give in support of our sanghas. We are one of a small number of centers in the US that have multiple lineages practicing together. We now have six groups regularly meeting at the BDC in addition to three drop-in sits during the work week! As the BDC grows, our practice groups need support to offer you their teachings. Your donations benefit the sanghas by:

  • Keeping sangha rent very low
  • Providing sanghas a mailing address
  • Providing tea, candles, meditation and office supplies for sangha use
  • Providing the means to have online meetings if desired
  • Providing help tracking donations and finances 
  • Supporting group teachers with
    • mentoring
    • access to teachings and resources
    • access to administrative help and resources
  • Providing marketing for sangha events and visiting teachers
  • Having an increased presence in the Greater Gallatin Community

Please consider making a donation during Give Big!

As Thich Nhat Hanh says, “A good community is needed to help us resist the unwholesome ways of our time. Mindful living protects us and helps us go in the direction of peace. With the support of friends in the practice, peace has a chance.” 

Energy & Joy

Zen

Join Karen DeCotis and the Bozeman Zen Group this Saturday, April 29, at 9AM. In this half-day retreat we will work with the 7 Factors of Awakening – specifically Energy and Joy! Join us for sitting and walking meditation, dharma talk, and tea/snacks. Great way to get some retreat practice and still have your weekend.

Intro to Meditation

Classes, Non-denominational, Programs

Our Intro to Meditation class will start a few weeks later than we listed in the April newsletter, running on Wednesdays from May 24 – June 7.

Join us to learn practices from the Insight, Zen and Tibetan traditions. Meditation can help to calm the mind, open the heart, and awaken wisdom. It is a means to study ourselves by contacting our inner life. When we know ourselves well, we are better able to relate to others in the world with integrity and confidence. In the Buddhist tradition there are several meditation styles that can aid us in developing the qualities of peacefulness and wisdom. Join us for any or all of this series, if you would like to begin a meditation practice or renew the one you already have.

Brian Lesage visits BIC

Insight

Brian Lesage will be the guest speaker for the Bozeman Insight Community on Thursday, April 27 at 7 PM. Brian will present (via Zoom) a talk entitled “Living with Integrity: Nurturing the Two Guardians of the World.” Brian Lesage has practiced Buddhist meditation since 1988 and has taught since 2000. He has studied in the Zen, Theravada, and Tibetan schools and was ordained in the Rinzai Zen tradition in 1996. He’s known for his clarity, precision, scholarship and love of poetry. We hope you’ll all tune in for the return of this sangha favorite.

Time to Connect

Dharma Thoughts, Non-denominational

This Dharma Thought is brought to you by Steve Allison-Bunnell with the Joining Rivers Sangha which meets every Monday at 7PM.

A friend I’ve known for 35 years, and haven’t seen in 25, still sends me a handwritten letter on actual stationery once a year. And of course I answer her in kind. It’s a sweet form of connection, acknowledging the depth of our first friendship in college, and our continued mutual respect over the arc of adulthood. Writing with a pen, trying to choose my words to avoid cross outs, I’m able to reflect on the essence of my life in the past year in a way that texts or emails don’t invite. Unlike social media, I don’t have to pretend everything is the best ever, or try to measure up to my friend’s experience. What comes out is unvarnished and from the heart — the way we talked when we were housemates so long ago. And as I continue on the Path of Practice,  this pause to write to her feels even more like a sacred space. Who do you maintain a long-term connection with? How is it special and precious?

Vance Pryor visits MindSpace

Insight

On Tuesday, April 11, Vance Pryor will visit MindSpace, our younger adult group to share practice, take questions and have informal conversation. All (40 and under) are welcome to drop-in.
In person only at the Bozeman Dharma Center. Offered freely.

Vance Pryor BIC Guest Speaker

Insight

Help BIC welcome Vance Pryor, our visiting guest teacher from IMS and Spirit Rock meditation centers. Vance will introduce himself to our community by sharing some stories of his journey in the dharma and taking questions of all sorts. He will give some short instructions for practice and lead a sit, followed by discussion.

All are welcome. In person or join by the regular, drop-in zoom channel.

No prior experience or registration necessary.

Awareness, Kindness, & Community

Insight

Join us for this daylong retreat led by visiting teacher, Vance Pryor on Saturday April 8. Cultivate qualities of awareness and metta and explore how they work together to deepen feelings of belonging and community. Learn more here. As physical space is limited, please try to register soon!