News & Views, 2010

OPEN WAY NEWS & VIEWS VOL. 21, NO. 1 FALL-WINTER 2010-2011

OPEN WAY SANGHA, MISSOULA, MONTANA • WWW.OPENWAY.ORG PAGE 1

Open WayNews & Views

Dharma Practice in the Tradition ofThich Nhat Hanh & The Order of Interbeing

Reflections &Perceptions

Rowan ConradSangha and Deepening PracticeIn Estes Park, Bruce asked what the term, “deepening practice”

actually means. In one way, it is one of those nonsense things that Buddhists say. Probably it is more accurate to say that practice that deepens us, or goes more deeply into us, or comes out of a deeper place in us. We don’t really “deepen practice.” We just do practice. We can do it more consistently. We can do it more attentively. I don’t know how to “do it deeper.” My experience is not so much that I deepen practice as that my world expands around me and I expand into and “inthrough” the world. (The many possible [mis]interpreta-‐tions of the term, “the practice,” being another interesting topic which is not to be taken on at the moment.)Pursuing traditional Zen many years ago, one of the “textbook”

experiences of everything dropping away happened in the airport on the way home from a week of practice. It was the Lirst time I had practiced with a “real” teacher and with a group that included experi-‐enced practitioners. There did not seem to be any great deepening that happened as a result. Except maybe more faith that practice does produce things. I wasted years trying to do what teachers tell you not to do; trying to reproduce the experience. But I stuck with the practice. For example, in the decade following that experience, I didn’t miss more than ten days meditating. I stuck with the practice. Mostly it was solitary practice with occasional monastery trips. Baker-‐roshi, the “real teacher” referenced above, subsequently had become my teacher. In response to my question about developing my practice between monastery trips, he told me to sit with people; ex-‐perienced people whenever possible. This was how to “deepen” my practice. Thay is more explicit. At my Lirst retreat with Thay, he was saying to all of us, you need to practice with a sangha. In a subse-‐

IN THIS ISSUE:

PRACTICE

SPRING 2010 RETREAT

POETRY

FLATHEADMINDFULNESS

WINTER SOLSTICE CELEBRATION

2011 RETREATS

PURCHASINGTHE CENTER

2011 ANNUAL MEETINGREPORT

http://www.openway.org


INVESTOR NEWSLETTER ISSUE N°3 FALL 2005

PAGE 2 OPEN WAY SANGHA, MISSOULA, MONTANA • WWW.OPENWAY.ORG

quent Dharma talk, he said there is not enough energy in one human to accomplish the “deeper” kinds of transformation and healing that the prac-‐tice can bring. At my Lirst retreat in Plum Village, Sr. Annabel, in an interview, reinforced the mes-‐sage about sangha. So reluctantly, this very shy person heeded the teachers, and expanded into regular sangha practice, but only with the added boost of the persistent encouragement (nagging might be a better word) of Rolly Meinholtz.This is the most important thing, among many,

that my teachers have taught me: sangha is the centerpiece. I am not a great meditator. I have come to truly understand the limits of study and intellectual comprehension. I doubt a lot would have happened without sangha practice. As daily meditation practice and practice with sangha has continued over the years, a number of things have occurred: less whining and more gratitude; seeing the components of things, like all the ancestors that developed all the skills and materials to make

a building that is sheltering me; an ability to see “life in me and life in the tree;” encountering an old situation and having a different internal and/or behavioral reaction to it; seemingly urgent ques-‐tions just dissolving without needing answers; self-‐consciousness not precluding “being on the Dharma stage” when necessary; a trust in process and less need to arrange outcomes; mindfulness trainings becoming friends rather than “oppo-‐nents” to “important (not)” wants and desires; a kindly and loving response to persons encoun-‐tered being the norm; realizing that simply being alive is a sufLicient condition for happiness; and an absolute experience of the core value of sangha and an unshakable commitment to sangha.If you are reading this, you know about the

practice and most likely know practices to do. My experience suggests that doing them consistently will deepen the doer in many and diverse ways, the above just being a smattering of the possibilities. You do not deepen practice so much

ABUNDANCE OF LEAVESI raked the leaves at Open Waypiled them in mounds up to the sky,thinking of Buddha, thinking of Thay.

