STILLness: Meditation in the Galleries

开云体育

*This Saturday, March 1*

Doors: 8:50am

Program: 9-10am

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Good morning all. As Bill Hamaker mentioned at last night’s sitting, this Saturday I will be facilitating an hour of sitting and walking meditation amid the beautiful works of the .

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Because we partner with them to lead these events, all Zen Center Members who send me your name will be admitted for free. Advanced registration is required, so please do let me know soon. If you want to invite friends, they can register via .

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You are welcome to bring a mat or cushion to sit on, and the Museum will provide chairs.

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I hope to see you there.

?

Gassho,

Billy

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Re: Art Museum tour of Korean Moon jar exhibit and fabulous textile Exhibit

#1209

开云体育

I have you both down. ?Barb

Show quoted text

On Feb 25, 2025, at 5:44?PM, Martin Johnson via groups.io <br.martin52@...> wrote:

?Barb,

Please add my name to the list. I will be solo this time.

Gassho,

Martin?

On Feb 25, 2025, at 3:38?PM, Barb via groups.io <kelly3700@...> wrote:

?
April 8 is another free day and Bill and I talked about doing a tour of the Korean Moon Jar ( white ceramics) exhibit in Hamilton and I want to at least take you up to see a few of the fabulous tapestries ( which aren't really tapestries) of Nancy Hemenway Barton in Martin. tour is limited to 12..? can do another of the Hindu and Buddhist galleries in May if anyone is still interested. thanks... Barb

Re: Art Museum tour of Korean Moon jar exhibit and fabulous textile Exhibit

#1208

开云体育

Barb,

Please add my name to the list. I will be solo this time.

Gassho,

Martin?

Show quoted text

On Feb 25, 2025, at 3:38?PM, Barb via groups.io <kelly3700@...> wrote:

?
April 8 is another free day and Bill and I talked about doing a tour of the Korean Moon Jar ( white ceramics) exhibit in Hamilton and I want to at least take you up to see a few of the fabulous tapestries ( which aren't really tapestries) of Nancy Hemenway Barton in Martin. tour is limited to 12..? can do another of the Hindu and Buddhist galleries in May if anyone is still interested. thanks... Barb

Re: Art Museum tour of Korean Moon jar exhibit and fabulous textile Exhibit

#1207

开云体育

Hi Barb

Rivka and I would like to join as well.

Yosi

Show quoted text

On Feb 25, 2025, at 3:38?PM, Barb via groups.io <kelly3700@...> wrote:

?
April 8 is another free day and Bill and I talked about doing a tour of the Korean Moon Jar ( white ceramics) exhibit in Hamilton and I want to at least take you up to see a few of the fabulous tapestries ( which aren't really tapestries) of Nancy Hemenway Barton in Martin. tour is limited to 12..? can do another of the Hindu and Buddhist galleries in May if anyone is still interested. thanks... Barb

Re: Art Museum tour of Korean Moon jar exhibit and fabulous textile Exhibit

#1206

Hi Barb, thanks for doing this again! I and my wife Amy would love to join!

Nick

Show quoted text

On February 25, 2025 4:01:47 PM "Bob Knott via groups.io" <knott.bob@...> wrote:

Hi Barb-? Thanks for your efforts. My wife Judy and I would like to go. We have
D.A.M. memberships which we will be glad to use if appropriate.

Gassho,? Bob

On Tue, Feb 25, 2025 at 3:38?PM Barb via <kelly3700=[email protected]> wrote:

April 8 is another free day and Bill and I talked about doing a tour of the Korean Moon Jar ( white ceramics) exhibit in Hamilton and I want to at least take you up to see a few of the fabulous tapestries ( which aren't really tapestries) of Nancy Hemenway Barton in Martin. tour is limited to 12..? can do another of the Hindu and Buddhist galleries in May if anyone is still interested. thanks... Barb

Re: Art Museum tour of Korean Moon jar exhibit and fabulous textile Exhibit

#1205

Hi Barb-? Thanks for your efforts. My wife Judy and I would like to go. We have

D.A.M. memberships which we will be glad to use if appropriate.

