Community as Peacemaking “I suggest a core practice of gathering: embracing the art of togetherness, mindful welcoming, just listening and being present for each other, and responding out of a felt sense of kinship. There is nothing more important. By doing this, we bring calm, connection, and care into our
We are purchasing a beautiful new space in Middlebury. One Step. One Breath. Moving Forward! This mantra is my constant companion when opportunities arise. We have a wonderful one in front of us and we’re taking steady steps to make it a reality. We negotiated a good price
MARK YOUR CALENDAR: Sunday afternoon and Monday morning, January 14th and 15th Gather continues to welcome guests every Wednesday through Sunday, and to function as a center for conviviality, artistic activities, sharing food together and cultivating friendships. We recognize that Gather flourishes because of the many friends who serve as
Gather offers relief for hunger and loneliness Addison Independent November 30, 2023 ‘Gather’ offers relief for hunger & loneliness GATHER AT 48 Merchants Row in Middlebury hosted a Thanksgiving dinner last Thursday for around 60 people, many of them houseless and/or struggling with other challenges. Pictured here, from left,
I was recently asked to articulate my vision for Gather and Bread Loaf Mountain Zen Community. I hesitated for a minute, experiencing a little glitch in my brain. I had two thoughts bumping into each other: one centered around the traditional settings of Dharma talks, rituals, robes, and Dogen workshops,
In the second Dharma Talk of our Spring Practice Period, Eisho and Joshin share reflections on the practice of Loving Speech (愛語/aigo) as described in Dogen’s fascicle “Bodhisattva’s Four Methods of Guidance” (Talk 2 of 4) to learn more or sign up for the Practice Period, see below:
In the first Dharma Talk of our Spring Practice Period, Joshin and Eisho share reflections on the practice of Giving (布施/fuse) as described in Dogen’s “Bodhisattva’s Four Methods of Guidance” (Talk 1 of 4) Learn more or sign up for the Practice Period.
I listened quietly to a European news agency report from the streets on the war in the Ukraine. So many stories about how the ordinary and uncomplicated routines of taking children to school and going to work were violently disrupted. How the simple everyday joys of walking in one’s neighborhood
For episode 128 of the Metta Hour Podcast, Sharon speaks with Sensei Joshin Byrnes for the Real Change Series. Joshin is a Zen priest, teacher, activist, and the founder of the Bread Loaf Mountain Zen Community in Vermont. Joshin maintains a core practice of bearing witness to homelessness by offering
Sewing the World Together We’re very excited to kick off our new Peacemaker Quilts project here at Bread Loaf Mountain Zen Community. Sangha members in Vermont and around the world will be sewing together blocks that will be brought together into twin-size quilts to be donated to children in the
We extend our boundless gratitude to everyone who gives to Bread Loaf Mountain to make our life possible
