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Beginnings


Editorial

By Frances Collins

‘What do you want to breathe life into?’

Reb Anderson Roshi

This late summer edition comes after a very busy period for Dancing Mountains Zen. A seven day retreat with Reb Anderson was well housed and supported by Hebden Bridge Zen group as well as the local community. This was followed by a public talk which was well received before leaving for London. Reb offered a seminar at Hampstead Quaker Meeting House on Compassion in relation to health and in the world. This was very well attended and we were delighted by the opportunity to meet Richard Baker Roshi also in attendance. Discussion is on-going with Reb about returning in 2014 or 2015 and we welcome all positive energy that anyone would like to offer as we build our supportive community. We will publish here on our website when we have any news so watch this space!
Signs of growth continue as an organisation stepping out and spreading Zen practice in the tradition of Suzuki Roshi & San Francisco Zen Centre. We realise this is a rare and precious opportunity. Introduced to the UK more than 30 years ago, the community has arisen around Tenshin Roshi as our founding teacher and more recently subsequent teachers and priests that have visited our shores. We are most grateful for the opportunity to receive the embodied teaching that Reb brings here tirelessly over the years.
We have come a long way! 2010 saw the first suggestion of an informal constitution offered to our sangha. Discussion led organically to the suggestion that the time could be right to take the next step in development as an organisation. Since then there has been growth in local sangha activity and also at national level. An interim board formed from a few committed sangha members from sanghas across England who were willing to offer time and energy to monthly skype meetings and to sit together as a sangha at regular intervals to actively face the difficulties that such growth brings and to explore how to move forward with the less known legal process of becoming an officially recognised organisation. Meeting the challenges of this growth period we continue to focus on our common aspiration toward growth as a nation-wide community who may be supported by widening our engaged practice in a way that we hope helps all to prepare for all aspects of living and dying.
We are delighted to report that we are actively ready to submit our legal documentation toward incorporating as a social enterprise in the form of a Community Interest Company (C.I.C.). We will be sharing our constitution formally at AGM and hope you can join us. We will have the opportunity to practice together as a sangha and also to review reports on events over the past year as well as the treasurer's report. Becoming a C.I.C. means that whilst accepting more responsibility we will be able to apply for funding streams that support practice opportunities in UK and to offer our community practice as an invitation to people searching for a way of life that is open to being shaped by the bodhisattva vows.
Dancing Mountains is a membership organisation. We offer our deep gratitude to all generosities shown and to paying members whose money contributed quietly and steadily to supporting this year’s events. We welcome all new members. If you would like to join us in breathing life into this practice please join us. You can download a membership form here

For all organisational enquiries please email us at :- directors@dancingmountains.org.uk


Sangha Update

Notice of Dancing Mountains weekend retreat and Annual General Meeting

By Devin Ashwood

We are very happy to announce that we will host the 2013 Dancing Mountains Annual General Meeting on Sunday 13th October at  2:00pm at The Manor House, Ash Walk, ... Read more

Article

‘San Francisco Zen Center – Turns Fifty’ (extracts)

By Tenshin Reb Anderson, transcribed by Kath Bennett, Edited by Frances Collins

Here’s a story…
Suzuki Roshi wanted to give something really good to America and the thing he had that he thought would be really good was the practi... Read more

Sangha Update

Felsentor Update

By Vanja Palmers (Poorly translated by Google and Devin Ashwood)

Dear friends of Felsentor,

For the second time in January our Zen practice ... Read more

Poetry

The Earth Remembered

By Carol Kempster

The Earth remembered when she was dressed in green
When her mountains came down and dippe... Read more

Poetry

The Happy Smiling Baby

By Carol Kempster

A happy smiling baby on the bus
Sat in his pushchair by his granny’s feet
Mimicked her smile
Turned his gaze on me –
For one moment, ... Read more


Previous issues are available here

In this issue...



Get involved
Facebook group
For general discussion and socialising about Dancing Mountains and related events on Facebook, please click the link above. Business matters and decisions are made separately via an email list - please contact us if you want to be part of this.

Local Contacts
Visit the Local Groups webpage for details of Dancing Mountains groups in your area, and the Diary for their regular meeting dates and times.

Next Issue
The Winter edition will have a theme around "Zen practise in daily life". We welcome your articles, poetry, pictures, letters, retreat reflections and book reviews! Publication date: 21st December, deadline for submission of material 21st November.
Submissions to the Newsletter/Website:
Devin Ashwood, 07875 155464
Address: 18 Westfield, Bruton, Somerset, BA10 0BT
devin@dancingmountains.org.uk

 

Membership
Please download a printable membership form to support Dancing Mountains.

 

Events

October Zen in the Sun

at Lefkada Greece

with Ingen Breen

6th October 2013 to 13th October 2013

A Retreat with Ingen Breen in Greece. 

There will options of shared and single rooms. Payment can be in installments for this event. Still finalising details, but do contact for information.

Cost: TBA

07970425932 rebeccahabs@googlemail.com


Dancing Mountains Weekend and AGM

at Warminster, Wiltshire

with No Teacher

12th October 2013 to 13th October 2013

A weekend of sitting together and our AGM meeting

Cost: £40-£55

07875 155464 devin@dancingmountains.org.uk


A Weekend of Zen

at Hebden Bridge, Birchcliffe Centre

with Brad Warner

18th October 2013 to 20th October 2013

Two days with a Zen Priest, Author & Punk Rocker

Cost: £80 - £125

07970 425932 hebdenbridgezen@gmail.com


Hallowe’en Sesshin

at Hebden Bridge

with Ingen Breen

27th October 2013 to 2nd November 2013

A week retreat over Samhain

Cost: £140

01422 883645 hebdenbridgezen@gmail.com


Brighton One Day Sit

at Brighton

with Brighton Sangha

11th January 2014

Brighton One Day Sit [FULLY BOOKED]

chrisjhannah25@gmail.com


January Practice Period

at Your home

5th February 2014 to 27th February 2014

Three week practice period - in your home!

wendyklein@btinternet.com


Weekend Retreat in Glastonbury

at Glastonbury, Somerset

with Ingen Breen

15th February 2014 to 16th February 2014

A weekend of Zen in Somerset

Cost: £80-£120, please enquire

07875 155464 devin@dancingmountains.org.uk


Non-residential Practice Period

at Hebden Bridge

with Ingen Breen

21st February 2014 to 3rd May 2014

3 month non-residential Practice Period

hebdenbridgezen@gmail.com


Dancing Mountains Group facilitators weekend

at Great Cressingham, Norfolk

29th March 2014 to 30th March 2014

A weekend of support for local group facilitators

Cost: £120 (in the region of)

carolhunter135@hotmail.com


Hebden Bridge end of Practice Period Sesshin

at Hebden Bridge

with Ingen Breen

29th April 2014 to 4th May 2014

7 days of practice with Ingen Breen

hebdenbridgezen@gmail.com


Brighton sitting day

at Brighton

17th May 2014

A one day practice with the Brighton Sangha

chrisjhannah25@gmail.com


Good Friendship and Perfect Wisdom

at Zen Garden, Sweden

with Tenshin Reb Anderson Roshi

16th August 2014 to 23rd August 2014

7 day retreat - BOOKING RE-OPENED, Last few places

Cost: £260-£460

rebineurope@gmail.com