Gassho,? Bob

Show quoted text

On Tue, Feb 25, 2025 at 3:38?PM Barb via <kelly3700=[email protected]> wrote:

April 8 is another free day and Bill and I talked about doing a tour of the Korean Moon Jar ( white ceramics) exhibit in Hamilton and I want to at least take you up to see a few of the fabulous tapestries ( which aren't really tapestries) of Nancy Hemenway Barton in Martin. tour is limited to 12..? can do another of the Hindu and Buddhist galleries in May if anyone is still interested. thanks... Barb

Art Museum tour of Korean Moon jar exhibit and fabulous textile Exhibit

#1204

April 8 is another free day and Bill and I talked about doing a tour of the Korean Moon Jar ( white ceramics) exhibit in Hamilton and I want to at least take you up to see a few of the fabulous tapestries ( which aren't really tapestries) of Nancy Hemenway Barton in Martin. tour is limited to 12..? can do another of the Hindu and Buddhist galleries in May if anyone is still interested. thanks... Barb

Fw: Welcome to the Denver IPT!

#1203

开云体育

Sangha,?

Just keeping everyone informed on the information I am receiving from Denver IPT leaders.?

Gassho,?

David?

Show quoted text

From: Patty Lawless, Denver IPT <patty.denver.ipt@...>
Sent: Monday, February 24, 2025 7:59 PM
To: Dana Miller <pompomdana@...>
Subject: Welcome to the Denver IPT!

?

Dear fellow Denver Immigrant Protection Team members!

Yes, we are officially the Denver IPT! Thank you so much to everyone who joined us for our February 22 Gathering (there were 70 of us!). Thanks for being so enthusiastic, so kind, so engaged. Thanks for helping us clean up. Thanks for the donations to All Souls and the monetary donations, and being willing to sing together!?

These are the links to the and the . You can find them in our which has tons of other resources as well. Note: We are working to update the Myths/Truths handout with clearer data and citations. We will be sending that out soon.

For those of you who attended the gathering on Saturday, you are now in a Working Group(s)!

Know Your Rights
Demythifiers (Narrative)
Legislation/Policy
Public Action
ICE Activity/Rapid Response Network

Expect to hear from your Working Group lead soon!

And many of you said you were interested in being trained to be a confirmer with the Colorado Rapid Response Network. We haven’t been able to schedule a training yet, but we will let you all know once we do.

For those of you who weren’t able to attend the gathering, please fill out and let us know which working groups you are interested in. We will get you connected.?

We want to let you know about some upcoming Know Your Rights trainings. Feel free to share widely!

The Interfaith Immigrant Network has a virtual training at 9:30am on Thursday, Feb. 27.? ?
The Colorado Council of Churches has a recorded KYR training for faith communities. The recording of that session is available .
Capitol Hill United Ministries is holding an in-person KYR session for organizations and individuals on Thursday, Feb. 27 at the Church of the Ascension (600 Gilpin) from 11am-1pm.? Click to register?
El Comité de Longmont will have a KYR presentation by Zoom in collaboration with CIRC & McKinley Law, with an attorney available to answer questions at the end of the presentation. Thursday, March 6, 6-8:15 pm
.

Finally, we will be doing outreach at Shorter AME Community Church, 3100 Richard Allen Ct. @ 9:15 am this Sunday, March 2 before their Resistance Service. Please email me if you can join us.

For those of you who might want to know why my email is pompomdana@..., it is because I was a cheerleader at Wheat Ridge High School in 1971, and now I am the cheerleader for the universe.

So excited to be on this journey together!

*Dana Miller, Denver IPT Co-lead, pompomdana@...

*Patty Lawless, Denver IPT Co-lead, patty.denver.ipt@...

Re: Denver Immigrant Protection Teams

#1202

开云体育

Thanks David for the info!?

F&L

fredvoigtbecker.art

Show quoted text

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of David <dgibson@...>
Sent: Monday, February 24, 2025 8:48:17 AM
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Cc: David Gibson <DGibson@...>
Subject: [zcd] Denver Immigrant Protection Teams

?

Sangha,?

I'm reaching out to share what I learned at an organizing meeting of the Denver Immigrant Protection Team on Saturday morning. ?Part of my practice is working to live out the three tenets of the Zen Peacemakers International - which are not knowing, bearing, witness, and taking action. ?I am communicating this information to our community to give everyone an opportunity to know what is happening around this issue - and to plug into this if it resonates for you. ?This is coming from me as an individual and not organized formally by the Sangha.

