~ June & July Newsletter

(Para ir a la versión castellano desplázate al Rincón Latino situado al final de la página.)

(Photo: Rishikesh, by Jaya.)

In this newsletter

~ News
~ The Monthly Theme, by Jaya
~ Connecting in Ecology
~ Interesting Links
~ Photos from India
~ Welcoming Sleep, by Andy
~ Upcoming Events
~ Rincón Latino

~ News

Bi-Monthly Newsletter
In honor of doing less and leaving more room for life, we will send out this newsletter every other month instead of monthly. As ever, we welcome your contributions. Thanks to all those who have made it possible for these past several years.

Interviews 

Jaya will do one-to-one interviews of 10-15 minutes each via Skype on the 9, 10 and 14 June, between 9am - 10am and from 4pm - 6pm western European time. She will also give interviews the 3, 5, 6, and 8 July, between 10am - 11am and from 4pm - 5:30pm. If you would like to schedule a time for an interview, please email Alison at interviews (at) opendharma.org.

Gemma will offer one-to-one interviews of 10-15 minutes each via Skype on the 25, 27 and 29 June between 10am - noon and from 4pm - 6pm western European time. The next month, Gemma's interviews will take place on the 2, 4, 16 and 18 July from 10am - noon and 4pm - 6pm. If you would like to schedule a time for an interview, please email Alison at interviews (at) opendharma.org.

Radio Dharma

Jaya will give a radio dharma talk over the free internet radio site blogtalkradio.com on 9 June at 6:30pm western European time and on 8 July at 6pm. Please go to blogtalkradio.com and search for "Jaya Ashmore" to join. And if you don't want to miss these events, then click on "follow," just under the Open Dharma logo.

~ The Monthly Theme

Jaya offers the monthly practice theme for June & July ~ Opinions, communication, and finding ourselves bigger.

Over the last year or so, I have noticed that many times when we human beings try to communicate, we end up urgently expressing opinions. We assume that we are communicating--but we often get so caught up in the ideas we cherish, that we forget to connect, find a common ground of love, and leave room for disagreement in the realm of ideas and emotions.

An interesting thing about opinions: they themselves are based on often unspoken ideals and assumptions that we hold dear, and may even take as universal. If we disagree in our unspoken assumptions, then our spoken conversation may get muddy.

We are, for example, talking about awakening, and one person assumes the word awakening means literal wakefulness while another assumes it means a faculty that can be awake even while we sleep. Or we speak of sexuality, and one person thinks sex is inherently violent, another thinks sex should be transcended if possible, another thinks the primal nature of sex is helpful for meditation. One assumes sexual partnership is monogamous, while another assumes it cannot be. What kind of conversation are we going to have?

There is a transformative ground of openness and connection that can happen in communication.

If we want to experience it maybe we need to assume less.

Maybe acknowledge the assumptions we have. When we have patience and friendship we can talk about them with each other.

And remember that real communication can happen when we are in touch with something beyond words and ideas.

Sometimes we actually forget that there is a whole range of human experience not involved in thought and emotion. Oh, yeah. Wait, what else is there?

An intelligence that is not intellectual, but alive and fluid--as Krishnamurti says, "intelligence comes into being when one acts in perfect harmony both intellectually and emotionally."

Our tenderness.

Our courage.

And especially, or rather in summary, our openness--our openness to be more than we thought or felt before in our lives.

by Jaya

(Photo: Monkeys, by Jaya.)

~ Connections in Ecology

Deep ecologist and artist John Seed, who taught with Open Dharma in Tiru about 5 years ago, has sent us a link to his recent writing about Buddhist meditation, ecology and a workshop he led. "In August 1979, I was part of what is believed to be the world’s first direct action in defense of rainforests which took place at Terania Creek some 8km from Bodhi Farm..." he writes. "One of my teacher’s, the late Vimala Thakar (1921-2009) saw the film about the Terania Creek actions, 'Give Trees a Chance,' and she exclaimed, 'But this is pure Gandhi! People in India have forgotten how powerful non-violent direct action can be. Please take this film and the story of Terania Creek to India.'" To read more, click here.

