Dear friends,
We’ve been doing some cozy and heartwarming things this winter at Bread Loaf Mountain. Some of you already heard about Valentine’s Day Gather Anniversary and Peacemaker Quilt Party. I hope you’ll enjoy the write up below and the article that our local newspaper ran about the event. Many of you know that tears come easily for me when my heart is touched, but handing those quilts over to the local foster care agency for kids moved me in a really deep way. We’ve been doing a big push to get all of our quilts “adopted.” Please consider adopting a quilt to bring it to completion so it can be given away as a warming and caring gift to a little one in need.
Also, for any of you that are local, we could always use more hosts at Gather. Our Community Room teaches us so much about the Dharma in a lived and experiential way. And what a joy it is not only getting to know so many neighbors and making new friends, but watching surprising friendships develop and blossom in the community as a result of Gather. As the Buddha taught, friendship is the whole of the spiritual life. I understand this teaching more and more each day. And if you can’t host, we are always accepting much needed financial support for this project. Consider making a gift of your time, talent, and/or treasure to help bring people closer together. If you’d like to get involved at Gather in some way, feel free to reach out to Jishu and let her know what interests you.
One last program note. We are going to have some creative fun at our May Zen Circle, as we look at creativity through the works of two distant luminaries: Eihei Dogen and Bob Dylan. Many contemporary Zen scholars and teachers have made connections between these two, and we’re going to dive in to their works as a way of exploring our own creative paths to awakening. I hope you’ll join us. You can register now by clicking here.
May these midwinter months be rich in the warming Dharma.
Hearts together,
Joshin
