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~ December Newsletter
(Photo: Hardwar dawn, by Tom.)
In this newsletter
~ News
~ The Monthly Theme--Soul Moments, by Jaya
~ An Invitation to Give Your Heart
~ A Poem to Share, from Jenny
~ Interesting Internet Connections
~ Upcoming Events
~ News
Interviews
Jaya will do one-to-one interviews of 10-15 minutes each via Skype on Saturday, 8 December, between 10am until 11am India time. If you would like to schedule a time for an interview, please email interviews (at) opendharma.org. There will be no interviews in January, due to the retreat schedule and lack of internet connection at the ashram.
Radio Dharma
Jaya will give a radio dharma talk over the free internet radio site blogtalkradio.com on Sunday, 9 December at 10:30am India time. Please follow this link to join. And if you don't want to miss these events, then click on "follow," just under the Open Dharma logo. There will be no radio program in January, due to the retreat schedule and lack of internet connection at the ashram.
Rincon Latino
Our newsletter is making the multi-lingual leap. Beginning next month we will offer a Spanish corner, or Rincon Latino, with the intention of bringing aliveness to the Spanish-speaking sangha. Please feel very invited and welcome to participate by sending in your contributions to the newsletter in Spanish!
Jaya offers the monthly practice theme for December ~ Soul Moments
What is it like when, during the course of a day or a night, we happen to feel our deep ineradicable sweetness as human beings?
A teacher known as "the Mother" of Auroville made the striking statement that most people only consciously experience their souls once or at most a few times in their lives. We can guess towards what she means...she obviously speaks of a soul that is easily ignored when our lives obey habit and biology. Beyond the personal and collective habits of insecurity, over-confidence, competition, conformity, rebellion; behind the tugging undercurrents of survival, proliferation, show, out-turned attention…beyond all that, a breeze. Something, boundary-less, uncontrolled but unaggressive. Not me as I normally act, but not unfamiliar.
It could take many years to learn what the Mother meant by soul. Let's just open to the moments where uncontrived sweetness comes through. Get to know that quality, drink it up, let it spread, trust in it.
by Jaya
(Photo: Frost at Dharmaloca, by Jenny.)
~An Invitation to Give Your Heart
(Photo: Origami euro heart.)
~ A Poem to Share
Jenny, who is living at Dharmaloca this winter, sent in a favorite poem for us to share...
"The Peace of Wild Things," by Wendell Barry.
When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
(From The Selected Poems of Wendell Berry, 1998)
(Photo: Dharmaloca, by Jenny. )
~ Interesting Internet Connections
Jaya has sent these interesting internet connections for us to share...
This one is a story from a US public radio program that talks about returning war veterans learning about compassion through meditation as part of their rehabilitation process. You can listen to the story here.
The second one is a story from a US public radio show that reports on prayer in the evangelical Christian community. You can listen to the report by following this link.
Here, also, is a link to a radio interview Jaya gave while in Australia.( You follow this link and click the play button under the photo of Jaya.)
~ Upcoming Retreat Dates & Details
5 - 15 January, 17- 26, and 27 January - 6 February, 2013, Silent meditation retreats near Tiruvannamalai, India
Near Anantha Niketan Ashram
Teachings will be in English.
Facilitators: Jaya and Gemma. Guest facilitators Zohar and Nicole will join us on the second and third retrats, respectively.
opendharmainfo (at) yahoo.com
21 - 28 February, 2013, Dharma Gathering, Sarnath, India
At the Thai temple in Sarnath, India
Facilitators: Christopher Titmuss, Jaya, Zohar and others.
For more information check: bodhgayaretreats.org
23 - 24 February, 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
8 - 10 March, 2013, Diving into Meditation Retreat, in Eastbourne, UK
Deep rest, silence and genuine inquiry.
Teachings will be in English.
Facilitator: Gemma
For information and registration, write to:
info(at)retreattogayles.co.uk
10 - 17 March, 2013, Jin Shin Jyutsu in Lucknow, India
Jaya will offer a course in Jin Shin Jyutsu....
More information to come!
1 - 8 & 9-19 April, 2013, meditation retreats at Sattal Ashram, North India
Seven-day and 10-day silent meditaiton retreats at Sattal Ashram in the foothills of the Himalayas in India
Teachings will be in English.
Facilitators: Jaya and Gemma
For more information write to:
opendharmainfo(at)yahoo.com
20 April - 4 May, 2013, Two-week Jin Shin Jyutsu and meditation retreat at Sattal Ashram, North India
Teachings will be in English.
Facilitators: Jaya and Gemma.
opendharmainfo (at) yahoo.com
11 - 12 May, 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
June, 2013, Two-week retreat at Dharmaloca, Spain
Teachings will be in English & Spanish
Facilitators: Jaya and 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 or Gemma
For more information write to:
opendharmaholland(at)hotmail.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
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
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