The Denver IPT is organized by the American Friends Service Committee - which is a Quaker organization that has been doing this type of work for many years. ?AFSC is the convening organization - but are working with other groups including the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC) and the Interfaith Immigration Network (IIN). ?

Dana Miller is the Denver IPT lead - you can reach her at pompomdana@.... ?Patty Lawless and Gina McAfee are the statewide leaders - you can reach them at patty.denver.ipt@... or gina.mcafee6@.... ?You can also join the Facebook group at Immigrant Protection Teams Colorado - IPT. ? I attended an organizational meeting of the Denver IPT on Saturday morning in North Denver. ?I was quite impressed and felt that this was well organized and that these organizations have been doing this work for many years and are well prepared for this work and this moment - so I left energized and committed to taking action. ?If you reach out to Dana to get involved - let her know that you learned about this from me - the organizers would like to get a handle on the ripple effect coming from the 60 people that attended on Saturday.?

There are 7 areas to get involved with the Denver IPT:?

Leadership, Organizational Support/Logistics
Know Your Rights?
Narrative Work?
Legislation and Policy?
Law Enforcement?
Public Action?
ICE Raids - Rapid Response?

Leadership activities?may include representing IPT to other organizations, raising funds to cover expenses, communication with the 6 committee leads and IPT members.

Know Your Rights (KYR) includes educating immigrants and allies on their constitutional rights in the event of an ICE raid. ? This includes attending KYR & bystander trainings, distributing KYR materials to our immigrant neighbors at libraries, places of worship, rec centers, low-income housing, etc. ?This includes a close relationship with the Interfaith Immigration Network ?and the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition ?

Narrative Work is focused on lifting up the value of our immigrant neighbors in the Denver community. ?This includes myth busting around the misinformation about immigrants through research you can find at ? ?It may involve writing letters to the editor, posting on social media, contacting public figures, contacting the press, etc

Legislation and Policy?focuses on proposing/tracking advocating for/against legislation/policies/positions that affect our immigrant neighbors. ?This may include working at the City Council, School Board, County Commissioners, State Legislators, and Congress. ?Specific to Colorado - this means working again HR 32 and HR 35 which are currently being considered in the state legislature.

Law Enforcement involves advocating for clear policy statements regarding non-cooperation with ICE with City Police Departments, County Sheriff, and District Attorney.

Public Action?involves promoting, supporting, organizing, and attending public actions in support of our immigrant neighbors. ?This may include demonstrations, press conferences, vigils, boycotts, etc. ?It may also include creative activities such as music, peace quilts, etc.

ICE Raids - Rapid Response?provides support to the Colorado Rapid Response Network (CORRN) to document and inform the community about ICE presence and raids. ?This may include publicizing the CORRN phone number 1-844-864-8341 as well as being trained as a confirmer, legal observer, or dispatcher for an ICE raid. ?This is the most "front line" of all of the activities and includes the risk of arrest. ?The reality is that ICE cannot take anyone without a warrant and probable cause - they don't tend to have these warrants - so these raids are designed to instill fear and terror in immigrant communities.?

There is a core group of 8-10 people for each of these 6 committees from the organizing meeting - so you would be joining a team that is already fired up. ?I am serving on the KYR committee and am going to serve as the liaison with the Interfaith Immigration Network.

There is a gathering at Shorter Community AME Church on Monday at 6:30 pm every week that was mentioned as a powerful group to plug into. ?The IIN has a weekly zoom meeting from 9:30-11 am on Thursdays which I am planning to attend this week. ?There is also a confirmer training that is coming up the weekend of 3/8-9 - details to be determined.

Please pass this along to like-minded friends, family, and neighbors. ?In addition to the Denver IPT - there are 19 others around the state doing similar work. ?I am happy to meet with folks one on one, in small groups, on Zoom, etc to spread the word.

In the dharma,?

David?

Re: Light's Embrace

#1201

开云体育

Thank you, Kyoshin. ?

Do No Harm

Bill

Show quoted text

On Feb 25, 2025, at 9:29?AM, Bill Hamaker via groups.io <WAHamaker@...> wrote:

?
Thanks to all who participated in Council Circle last Sunday. I am forwarding the Zen Peacemakers International Newsletter as it lists multiple opportunities to attend online Council Circles in addition to the many other offerings that are available. If you have questions or need help navigating the ZPI website or their intranet community, The Hive, please contact me.