He also reccomended a book that happens to be one of the ones Jaya used in the Sattal retreats, Susan Murphy's Minding the Earth, Mending the World, which was kindly given to Jaya on a retreat last November by an Australian friend Maya, who is also an author in her own right.

Jaya shares this koan, from page 257 of the book, one which she also spoke about during the opening talk of the Jin Shin Jyutsu meditation retreat, the 3rd of the 3 retreats in Sattal Ashram in April and May. It offers, Jaya writes, "An exquisite description of how Jin Shin can happen when there is confidence and humility, and enough practice that we trust simplicity and the goodness of life."

Yunyan (780-841 CE) and Daowu (769-835)--"both Tang dynasty Zen masters of great note"--talk about Kuanyin, a female bodhisattva of compassion whose eagerness and capability to help is sometimes pictured as 1,000 eyes and 1,000 arms and hands extending halo-like around her body:

"Yunyan [the younger one] asked Daowu, 'How does Kuanyin use those many hands and eyes?'

Daowu answered, 'It's like someone in the middle of the night reaching behind her head for a pillow.'

Pressed to explain his understanding he said, 'All over the body are hands and eyes.'

(Photo: New Mexico, by Nico.)

~ Interesting Links

~Tom sent a link to an article in The Wall Street Journal which states, in part, "Some forms of meditation have been found to acdtivate the parasympathetic nervous system, which stimulates the body's relaxation response, improves blood supply, slows down heart rate and breathing and increases digestive activity." It also "slows down the release of stress hormones, such as cortisol." To read more, follow the link here.

~Claudia was recently interviewed on state radio in North Carolina in the US, on the topic of why political activists burn out. If you'd like to hear Claudia speak about how activists can create more sustainable lives, click this link.

~ This link, from Jessica, describes how American poet Naomi Shihab Nye helped change a dismal flight delay in an airport into a party. Read about it here.

~ Photos from India

(Photos, from the top: Denis with the kids in Sattal, by Jaya; Sattal bed, by Tom; Jonathan and the group at Sattal, and Vijay and the gang, by Gemma; The Sattal retreat, by Tom; Chitra's wedding in Tiru, Jaya and Gemma dressed for the wedding, and the Anantha Niketan family, by Jaya. )

~ Welcoming Sleep

Andy wrote: "As I enjoy reading your newsletters and continue on my journey in a way which has been influenced by the retreats I've attended, I felt moved to write something of my experiences with lying down. Lying down is something which I did not embrace easily, but I now feel I welcome it in both a transformative and satisfying way. Here are some words I've written to express how I have begun to sink deeper into this practice..."

When I rest and just let go of my involvement in the minds busy-ness, I find that I begin to sink into a far more tranquil place, that is both far below my current worries but also more open to let them slide through consciousness in spacious awe, without the resistance of needing answers. And it's in this very allowing place of slumber, that something quite alive can trickle through, like the pulsating of a silent knowledge, that's beyond the world of stories.

I feel it in my legs, gently swirling around, as if I were wading through a marshland of hidden secrets. And when I lie down and allow sleep to sweep through my body, I sink into a joyful place of constant luminosity, where I can sense a welcoming whisper or the smile of those who also rest here open.

To discover this vast abundance and trust in its simple availability, is to appreciate that there's always something freer beyond the mundane worries which plague my mind. But of course it's not always easy, as the battle within can often seem so overwhelming. The mind can often trick me with its cruel remarks or make everything seem so helpless and beyond redemption. And that's where the gentleness of rest comes in.

This feeling of authentic wholesomeness can be entered into through the belly, received as scrumptious satisfaction, or it can be felt tingling on the soles of the feet. Of course it's all around and has no exact location, but I find it most useful to plug into its presence in my belly and suckle there, or to submerge myself in its roots. Because somehow I find resting is far more forgiving and gentle than striving for sharp awareness, or at least the minds obsessions can be unhooked with far less effort. And the illusion that anything needs to be done to reside in freedom, can more simply fade away.

by Andy

(Photo: Lying down, by Tom.)

