http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=likTDNXjwrwThe Bermuda Petrel, or Cahow –another bird named for the sound it makes — had a record breeding season this year!!   Such wonderful news from the London Review of Books.  Long article there reminded us that a 17thC shipwreck in Bermuda was the model for Shakespeare’s The Tempest.  Disaster for the birds, though — they were not afraid of people, so, like dodoes, they’d gather arond humans’ feet and get clubbed to death and eaten.  They were believed extinct, until a few were discovered on a remote island and given support by one, then a growing number of well informed and careful people.  The URL above shows the gentle activity of a parent bird taking care of a baby.  I can’t embed video but it’s worth a watch.

It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken– Shakespeare, Sonnet 116

 

 

There have been so many scandals and betrayals and abuses of power in Buddhist traditions lately, since I teach, I feel it’s important to state my teacher ethics code publicly:

When I teach, and at other times, I will practice:

Not to harm myself or others

Not misuse resources; extort anyone; to be generous materially, energetically and with heart and vision

I will not exploit students sexually and hold appropriate boundaries

Speak, counsel, and teach humbly; speak from experience; listen, receive feedback

Work with any addictive patterns that I discern or are pointed out to me.

I will take care of myself even as I take care of others.

If any student feels concern about my ethical practices, and you don’t feel like talking to me about it, I’m a member of the Spirit Rock Teacher Council and you can bring it to Ethics and Reconciliation Council (EAR@spiritrock.org).

Alma Nungarrayi Granites – The Night Sky 2011

Poster-LilaWheelerSep2018

Come, Stay, Go: Impermanence with Lila Kate Wheeler 3-Day Silent Retreat Thursday, Sept 27th to Sunday, Sept 30th, 2018 The Margaret Austin Center, Chappell Hill, Texas Sponsored by Insight Meditation Houston

 

A Retreat on Impermanence (Anicca)

“And this, too, shall pass away.” This well-known quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln is something, he said, “that is true and appropriate in all times and situations.”  The Buddha would have agreed.   At this retreat we will practice being mindful with special attention to the changing nature of experience.  This is one of the Buddha’s instructions, giving access to insights on the nature of existence: to be aware of arising and passing away, grounded in direct experiences.  To be intimate with our life’s ever-changing nature brings many blessings, including acceptance, appreciation, and wisdom. “How much it expresses! How chastening in the hour of pride! How consoling in the depths of affliction!” Lincoln exclaimed, summing up the benefits.

 

The retreat will be held mostly in silence, with formal sitting and walking meditation periods, question and answer sessions, early morning movement sessions, and meetings with the teachers.  This retreat is open to all.  We will take ethical precepts.  Sitting and walking meditation periods will alternate, with a daily gentle yoga session in the mornings.

 

Instructor

Kate Lila Wheeler is a member of the Teacher Council at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California and one of three core teachers leading their four-year teacher training program.  She lives in Somerville, MA, and has won a number of awards for fiction, travel journalism, and spiritual essays.   Her Tibetan lama, Dza Kilung Rinpoche, has also given her encouragement to teach.

 

Three Day Silent Retreat

The retreat will begin with a light meal at 7 p.m. on Sept 27^th, followed by the formal opening at 8:15 p.m. It will end after lunch on Sunday, Sept 30^th.  The cost is $295, which includes room and board. See the website for more details:  www.insighthouston.org

Come, Stay, Go: Impermanence with Lila Kate Wheeler 3-Day Silent Retreat Thursday, Sept 27th to Sunday, Sept 30th, 2018 The Margaret Austin Center, Chappell Hill, Texas Sponsored by Insight Meditation Houston

 

A Retreat on Impermanence (Anicca)

“And this, too, shall pass away.” This well-known quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln is something, he said, “that is true and appropriate in all times and situations.”  The Buddha would have agreed.   At this retreat we will practice being mindful with special attention to the changing nature of experience.  This is one of the Buddha’s instructions, giving access to insights on the nature of existence: to be aware of arising and passing away, grounded in direct experiences.  To be intimate with our life’s ever-changing nature brings many blessings, including acceptance, appreciation, and wisdom. “How much it expresses! How chastening in the hour of pride! How consoling in the depths of affliction!” Lincoln exclaimed, summing up the benefits.

 

The retreat will be held mostly in silence, with formal sitting and walking meditation periods, question and answer sessions, early morning movement sessions, and meetings with the teachers.  This retreat is open to all.  We will take ethical precepts.  Sitting and walking meditation periods will alternate, with a daily gentle yoga session in the mornings.

 

Instructor

Kate Lila Wheeler is a member of the Teacher Council at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California and one of three core teachers leading their four-year teacher training program.  She lives in Somerville, MA, and has won a number of awards for fiction, travel journalism, and spiritual essays.   Her Tibetan lama, Dza Kilung Rinpoche, has also given her encouragement to teach.

 

Three Day Silent Retreat

The retreat will begin with a light meal at 7 p.m. on Sept 27^th, followed by the formal opening at 8:15 p.m. It will end after lunch on Sunday, Sept 30^th.  The cost is $295, which includes room and board. See the website for more details:  www.insighthouston.org

Statement from the Spirit Rock Teachers Council

 

As Buddhist meditation leaders, teachers and practitioners, we are concerned with the welfare and safety of everyone in our society. These commitments are based upon an understanding of our shared vulnerability in this life. Separating migrant children from their families unambiguously harms children and their families – this harm is immediate and severe and endures across generations through the lingering effects of trauma. Under no circumstances can we as contemplative practitioners, spiritual leaders, or moral human beings imagine circumstances in which it is acceptable to engage in acts that harm children. We cannot forget that we belong to each other. We feel deeply the heartbreak of families being torn apart.

We, as teachers for Spirit Rock Meditation Center and for tens of thousands of Buddhist practitioners around the country, reaffirm the Spirit Rock Statement of Values and stand with many other secular and religious organizations – organizations spanning the political and theological spectrum – in condemning these acts. These acts represent a dramatic deviation from the standards of morality and basic human decency that form the fabric of civilized society. Unraveling that fabric has a corrosive effect on our capacity to live and thrive together.

The Executive Order issued June 20th represents a hopeful signal, but we must remain engaged to ensure that this policy change is implemented and family reunifications are expedited. We encourage you to contact your representatives to voice your concern, to connect with organized efforts to express your values, and to support reputable advocacy organizations.

 

We must also pause to consider how this depth of moral confusion was enacted and tolerated and take steps to nurture the values that make such depravity unthinkable.

 

Signed*:

Sally Armstrong

James Baraz

Matthew Brensilver

Eugene Cash

Debra Chamberlin-Taylor

Howard Cohn

Mark Coleman

Anne Cushman

Anna Douglas

Bonnie Duran

Andrea Fella

Anushka Fernandopulle

Gil Fronsdal

JoAnna Hardy

Susie Harrington

Will Kabat-Zinn

Ruth King

Jack Kornfield

Brian Lesage

John Martin

Nikki Mirghafori

Phillip Moffitt

Kittisaro

Kate Munding

Wes Nisker

Mary Grace Orr

Sharda Rogell

Donald Rothberg

Erin Selover

Gina Sharpe

Oren Jay Sofer

Tempel Smith

Heather Sundberg

Thanissara

Erin Treat

Pamela Weiss

DaRa Williams
Diana Winston

Kate Lila Wheeler

Larry Yang

 

* Note: certain Teachers Council members are on retreat and may not have had the opportunity to sign this statement as yet.