Then I drove home and went to bedafter sipping a mug of Good Earth Tea.No sugar plum fairies danced through my head,

but from each tawny mound I saw a bear,all shaggy Buddhas in shades of mocha lattestanding on their haunches and sniffing the air.

They twirled and dipped in a circular trancewhile I stood in the middle, timid and shyuntil each one beckoned me to join in the dance.

So if you’re ever bored or sunk in despaircome rake leaves at Open Way, and dance with bears.

Sandra Johnson





as practice deepens you. And for me at least, sangha is and has been the keystone practice. Thank you all for being my sangha and providing the energy for change and development that this body just does not seem to generate in “sufLicient” quantity in the absence of sangha. See you in sangha next Tuesday, or Monday, or

Mindfulness Day, or Retreat, or . . .

Z

Spring 2010 Retreat

Ellen KnightCheri Maples Transforms Barriers Into Openness

The spring 2010 retreat at Lubrecht Forest was a powerful experience for all who heard Cheri Maples’ teaching, which was strongly grounded in the reali-‐ties of everyday life. Ellen Knight shares the high-‐lights for those of us who could not attend. Cheri will once again be the teacher for the Spring 2011 retreat.

Opening Talk on Self-‐CareCheri’s opening remarks were to tell us of her

personal history. This amazing story gave deep validity to her teachings…if she can do this under her personal circumstances, the rest of us can, too. Here is the summary of her life.Raised by two alcoholic parents in a “black col-‐

lar” family. The father rarely had a job. By 10, Cheri was doing farm work and essentially raising her two younger brothers. She grew up and be-‐came a social worker, but later turned to being a “cop” because of higher wages and beneLits. She was a single mother of two. She encountered all the sorrows of life in her police work and, interest-‐ingly, far more of it related to alcohol than to drugs. She was a tough cop and became an alco-‐

holic herself. She became interested in working with troubled youth, combining her social work and her police work. In that capacity she began to build a different way of working with youth, en-‐gaging social workers, police, lawyers and judges. She was named assistant Attorney General for the state of Wisconsin with the charge of developing such a program for the entire state. However, after a year a new, more conservative AG was elected and Cheri lost her job. I believe it was at this point that she decided, for a reason unknown to her, to go to a Thich Nhat Hanh retreat held near Chicago. While there, she was deeply moved and saw there is a way out of all this suffering. She came to the retreat not having read anything about Buddhism, and so came at the teachings from a purely practi-‐cal, hands-‐on perspective. This is extremely evi-‐dent in her teaching. During one of the retreats she subsequently attended, during the Q&A with Thay, she asked him if he would come do a retreat in Wisconsin which would include prisoners, cops, lawyers, social workers, and judges. He accepted on the spot. The retreat turned out to be an amaz-‐ing success. Her wildest dream had been to see all those people, in community, in a circle, holding hands. It came to pass. So you can see that this is one amazing woman who has seen it all. Her wis-‐dom and experience were deeply inspiring.After telling her personal story, she continued:There is a balance between caring and not be-‐

ing able to cope; between doing and being; be-‐tween compassion and equanimity.If you have an open heart then you can take

steps into uncertainty. Being present to myself is the most important aspect.Apply this to our lives: Think of taking a bath in

mindfulness. Accept that what is, is. Relax with hopelessness, grief, and death. Be and accept the present moment. She tells the story of the monk, who, beset with difLiculties, maintained his com-‐posure and explained that “I don’t mind what hap-‐pens.”





Suffering is self-‐imposed; we want things to be different. But while “pain is unavoidable; suffering is optional.” We can be free from the tyranny of suffering, and the crap in your life is the compost, is the redemption, and mindfulness is the answer.This is it…here, now.If not now, when?The Lirst layer of suffering is what is.The second layer is unnecessary: its my fault;

ruminating on the suffering, etc. We can control this layer. We have to understand the “endless na-‐ture of my powerlessness.”