Bill H
Kyoshin

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Zen Peacemakers <zenpeacemakers+bi-weekly-newsletter@...>
Date: Tue, Feb 25, 2025 at 8:04?AM
Subject: Light's Embrace
To: <wahamaker@...>

Peacemaker Newsletter (Feb. 25th, 2025)
? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?? ? ? ?
Forwarded this email? for more
Peacemaker Newsletter (Feb. 25th, 2025)
Feb 25
?
?
Ocean Lights by Marie Quellec, creative commons
For Nothing Is Fixed, by James Baldwin
For nothing is fixed,
forever, forever, forever,
it is not fixed;
the earth is always shifting,
the light is always changing,
the sea does not cease to grind down rock.
Generations do not cease to be born,
and we are responsible to them
because we are the only witnesses they have.
The sea rises, the light fails,
lovers cling to each other,
and children cling to us.
The moment we cease to hold each other,
the moment we break faith with one another,
the sea engulfs us and the light goes out.
BEARING WITNESS RETREAT
Bearing Witness to Racism in America 2025
April 24, 2025 - April 28, 2025
It has long been our desire to create a bearing witness retreat around America’s racial history – as seen through the eyes of African Americans. The intention has always been to engage without becoming a tourist; to seek unity without ‘othering’ those with whom we Bear Witness.
This year we plan on walking the grounds of a deep history in the expansion of slavery, Jim Crow, and the Civil Rights movement – Selma and Montgomery.
We intend our Plunge in Alabama to be personal and transformative, with attendees coming away with an emotional and heart connection with the people, places, and events we witness.
We hope you can join us.
FILM SERIES
I Am Not Your Negro
Purchase a ticket to for on-demand viewing between Feb 12 - March 14, 2025
Cost: $5.49 via KINEMA, proceeds go towards supporting our Bearing Witness Retreats
Working from the text of James Baldwin’s unfinished final novel, director Raoul Peck creates a meditation on what it means to be Black in the United States.
Purchase Tickets
WAY OF COUNCIL
Council is one of our most important core Zen Peacemaker practices. We share Council during our Bearing Witness retreats most every day. In Council, we come together in a small group in a profound way. We create a shared liminal space that is safe, confidential, and perhaps sacred. We each listen and speak from the heart, encountering and experiencing one another gently and with awareness. We are not solving problems or debating issues or making plans. We are making a healing space for each of us to hear and be heard, see and be seen.
UPCOMING COUNCILS (click on title to learn more & register)
Monday, March 3rd -
Tuesday, March 11th -
Friday, March 21st -
PEACEMAKER CIRCLE
Did not find video
Education for Peace
Wednesday, Feb. 26th, 12pm Eastern Time, zoom
As we continue to witness intractable conflicts, climate chaos, famine, war & the rise of fascism & extremism, people have existential concerns and are looking for outlets to learn from, imagine alternative worlds, find ways to dialogue. This workshop will serve as an introduction to Peace Education. Peace Education began as a study of the causes of war and its prevention but has evolved into the study of violence in all its manifestations and educating to counteract the war system for the creation of a peace system on structural and individual levels. Peace education methodology is progressive, promoting egalitarian learning environments, open inquiry & significant learner participation. Peace Education asks learners to examine a) impediments to peace, b) structural forces that limit peaceful conditions, c) root causes of impediments, d) roles we play as agents of change to enact peace on personal, interpersonal, communal & global levels, e) methods of nonviolent communication/action.
Tuesday, March 4th,12pm Eastern Time
Silent Illumination and Peacemaking with Dr. Rebecca Li
"Rebecca Li’s teachings are deep, lucid, and accessible. She helps undo the habits blocking realization of our naturally radiant, awake being." —Tara Brach
Shakyamuni Buddha’s teachings on suffering point to our entrenched habit of waging wars against reality that leaves us agitated and disconnected from ourselves and others. The Chan (mandarin Chinese pronunciation of Zen) practice of silent illumination allows us to reconnect with the wholeness of ourselves and our interconnectedness with the world, rendering us more effective in peacemaking. As we cultivate moment to moment clear awareness of habitual reactivities that keep us from making peace with ourselves, we can release these unhelpful habits and free ourselves from suffering.
AFFILIATE ANNOUNCEMENT
To strengthen our planetary network, ZP will feature newly affiliated groups. Join to explore some of the offerings of the organizations affiliated with ZP, and visit for a full list of these groups. Following is an introduction to the Sangha for Ukraine
Sangha for Ukraine
Compassion for Ukraine Mission: The Compassion for Ukraine community maintains a daily gathering to open our minds and hearts, and radiate compassion to all who are suffering as a result of the invasion and the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Our daily practice is based on traditions and practices of Buddhist meditation and mind training, with a focus on the practice of tonglen. In addition to our practice, we bear witness to the impacts of the war and learn from our Ukrainian friends about their experience and concerns, and about Ukrainian history and culture.
TAKING ACTION - Prison Outreach
Letter Writing Campaign
Compassion Prison Project has been told by several prison residents that nothing brightens their day more than hearing their name called during mail call.
They have also heard from letter writers on the outside that their lives have been deeply enriched by the relationships they’ve cultivated with the incarcerated men and women with whom they communicate. Expressive writing can be therapeutic and healing and can also cultivate a sense of belonging and connection.
CPP is always looking for volunteers to join their letter writing campaign. Please and let them know that you’d like to write to someone living in a prison.
CPP is a grassroots, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
May we fulfill our vows to free and save all sentient beings.
JOIN ZEN PEACEMAKERS TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT PRISON OUTREACH
ZAZEN

