practice and social action: freedom from fear, freedom to act

A letter from Roshi Joan
Dear Friends,
I have been at the Refuge, resting and healing for some days now. The deep green of the meadows and forests and little assisted walks I take are bringing me great peace. My commitment is to meet the practice at Upaya and my upcoming teaching schedule with a good heart and somewhat viable body. I know I can do this.
Beginning next week, I am co-leading with Zen Hospice founder Frank Ostaseski a retreat on death and dying, followed by our women’s retreat, then the closed Lindisfarne Fellowship meeting. A very rich July. We then begin our Summer Ango (peaceful dwelling), our powerful summer practice period the whole month of August, beginning August 6 and ending September 7th.
This month long is the most rich practice and learning period Upaya offers. Last year, with our new chaplaincy training, I realized that I wanted us to focus on the essential relationship between social action and deep meditation practice. I have asked some of the leaders in this field, including my beloved teacher Roshi Bernie Glassman and close colleague Sensei Fleet Maull, to come to Upaya to share their dharma with us. Other faculty include Natalie Goldberg, Kaz Tanahashi, Beate Stolte, Kyojo Bakker, Marty Peale, Maia Duerr, and other practitioners. Zen practice, prison work, work with the dying, inner city ministry, anti-nuclear work, environmental chaplaincy, the arts – all these will be explored as we move through this month.
The world is in such a heavy place right now, and we need deep and abiding tools and perspectives to meet the suffering that amplifies daily. I feel that this program will give you and me a base to meet the world with compassion and fearlessness. I hope you will join me. What better way to practice and learn……….
If you cannot be here the whole month, the retreat is structured so you can take particular programs. Know also that we now have a procedure for applying for scholarships. We know that these are hard economic times. Upaya is also deeply affected by the rise of the cost of living. But we try to make our place available to those who cannot afford the costs. Even those who pay full are on scholarships in a way, as we have to fundraise each year to meet our expenses. I believe that this is true of most dharma centers. We truly rely on the generosity of others and, in turn, we give as much as we are able.
So consider the vows of the Bodhisattvas, to free all beings, all creations from suffering. I truly hope to see you in the heart of practice.
UPAYA’S SUMMER PRACTICE PERIOD: ESSENCE OF ENGAGED BUDDHISM
Santa Fe, New Mexico— Upaya Zen Center’s Summer Practice Period “Essence of Engaged Buddhism,” which runs August 6 through September 7, 2008, presents all aspects of Buddhist study and life, dharma talks, sesshins, the arts, and seminars. This rare and powerful program’s faculty includes Roshi Joan Halifax, Roshi Bernie Glassman, Sensei Fleet Maull, Sensei Kazuaki Tanahashi, Irene Kyojo Bakker, Marty Peale, Natalie Goldberg, and Maia Duerr. Both seasoned and beginner Buddhist practitioners are welcomed. Attendees are invited to the month long practice period or may take any one of the five programs. Price for the entire month is $1200 for members and $1475 for non-members. Dormitory lodging is included (upgrade possible). Individual program description and costs below.
The Upaya Zen Center is one of the most renowned and respected Buddhist centers in the world doing socially-relevant programming, making it possible for new and seasoned practitioners to see how the contemplative life forms a base for social action and service. With the world so imperiled, the importance of this kind of experience cannot be under-estimated.
August 6-10, 2008: ENGAGED BUDDHISM RETREAT: History and Foundational Practices of the Five Buddha Families *(Required/Chaplaincy) with Sensei Fleet Maull, Roshi Joan Halifax
The essential nature of a bodhisattva or a Buddha is that he or she embraces the enlightened qualities of the five Buddha families, which pervade every living being without exception. These lightened qualities include discriminating awareness wisdom, mirror like wisdom, all encompassing space, wisdom of equanimity, and all accomplishing wisdom. To achieve the realization of these five Buddha families or the five dhyana buddhas, it is necessary to meet and transform the five disturbing emotions of great attachment, anger or aggression, ignorance or bewilderment, pride and envy. Sensei Fleet Maull, founder of the National Prison Hospice Association and Prison Dharma Network, senior meditation teacher in both the Shambhala Buddhist and Zen Peacemaker communities, a social activist, and director of the Peacemaker Institute and the Naropa University Center for Contemplative End-of-Life Care and Roshi Joan Halifax, Head Teacher at Upaya Zen Center, lead this workshop. Cost: $440 member; $480 non-member. Includes dormitory lodging (upgrade available).