Two Bells of MindfulnessShe tells a story about someone going over and

over her various hurts but then deciding to say about them, “Oh, my problem is ‘e-‐i-‐e-‐i-‐o,’” making a little child-‐like song of it. This helped her not continue to make stories out of the hurts and sor-‐rows. It helped her stay open and curious.Ask these questions: does this matter now? Will

it matter tomorrow? When I die? In 300 years? You can ask this about any external thing that we can’t control.Mindfulness isn’t a self-‐improvement project. It

gives us the ability to hold it all, but not to get caught in emotion. We learn to selectively water the seeds in ourselves and others. We learn to par-‐ticipate in joy; do things that bring joy. This is self-‐care. Anger and despair simply increase individual and group suffering.Make a fearless proclamation about what we

can do. Energy follows thought.

Friday Talks“The energy of my presence” seems to change

people. This is how she felt when she returned to her police work after her Lirst retreat with Thay. Tenacity can be dysfunctional or it can be suppor-‐tive. Cheri noted some research about extreme ath-‐

letes, Olympic level athletes. This research found only one commonality: Those who lose tended to look ahead to see how far there is to go; those who

win tended to look back and see how far they have come. The lesson in this for meditation is to just do it. Sit daily and be mindful. Go to retreats. You are accumulating practice. Stopping is the beginning of insight. Set your life up consciously in order to have the time to meditate. Remember that it takes 24 hours to come down from a work or other adrenalin high. The down cycle often goes to fam-‐ily and the lens for viewing the world becomes narrower and narrower. Do not forget to support the energy of the heart. The results of trauma are physical, emotional (anger, depression), spiritual. There is a numbing of the heart. This produces downward habit energy. Align the inner and outer worlds. Be creative with the trainings. Apply them in work; your Sangha is everywhere. Be a sangha builder. Remember not to get caught in everything that “must” be done. The priority list will never be Linished so you simply need to manage it properly.Try to bring “unconscious agreements” into

discussion, acknowledge them and bring them into awareness. Emotion is so difLicult. Cheri was able to bring meditation techniques and the concepts of the mindfulness trainings into her police work by labeling them “health and wellness training.”Look for new ways, creative ways to approach

issues. Cheri was feeling new balance and integrity as she applied the trainings in this way. For in-‐stance, she came to see that carrying a gun can be an act of love if used with awareness and compas-‐sion. For any of us there are two aspects to com-‐passion: Lierce compassion and gentle compassion. With Lierce compassion you have to use wise boundaries. You have to understand, as a cop, that not letting people commit crimes helps them as well as potential victims. For any of us, ask your-‐self the question: What are the boundaries I can feel comfortable with? Be in your own skin rather than anticipating what others are feeling. The lat-‐ter is co-‐dependency. Find the balance between awareness of others and self-‐focus/experience. Trust yourself. Embrace our own and others’ hu-‐manity.





If I take care of myself, I take care of you, and vice-‐versa. We inter-‐are.DeLine your purpose; have an intention of pur-‐

pose. What are the three things most important to me? Write them down.Pay attention:Notice what you are thinking; create space in

order to notice.Ask yourself “Are you sure?”Ask yourself, “Who will suffer if I do not speak

up?”We have to have the courage to let our hearts

be broken.

Saturday Dharma TalkThere is a psychological assessment tool called

a “Johari Window” which shows the aspects of self that are known and unknown, both to ourselves and to others. “Store consciousness” is one of the unknowns (generally) to both ourselves and to others. It is good to explore what lies there.Do not expect “enlightenment” to come with a

single stroke. Expect it to be very gradual. Through these techniques you can gradually be-‐come more aware of Lierce and gentle compassion; power and control issues; watering the seeds of joy; being your own self in community; learn to speak truth to power. You can learn to align inner and outer worlds, to take the leap into uncertainty and to take risks with spontaneity. You have to know your core values. In restorative justice, the questions are: What was the harm? Who was harmed? How can it be repaired? Do not rational-‐ize (”yes, but I….”). Do not be overcome with guilt (there is a difference between remorse, which is transformative, and guilt which simply sucks en-‐ergy.) The litmus test of spirituality is in relation-‐ship.(Cheri’s practice tips are detailed in the column

at right.)