Experience a connection with your personal?landscape through the transformative power of online meditation sessions with the Zen Peacemakers. Whether you're part of a local sangha or other spiritual community, we invite you to join us in this virtual space where we can gather across geographies?and time zones.
Join us for these online meditation sessions and experience the profound benefits of collective mindfulness. The Zen Peacemakers are here to support you on this transformative journey.
Monday - Friday
10:00 - 10:40?am US Eastern
Haiku
Monthly Haiku Page
Please participate in our Haiku Poetry?Challenge
OFFERING
The Bernie Koans
Edited by: Ken Byalin, Francisco "Paco" Lugovina, Christopher Panos
‘It’s just my opinion, man’, as Bernie would say. We all have our opinions about Roshi Bernie Glassman.??To some of us, he is the stern head monk at Zen Center of LA; to others, he is the socially engaged Buddhist who built up the Greyston Bakery and Foundation.??To others he is the founder of Zen Peacemakers International and the instigator of bearing witness plunges on the city streets and at Auschwitz and to others he is the clown, the founder of the Order of Disorder.??He is all of these and more.??As the stories in the book show, he is Bernie, the mensch, who spent his life feeding the hungry ghosts of society and teaching that Zen is to realize the oneness and interconnectedness of life.
?
-Gerry Shishin Wick, grateful Dharma brother and disciple of Roshi Bernie
Peacemakers Podcast—a space where compassion, action, and deep listening come together. Presented by Zen Peacemakers, this podcast explores the transformative power of the Three Tenets: Not-Knowing, Bearing Witness, and Taking Action.
Join us as we engage with activists, spiritual leaders, and people just like you who embody the principles of peacemaking in their lives and work. Through their stories, we uncover the challenges and insights that arise when we step into the unknown, witness suffering, and respond with wisdom and love.
Whether you're a longtime practitioner or new to these teachings, we invite you to listen deeply, reflect, and discover how peacemaking can become a way of life.
Let’s walk this path together.
Thank you for reading this week's Zen Peacemakers newsletter.

We look forward to connecting at upcoming events, on social media, and via email.

With gratitude,
The Zen Peacemakers Team
You’re currently a free subscriber to Zen Peacemakers. For the full archive,?upgrade your subscription.
?
?
? 2025 Zen Peacemakers, Inc.
190 Valley Vista Lane, Boulder, Colorado 80302

--
Bill Hamaker?(he, him)

Light's Embrace

#1200

Thanks to all who participated in Council Circle last Sunday. I am forwarding the Zen Peacemakers International Newsletter as it lists multiple opportunities to attend online Council Circles in addition to the many other offerings that are available. If you have questions or need help navigating the ZPI website or their intranet community, The Hive, please contact me.