August 12-15, 2008: THE HEART OF THE PRECEPTS *(Required/Chaplaincy) with Roshi Joan Halifax, Irene Kyojo Bakker, Beate Seishin Stolte, Jean Wilkins
This program is an exploration of the three aspects of Buddhism’s North Star, the Precepts: abiding literally in the precepts, compassion and the precepts, and wisdom/not knowing and the precepts. Participants will explore how the precepts can support the practice of engaged Buddhism. Cost: $270 member; $290 non-member. Plus lodging.
August 15-17, 2008: INNER CITY MINISTRY: The Path through Homelessness and Poverty *(Required/Chaplaincy) with Roshi Bernie Glassman
In January of 1994, while leading a bearing witness retreat in Washington, DC, Roshi Bernie created the Zen Peacemaker Order (ZPO) for Zen practitioners dedicated to the cause of peace and social justice. The ZPO has become an international, interfaith network called the Peacemaker Community, stressing the integration of spiritual practice and social action through Three Tenets: Not-knowing; Bearing witness to the joy and suffering of the world; and Loving action toward the world and ourselves. This weekend, Roshi Bernie focuses on his new endeavors, which integrate Zen practices into social action programs that work with the unemployed, homeless and disenfranchised in urban ghettos. Cost: $220 members; $240 non-members. Plus lodging.
August 19, 2008: Special Dharma Talk on ACTIVISM AND THE PRACTICE OF WISDOM by Charles Halpern

Charles Halpern will draw on his long years of meditation practice and leadership in the nonprofit sector in outlining a new direction for activist engagement, grounded in wisdom that is necessary to meet the extraordinary challenges of the 21st century. The themes are developed in his new book, Making Waves and Riding the Currents: Activism and the Practice of Wisdom. There will be a book sale and signing. Meditation begins at 5:30pm with dharma talk to follow at 5:45pm. Open to the public.

August 20-26, 2008: NATURE OF ALL THINGS: Forest Refuge Retreat with Natalie Goldberg, Roshi Joan Halifax, Marty Peale, William deBuys
This retreat provides a time of quiet in the remote wilds of New Mexico. Food is simple. Mountains are high, clear and accessible. All levels of practitioners, writers, artists, and nature lovers are welcome. The focus is on engaged practice, the natural world, and the arts. Natalie Goldberg is a renowned writer, lover of Zen and the natural world. Roshi Joan is. Marty Peale is an environmental teacher. William deBuys is an author and environmental historian. Cost: $580 member; $625 non-member. Includes dormitory lodging at Upaya (upgrade available) and camping at the Refuge.
August 29-September 4, 2008: SESSHIN: Dogen’s Koans for Social Action with Roshi Joan Halifax, Sensei Kazuaki Tanahashi, Beate Stolte
Sesshin, meaning to gather the heart and mind, is an intensive meditation retreat done with others to deepen one’s relationship to the mind and to the world. Days are silent, doing sitting and walking meditation together, eating formally as a community, and working together. With Sensei and Roshi, participants will explore koans from Dogen that bring service work in the world into a new perspective. Cost: $480 member; $525 non-member. Includes dormitory lodging at Upaya (upgrade available).
September 5-7, 2008: BREAKTHROUGH WITH THE BRUSH: Art and Social Action: with Sensei Kazuaki Tanahashi
Sensei has long used his great skill in calligraphy as a medium for social action. This unusual workshop offers training in classical and free Zen calligraphy practicing with themes related to social action. Ideograms from ancient Chinese and Japanese masterpieces will be interpreted and reproduced along with original spontaneous works. For beginners and seasoned artists. Sensei Kazuaki Tanahashi is a master calligrapher, Dogen scholar, and social activist. Cost: $220 members; $240 non-members. Plus lodging.

WHAT: Upaya Zen Center’s Summer Practice Period “Essence of Engaged Buddhism”
WHEN: August 6 through September 7, 2008
Upaya welcomes and encourages guests to come early or stay longer for personal retreat time following the workshop. Contact registrar@upaya.org for details.
WHERE: Upaya Zen Center, 1404 Cerro Gordo Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501
COST FOR ENTIRE MONTH $1200 member; $1475 non-member. Includes dormitory lodging
INFO: www.upaya.org 505-986-8518; Upaya@upaya.org