CHERI MAPLES’ TENPRACTICAL PRACTICE TIPS

1. Constancy. Practice, practice, practice.

2. Take responsibility for your own learning. Look into concepts that you don’t understand.

3. Go on retreats.

4. Participate in Sangha.

5. Make sure things that matter most are not at the mercy of things that matter least! Bring and cultivate joy. Water those seeds. Be more present to the people in your life: this is it! Success isn’t anything other than a successful moment!

6. Understand and work with store conscious-ness. Water the seeds of your own self-reflection. Increase the area of your life that is open, both to yourself and to others. Be more authentic with people. Know and trust yourself. Do not by-pass your own truth because you have some mistaken idea about spirituality (oh, I shouldn’t say anything about this because it might up-set someone).

7. Learn the skill of pausing and reflecting. There is a healing power in non-aggression. This puts a distance between ourselves and emotional reac-tions. This is the beginning of freedom.

8. Appreciate the humanity and Buddha-nature of yourself and others. We already know who we want to become (our true selves). Don’t make someone’s worst action the definition of their identity (Cheri really related this to prisoners).

9. Set appropriate boundaries for yourself and others (use both fierce and gentle compassion). The boundaries represent fierce compassion. Behind every judgment and criticism is an unmet need. Make direct requests rather than criticism and blaming either yourself or others. When you say, “But…” this is arguing or negotiating the re-sponsibility everyone is bringing. Resolution be-gins with every person bringing to the conflict their own responsibility for their own experi-ence. This will make a new dialogue. Where are your trigger points? Look for common ground in the arena of unmet needs.

10. Do not get caught in notions of praise or blame.





Q&ARight View is the absence of all views.Fierce Compassion: setting boundaries.Make observations, not judgments; state the

facts.You can’t clear up someone’s misperceptions if

they don’t want you to.Have an “undefended heart.” Take a step into

vulnerability and openness, but let others know what you need and what is hard for you.Take small steps. Do what you need to do so

that you will have no regrets.Take good care of a Llowering love and do not

put yourself in the position to be hurt.Be kind to everyone.Cheri Maples: “I did not Lind working in a femi-‐

nist collective any easier than working in a para-‐military organization!”Take people’s strengths and build on them.Beginning Anew: let the other person know

that you are committed and you are not going any where. “I’ll wait. Let me know when you are ready to begin.” Both people need to want to be there. We can all be bodhisattvas. Rekindle the sacred

Lire; have a healthy perspective on the teachings; stand on your own integrity; the path of ease is seldom the path of awakening; have the compas-‐sionate courage of your convictions without de-‐moralizing others. It is revolutionary to apologize and to forgive. We can control how connected or resistant we are to others. Ask yourself, if not now, when? If not me, then who? What we do today is the substance that builds tomorrow. If you made a mistake, acknowledge it. You can facilitate ex-‐changes between others. Recognize what they can and cannot contribute. Clarify and manage expec-‐tations…an agreement. What are the goals? Honor differences. Let go of not knowing the outcome.Impermanence is the primary aspect of the his-‐

torical dimension.True nature of no-‐birth/no death and oneness

resides in the ultimate dimension.

Touching our true nature bridges both dimen-‐sions. We already are what we want to become. And, you can “let the Buddha do it.” I don’t have to breath, I can let the Buddha do it. I don’t have to speak, I can let the Buddha do it. I don’t have to love, I can let the Buddha do it. I don’t have to be brave, I can let the Buddha do it.We can laugh.The only important question is where am I go-‐

ing in this moment. Relax with hopelessness and death.Things manifest when they are ripe, but loving

action matters. An invitation: take seriously that who you are can alter the relationships between people.

