the practice of radiant winter

winter has been thoroughly here in santa fe, with clear white snow and brilliant blue skies;
the practice has matched the season.

the last several weeks of the practice period bring us to an exploration through practice of the natural world.......
jan. 14-21, i lead an intensive on buddhism and the indigenous heart. we will explore buddhism and indigenous perspectives, go back in cutural and archeological time visiting first san idelfonso pueblo, then tsan kawi, a beautiful archeological site orginally inhabited by the people who live at san idelfonso, and then further back in time to chaco canyon. we have been preparing for the chaco visit with teachings on archeoastronomy from gb cornucopia who works at chaco; and teaching during the intensive is anna sofaer who discovered the chaco sun dagger which marks solstices. in addition, i have the great joy of teaching the medicine wheels in relation to buddhism; as well, pueblo story teller larry littlebird will conclude the week for us with his wild tales by the upaya house fireplace. daily sitting practice gives us our ground, and the sangha our heart.

then from jan. 24-30, kaz tanahashi and i will colead a meditation retreat where we will explore the natural world poetry of zen master dogen. it is always a joy for the community when kaz brings his unique wisdom to us. and this time of meditation practice is a treasure to be realized for a world that is so in need of deep stillness.

on jan. 30 in the morning, four sangha members receive tokudo, becoming novice priests. this always fills my heart with joy, when a student makes a life commitment of this nature. the heart of priesthood is that one becomes a servant to all beings. deep gratitude to yushin heilmann, tony sager, shinzan palma, and carolyn clebstch. please join us for this wondrous occasion.

then from feb. 2-4, kaz is leading a unique workshop on calligraphy in living, vivid color. as always we will learn a lot about classic calligraphy, but there is also the joy of working in a medium that few do. kaz is famous for his color calligraphy and this is the first time he has offered this program. great fun and a fabulous way to end our winter practice period, which has been so rich with practice, teachings, films, seminars, the arts, and the great beauty of winter in new mexico.

many people have asked about these programs recently, so i want to give you information here. you can call the office to register: 505 986 8518 or email: upaya@upaya.org or check out the website: www.upaya.org