Author: jnimitz

You are invited to “Songs as a Dharma Door:” a House Concert in Los Lunas on March 8th

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Dear Sangha Friends:

You are warmly invited to a house concert, “Songs as a Dharma Door.” Featuring original songs from the duo Heartstrings and their new album, The South Valley Sessions, this concert will focus on songs inspired by Mindfulness practice and coming together as a sangha in a more social setting in beautiful Los Lunas, New Mexico. In these times of division and discord, this feels like one small thing that can be done to promote a sense of social togetherness and human connection. As Sister Tri Nghiem of Magnolia Grove Monastery recently noted, music can act as an important dharma door to reconnect us to our own felt sense of living a creative and mindful life, and connecting to one another.

The concert will last one hour, featuring original songs by Kristina Jacobsen + Dair Obenshain (Heartstrings); home-made cobbler, coffee, tea and light hors d’oeuvres following the show.

When: Saturday 3/08, 5:00 PM (doors 4:30)

Where: Home of Bee Cumby, Los Lunas, New Mexico

How: RSVP by Wednesday 3/05 to Bee (text messages only, please): 505-573-8448

(address provided following RSVP)

This is a dhana-based event. A basket will be provided at the beginning and end of the event to express your appreciation for the musicians (suggested dhana is $20/person-all are welcome and no one turned away).

About Heartstrings:

Heartstrings is the duo of Kristina Jacobsen and Dair Obenshain, sharing their music and love for many languages through the combination of poetic lyrical songs, dancing fiddle lines, and driving Appalachian rhythms. Kristina interprets her own songs as well as timeless gems with sass, sparkle and passion, twinned with Dair’s harmonies and melodic commentary on both voice and fiddle. Striking chords in audience hearts wherever they go, Heartstrings resonate with the joys and sorrows of our shared humanity.

Some upcoming meetings and special events

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Business Meeting Sept. 22

On Sunday, Sept. 22, we will have our regular chanting and seated meditation followed by a business meeting. At a business meeting all Sangha members present have a chance to voice their opinions and vote on issues affecting the Sangha. One of the agenda items for this time is what to do on the first Sundays of the month when daylight savings ends and we normally move our meeting time to 4:00 p.m. Starting in October, on the first Sundays of the month the Zen Center will be having full-day sits running until 4:00 which means that on those days we will not be able to shift the time. Some of the options to consider are to continue meeting at 5:00 p.m. through the winter, to meet at 5:00 only on the first Sunday of the month and 4:00 on other Sundays, to meet elsewhere, or to have some other event, such as dinner at a restaurant, on those days. Another agenda item is how to handle questions during Dharma discussion. Members are encouraged to ask questions before or after the Sangha meetings rather than during Dharma sharing. The “no crosstalk” rule prohibits answering questions directly during Dharma sharing, but one option would be to suspend Dharma sharing briefly to answer questions. 

If you have any other concerns or business items relating to the Sangha please feel to contact one of the Sangha organizers to add to the agenda, or you may bring them to our business meeting on the 22nd. 

Sangha Dinner Oct. 6

Some members have expressed the desire to have more opportunity to socialize. On Sunday Oct. 6 instead of meeting at AZC we will meet at 5:00 p.m. at Viet’s Pho restaurant. It is located on the south side of Menaul at the corner of Graceland, which is one block west of Washington. The Sangha treasury will pay for a meal for those members who attend. There will be no regular Sangha meeting at the Albuquerque Zen Center on this day.

Day of Mindfulness Oct. 13

On Sunday Oct. 13 please join us from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for a Day of Mindfulness at the Kiwanis Area of the Elena Gallegos Open Space. This is a lovely, rejuvenating practice. A flyer with more details has been posted on this website in a previous post. There will be no regular meeting at the Albuquerque Zen Center that day.