Above:Ultimate Impermanence: The Laughing Buddha Burns with the Bright Flame of EnlightenmentSteve Allison-‐Bunnell, 2011





Mindfulness in theFlathead Valley

Gina GarlieOpen Sky Sangha FlourishesTwo years ago, following the 2009 Thich Nhat

Hanh Estes Park Retreat “One Buddha is Not Enough,” I came home and felt the tug of offering Mindfulness Practice to the Flathead Valley. Hav-‐ing met practitioners from across Montana, I felt supported to begin the practice of Sangha building.A year ago, a group of practitioners came to-‐

gether to form a Sangha in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. We began sitting weekly, formed a Sangha Care Team, offered Days of Mindfulness, chose a name and continue to offer support to one another and to the Flathead community. Our community has come together to nurture this growing sangha through practice, leadership in-‐volvement, and support; we couldn’t be more grateful. We currently meet for practice on Wednesday evenings at Shining Mountains Church, 475 8th Avenue East N. in Kalispell.Our vision is to offer support to one another as

we nurture our practice of mindfulness, joy and peace. We are an afLiliate of Open Way Sangha in Missoula, and are grateful for their guidance and support. We offer opportunities to practice weekly meditation, Dharma Discussion, mindfulness days and opportunities to participate in extended re-‐treats. We welcome all traditions as we believe that mindfulness practice integrates into all as-‐pects of life. We are a spiritual community not bound by any theory, doctrine, or ideology. We are a community which gathers to support intentions of being as fully human and awake as possible. We believe that by practicing together, stilling the mind and body, and by looking deeply at causes of suffering, we can begin to cultivate openness,

Left:The Day Is BeginningCollage by Ria de Neeve, 2010Created as a birthday present for Andy Laken





compassion, inclusiveness, and well-‐being within ourselves, our families, our community, our envi-‐ronment, and our world.Open Sky Sangha has always felt like a con-‐

tinuation rather than a new Sangha. The Flathead Valley has been home to many practitioners of meditation and mindfulness from various tradi-‐tions over many years. Although Open Sky contin-‐ues to attract those new to meditation, we also have a depth of practice from our participants. Our Lirst year has been one of coming together and creating this wonderful practice together. Contact us at [email protected].

Flathead Valley Mindfulness Day

Ria de Neeve, Shining Friend of the HeartHomecomingAttending a day of mindfulness in the Flathead

Valley was a wonderful experience for a few rea-‐sons. First, I grew up there. I graduated from Flat-‐head High School in 1996. I was raised by my sin-‐gle father, and for many years we struggled to Lind community there. We landed in the budding Gla-‐cier Unitarian Universalist congregation when I was sixteen. It was a relief to Lind a place that was intellectually stimulating, and for the Lirst time in my life I felt accepted, to the extent that I knew how. I was the only teenager in the church. If you would have told me back then that 14 years later I would be doing sitting and walking meditation with a room full of people from the Flathead, I would have laughed at you. I left the Flathead (and now return to the area) with the perception that the Flathead is the land of right wing conservative people, where I have to walk against the Llow of the river to share my opinions and ideas.In this sense, it was healing for me to go to my

hometown and do my practice. I noticed my nerv-‐ousness, my fears and my judgments. They came up as people started to arrive, I did my best to stay present and take care of my feelings. I saw faces I recognized and a few old friends. I also heard from

the sharing circle that many of the people there are searching for community. I felt so grateful that Open Sky Sangha can provide a place for people. I deeply understand the need for community. Sangha has become my spiritual home. It is so healing to Lind a place to be heard, seen, and ac-‐cepted.Another reason I attended the day of mindful-‐

ness was that my father was going to be there. He recently started to attend Open Sky. It has been amazing to share the practice with my father. Al-‐though we have spent a lot of time talking about our practice, we had never actually practiced to-‐gether. I was kind of nervous about spending this day with him. I felt shy about my practice, because it is a place in my life where I have grown and opened up, that he didn’t know. He has never seen me sit or walk or share in Dharma discussion. In some ways I felt like a young girl when he arrived. I was so happy to see him.We had a great day together. It was an amazing

experience for me to be sitting in between my fa-‐ther and my partner Andy. I felt supported and loved in my practice. The highlight of our day together for me came

during outdoor walking meditation. It was very cold outside. The setting was beautiful, high above the deep blue bay which was surrounded by a white forest of hills. We made our way together in silence down toward the water. I remember taking my dad’s hand in the silence. It was a small (or perhaps big) miracle to just be, together. My father turned to me and smiled right into my face and said, “Ri, isn’t this wonderful? It’s just like when you were little.” We smiled and continued to walk down the path. I was deeply touched by those words, and I think I know why. The times of ease and joy were few and far between when I was a child. The good times I remember from the forma-‐tive years in my life were with my dad in the big quiet woods. During Dharma discussion I shared about the

experience I had during the outdoor walking me-‐





diation. At the the end of the day my father hugged me and thanked me for sharing about our experi-‐ence, saying that he couldn’t have shared about it in the circle. He had tears in his eyes when he told me that he loved me.