Bill H

Kyoshin

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Zen Peacemakers <zenpeacemakers+bi-weekly-newsletter@...>
Date: Tue, Feb 25, 2025 at 8:04?AM
Subject: Light's Embrace
To: <wahamaker@...>

Forwarded this email? for more

Peacemaker Newsletter (Feb. 25th, 2025)

Feb 25

?

Ocean Lights by Marie Quellec, creative commons

For Nothing Is Fixed, by James Baldwin

For nothing is fixed,
forever, forever, forever,
it is not fixed;
the earth is always shifting,
the light is always changing,
the sea does not cease to grind down rock.
Generations do not cease to be born,
and we are responsible to them
because we are the only witnesses they have.
The sea rises, the light fails,
lovers cling to each other,
and children cling to us.
The moment we cease to hold each other,
the moment we break faith with one another,
the sea engulfs us and the light goes out.

BEARING WITNESS RETREAT

Bearing Witness to Racism in America 2025

April 24, 2025 - April 28, 2025

It has long been our desire to create a bearing witness retreat around America’s racial history – as seen through the eyes of African Americans. The intention has always been to engage without becoming a tourist; to seek unity without ‘othering’ those with whom we Bear Witness.

This year we plan on walking the grounds of a deep history in the expansion of slavery, Jim Crow, and the Civil Rights movement – Selma and Montgomery.

We intend our Plunge in Alabama to be personal and transformative, with attendees coming away with an emotional and heart connection with the people, places, and events we witness.

We hope you can join us.

FILM SERIES

I Am Not Your Negro

Purchase a ticket to for on-demand viewing between Feb 12 - March 14, 2025

Cost: $5.49 via KINEMA, proceeds go towards supporting our Bearing Witness Retreats

Working from the text of James Baldwin’s unfinished final novel, director Raoul Peck creates a meditation on what it means to be Black in the United States.

Purchase Tickets

WAY OF COUNCIL

Council is one of our most important core Zen Peacemaker practices. We share Council during our Bearing Witness retreats most every day. In Council, we come together in a small group in a profound way. We create a shared liminal space that is safe, confidential, and perhaps sacred. We each listen and speak from the heart, encountering and experiencing one another gently and with awareness. We are not solving problems or debating issues or making plans. We are making a healing space for each of us to hear and be heard, see and be seen.

UPCOMING COUNCILS (click on title to learn more & register)

Monday, March 3rd -

Tuesday, March 11th -

Friday, March 21st -

PEACEMAKER CIRCLE

Did not find video

Education for Peace

Wednesday, Feb. 26th, 12pm Eastern Time, zoom

As we continue to witness intractable conflicts, climate chaos, famine, war & the rise of fascism & extremism, people have existential concerns and are looking for outlets to learn from, imagine alternative worlds, find ways to dialogue. This workshop will serve as an introduction to Peace Education. Peace Education began as a study of the causes of war and its prevention but has evolved into the study of violence in all its manifestations and educating to counteract the war system for the creation of a peace system on structural and individual levels. Peace education methodology is progressive, promoting egalitarian learning environments, open inquiry & significant learner participation. Peace Education asks learners to examine a) impediments to peace, b) structural forces that limit peaceful conditions, c) root causes of impediments, d) roles we play as agents of change to enact peace on personal, interpersonal, communal & global levels, e) methods of nonviolent communication/action.

Tuesday, March 4th,12pm Eastern Time

Silent Illumination and Peacemaking with Dr. Rebecca Li

"Rebecca Li’s teachings are deep, lucid, and accessible. She helps undo the habits blocking realization of our naturally radiant, awake being." —Tara Brach

Shakyamuni Buddha’s teachings on suffering point to our entrenched habit of waging wars against reality that leaves us agitated and disconnected from ourselves and others. The Chan (mandarin Chinese pronunciation of Zen) practice of silent illumination allows us to reconnect with the wholeness of ourselves and our interconnectedness with the world, rendering us more effective in peacemaking. As we cultivate moment to moment clear awareness of habitual reactivities that keep us from making peace with ourselves, we can release these unhelpful habits and free ourselves from suffering.