~ Upcoming Retreat Dates & Details

June through December, Ongoing 1 - 2 month apprenticeships at Dharmaloca, Spain
Facilitator: Jaya
For information and registration, write to:
jaya (at) opendharma.org

5 - 17 June, 2013, Silent, down to earth retreat at Dharmaloca, Spain
Transformation through simplicity and beauty.
Facilitators: Gemma
For more information write to:
dharmalocaretreat (at) opendharma.org

25 - 29 June, 2013, Silent Deep Rest Retreat at Le Moulin, Cubjac, France
Teachings will be in English.
Facilitators: Jaya or Gemma
For more information write to:
mail (at) moulindechaves.org

13 - 20 July, 2013, Deep Rest retreat near Ter Apel, Holland
Teachings will be in English.
Facilitators: Jaya
For more information write to:
opendharmaholland(at)hotmail.com

24 - 28 July, 2013, Retreat in Montseny, Catalonia
Teachings will be in English & Català.
Facilitator: Gemma
For information and registration, write to:
retirosopendharma(at)gmail.com

25 July, 2013, Dharma Evening with Jaya in New York City
For more information write to:
opendharmainfo(at)yahoo.com

31 July - 4 August, 2013, Diving into Meditation Retreat, in Eastbourne, UK
Deep rest, silence and genuine inquiry.
Teachings will be in English.
Facilitators: Gemma
For more information write to:
info(at)retreattogayles.co.uk

8 - 11 August and 11 - 18 August, 2013, Deep rest retreats at the Stone House in NC, USA
Teachings will be in English.
Facilitators: Jaya
For more information write to:
opendharma.nc (at) gmail.com

23 - 26 August 2013, Silent Deep Rest Retreat, near San Francisco, California, USA
Teachings will be in English.
Facilitators: Jaya & Gemma
For more information write to:
california (at) opendharma.org

26 - 29 August 2013, Meditation Retreat for People of All Ages, near San Francisco, California, USA
Teachings will be in English.
Facilitators: Jaya & Gemma
For more information write to:
california (at) opendharma.org

31 October, 2013, Dharma Evening at Anton's, Melbourne, Australia
Teachings will be in English
Facilitator: Jaya
For information and registration, write to:
ozopendharma(at)gmail.com

1 - 5 November, 2013, 4-day Residential retreat at Casa Palloti, near Melbourne, Australia
Teachings will be in English
Facilitator: Jaya
For information and registration, write to:
ozopendharma(at)gmail.com

9 - 10 November, 2013, Non-Residential Weekend Residential in Melbourne, Australia
Teachings will be in English
Facilitator: Jaya
For information and registration, write to:
ozopendharma(at)gmail.com

9 - 10 November, 2013, Non-Residential Weekend Retreat in Barcelona, Spain
Deep rest, silence and genuine inquiry.
Teachings will be in Spanish or Català, and English if needed.
Facilitator: Gemma
For information and registration, write to:
hedykramer(at)yahoo.es

11 November, 2013, Dharma Evening in Melbourne, Australia
Teachings will be in English
Facilitator: Jaya
For information and registration, write to:
ozopendharma(at)gmail.com

For more information about retreats organized by our sister organizations visit www.SanghaCalendar.org

~ Welcome to Everyone

We would love to share your inspiration in an upcoming newsletter. Photos! Poems! Drawings! Musings! Reflections on a recent--or not so recent--retreat! (You can even tell us that you'd like to contribute anonymously.) Please feel free to send any contributions to: newsletter (at) opencentre.es

(Non-Spanish speakers, curious about the Rincón Latino? Try, as one friend did, cutting and pasting the text you'd like to read into google's translation program. You'll get the flavor.)