AFFILIATE ANNOUNCEMENT

To strengthen our planetary network, ZP will feature newly affiliated groups. Join to explore some of the offerings of the organizations affiliated with ZP, and visit for a full list of these groups. Following is an introduction to the Sangha for Ukraine

Sangha for Ukraine

Compassion for Ukraine Mission: The Compassion for Ukraine community maintains a daily gathering to open our minds and hearts, and radiate compassion to all who are suffering as a result of the invasion and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Our daily practice is based on traditions and practices of Buddhist meditation and mind training, with a focus on the practice of tonglen. In addition to our practice, we bear witness to the impacts of the war and learn from our Ukrainian friends about their experience and concerns, and about Ukrainian history and culture.

TAKING ACTION - Prison Outreach

Letter Writing Campaign

Compassion Prison Project has been told by several prison residents that nothing brightens their day more than hearing their name called during mail call.

They have also heard from letter writers on the outside that their lives have been deeply enriched by the relationships they’ve cultivated with the incarcerated men and women with whom they communicate. Expressive writing can be therapeutic and healing and can also cultivate a sense of belonging and connection.

CPP is always looking for volunteers to join their letter writing campaign. Please and let them know that you’d like to write to someone living in a prison.

CPP is a grassroots, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

May we fulfill our vows to free and save all sentient beings.

JOIN ZEN PEACEMAKERS TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT PRISON OUTREACH

ZAZEN

Experience a connection with your personal?landscape through the transformative power of online meditation sessions with the Zen Peacemakers. Whether you're part of a local sangha or other spiritual community, we invite you to join us in this virtual space where we can gather across geographies?and time zones.

Join us for these online meditation sessions and experience the profound benefits of collective mindfulness. The Zen Peacemakers are here to support you on this transformative journey.

Monday - Friday
10:00 - 10:40?am US Eastern

Haiku

Monthly Haiku Page
Please participate in our Haiku Poetry?Challenge

OFFERING

The Bernie Koans

Edited by: Ken Byalin, Francisco "Paco" Lugovina, Christopher Panos

‘It’s just my opinion, man’, as Bernie would say. We all have our opinions about Roshi Bernie Glassman.??To some of us, he is the stern head monk at Zen Center of LA; to others, he is the socially engaged Buddhist who built up the Greyston Bakery and Foundation.??To others he is the founder of Zen Peacemakers International and the instigator of bearing witness plunges on the city streets and at Auschwitz and to others he is the clown, the founder of the Order of Disorder.??He is all of these and more.??As the stories in the book show, he is Bernie, the mensch, who spent his life feeding the hungry ghosts of society and teaching that Zen is to realize the oneness and interconnectedness of life.
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-Gerry Shishin Wick, grateful Dharma brother and disciple of Roshi Bernie

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Bill Hamaker?(he, him)

Denver Immigrant Protection Teams

#1199

开云体育

Sangha,?

I'm reaching out to share what I learned at an organizing meeting of the Denver Immigrant Protection Team on Saturday morning. ?Part of my practice is working to live out the three tenets of the Zen Peacemakers International - which are not knowing, bearing, witness, and taking action. ?I am communicating this information to our community to give everyone an opportunity to know what is happening around this issue - and to plug into this if it resonates for you. ?This is coming from me as an individual and not organized formally by the Sangha.

The Denver IPT is organized by the American Friends Service Committee - which is a Quaker organization that has been doing this type of work for many years. ?AFSC is the convening organization - but are working with other groups including the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC) and the Interfaith Immigration Network (IIN). ?

Dana Miller is the Denver IPT lead - you can reach her at pompomdana@.... ?Patty Lawless and Gina McAfee are the statewide leaders - you can reach them at patty.denver.ipt@... or gina.mcafee6@.... ?You can also join the Facebook group at Immigrant Protection Teams Colorado - IPT. ? I attended an organizational meeting of the Denver IPT on Saturday morning in North Denver. ?I was quite impressed and felt that this was well organized and that these organizations have been doing this work for many years and are well prepared for this work and this moment - so I left energized and committed to taking action. ?If you reach out to Dana to get involved - let her know that you learned about this from me - the organizers would like to get a handle on the ripple effect coming from the 60 people that attended on Saturday.?

There are 7 areas to get involved with the Denver IPT:?

Leadership, Organizational Support/Logistics
Know Your Rights?
Narrative Work?
Legislation and Policy?
Law Enforcement?
Public Action?
ICE Raids - Rapid Response?