Rincón Latino

En esta newsletter
~ Noticias
~ Reflexión mensual por Gemma
~ Un Poema
~ Próximos eventos

~Noticias

Entrevistas Personales
Gemma ofrecerá entrevistas personales de unos 20-30 minutos a través de Skype o teléfono los días 25-27-29 de Junio y 2-4-16-18 de Julio de 10 a 12 y de 16 a 18h. Las entrevistas se ofrecen a través de donaciones pero proponemos un intercambio a escoger entre 50 y 25 Euros para poder seguir ofreciéndolas. Si deseas concretar día y hora manda un email a gemmaji (@) gmail.com.

~Reflexión Mensual por Gemma

El lujo de pertenecer

Esta noche hemos cantado algunos bhajans y después nos hemos atrevido a bailar, esperando que la luna saliera de detrás de las montañas en nuestro pequeño paraíso llamado Dharmaloca.

Cuántas veces olvidamos la luna! y el verde de los árboles y el azul del mar…

Hemos crecido en la soledad de la individualidad y la distancia de aquello a lo que pertenecemos, y pretendemos evolucionar dando la espalda a lo esencial. En algún lugar perdimos la memoria de los miles de años vividos en colectivos sociales llamados tribus y en contacto directo con la naturaleza. Dónde cada ser tenía una función dentro de la comunidad que daba sentido y hacía posible existir.

Recordar la luna no es una locura sino más bien la habilidad de volvernos sensibles a lo que es auténtico y nos pertenece de raíz, des del principio de nuestra existencia como seres humanos.

Recordar la luna es dejar de imaginar y volver al inicio, reconstruir nuestros pasos para andar en tierra de verdad y crecer conectados, arraigados, humanizados.

por Gemma

(Photos: Dharmaloca, por Gemma)

Un Poema

Este mes Hedy comparte un poema sobre el camino hacia Ítaca.

Día a día caminamos nuestra vida, este precioso regalo que se nos ha dado. Este mescomparto un precioso poema de Konstantínos Kaváfis que nos habla del camino hacia Ítaca y nos recuerda que lo que verdaderamente importa es disfrutar cada paso.

“Cuando emprendas tu viaje hacia Ítaca

debes rogar que el viaje sea largo,

lleno de peripecias, lleno de experiencias.

No has de temer ni a los lestrigones ni a los cíclopes,

ni la cólera del airado Poseidón.

Nunca tales monstruos hallarás en tu ruta

si tu pensamiento es elevado, si una exquisita

emoción penetra en tu alma y en tu cuerpo.

Los lestrigones y los cíclopes

y el feroz Poseidón no podrán encontrarte

si tú no los llevas ya dentro, en tu alma,

si tu alma no los conjura ante ti.

Debes rogar que el viaje sea largo,

que sean muchos los días de verano;

que te vean arribar con gozo, alegremente,

a puertos que tú antes ignorabas.

Que puedas detenerte en los mercados de Fenicia,

y comprar unas bellas mercancías:

madreperlas, coral, ébano, y ámbar,

y perfumes placenteros de mil clases.

Acude a muchas ciudades del Egipto

para aprender, y aprender de quienes saben.

Conserva siempre en tu alma la idea de Ítaca:

llegar allí, he aquí tu destino.

Mas no hagas con prisas tu camino;

mejor será que dure muchos años,

y que llegues, ya viejo, a la pequeña isla,

rico de cuanto habrás ganado en el camino.

No has de esperar que Ítaca te enriquezca:

Ítaca te ha concedido ya un hermoso viaje.

Sin ella, jamás habrías partido;

mas no tiene otra cosa que ofrecerte.

Y si la encuentras pobre, Ítaca no te ha engañado.

Y siendo ya tan viejo, con tanta experiencia,

sin duda sabrás ya qué significan las Ítacas.”

por Hedy

(Photo: Dharmaloca, por Gemma.)

Próximos Eventos

(Aquí listamos solo los que se harán en castellano y/o catalán)

11-12 Mayo, 2013, Retiro no residencial en Barcelona.

Invitar a la meditación a través del profundo descanso y la conexión auténtica con el anhelo.

Las enseñanzas de darán en castellano o català y en inglés si es necesario.

Facilitadora: Gemma