Carrie ThielEntering the PracticeOn Saturday, December 4, 2010, at the Deep

Bay Center overlooking Flathead Lake, I attended my second day-‐long mindfulness and meditation retreat, having gone to one in Missoula last year as the culmination of a mindfulness based stress re-‐duction course. As a fairly new practitioner of meditation, a whole day of intentional practice is daunting. However, the gentle yet focused pace of the day, the Llowing in and out of silent and not so silent activities, and the warm, welcoming energy of people from various practices and orientations, truly made the day a sanctuary for my mind, body, and soul.Led by Rowan Conrad and offered by Open Sky

Sangha in Kalispell, the day’s activities were cen-‐tered on the theme: “Let Your Life Flow.” And Llow we did—gracefully and gratefully, we moved from sitting meditation to walking meditation, from deep relaxation to dharma talks, from singing to a silent lunch of hearty soups, breads, fruit, and tea. We were always invited, with a smile, to move from one activity to the next, with alternatives of-‐fered to those who might want or need one.Coming from the hype of “the holiday season”

and from my work as a mental health counselor, this oasis of peace, nourished by the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh and shaped by each person’s quiet energy, provided a refuge for my tired mind and drooping spirit. The view from my meditation seat included the watery expanse of Flathead Lake, a distant, tree-‐lined shore, low-‐hanging gray clouds, and an occasional soaring osprey. Whether my eyes were open or closed, my mind was at rest.

As people shared brieLly about themselves and their practice at the end of the day, I was grateful to learn of their varied spiritual orientations and many reasons for attending, and of personal strug-‐gles overcome as well as those still being worked out. For one day, this diverse group of people gathered, breathed, smiled, and surrendered to the peacefulness resonating deep within and around us, like the sustained ringing of a meditation bell. I can’t wait for our next day of mindfulness.

RADICAL OPENNESS,RADICAL ACCEPTANCESpread your arms up towards the sky,Let your body be absorbed by the Earth,Listen to the Creation you are a part of,It will tell you that there is nothing to do, no-where to go.

Peer into the still water of the pond,Lovers and killers are reflected where your im-age belongs,See them both for what they are,Neither embrace nor flee.

Take each step as a free person,Feel the love and beauty in all directions,Smile as you continuously arrive,There is nothing to fear.

Samuel Singer





JUST THISThe best thing to do, all things considered,is to spend your energynot spendingyour energyfleeing from the present,I’m told.

Excuse me, butI have workto do

NOT STIRRINGThose glimpses, they were rightabout them. One minuteyou are stirring the soup, the next remembering to stirthe soup

And the infinite moment in-between, well, what can onesay?

WET DOGSTo condemn a humanfor some human flawor sin: might as wellcurse a dogfor beingwetand smelly.

APPEARANCESBlisters on my feet,flies and mosquitoes,yetthe lake and the windand the clouds and thesun, altogethersatisfactory, if oneis to judgeby appearances.

SO MUCH SWEATBeing present is easy and 100%certified organic.

But the mind inventsa million billion waysof beingabsent.

The thing we forgetis that we can rest—really rest—in this very moment—

so much sweatnot being right here.

MOSES, THE LUCKY STIFFMosesthe lucky stiff—he got a burning bush.

Me, I gotrhubarb in the springand cottonwoodsin the fall.

David Gilcrest





Missoula Winter SolsticeMindfulness Day

On Sunday, December 12, Open Way observed a Day of Mindfulness organized by Peggy Mallete to mark the winter solstice.

John MakarowskiPerceptions of a NewcomerA circle of people, a forest as its center.Fragrant, with clear white lights in its branches.Lights for us all to light.

And the sharing -‐ Of the exquisite ability to LindGratitude through pain.What love, what presence, what beauty.Overwhelmed by that strength.

Of community -‐Of the Yak, bonded by gifts given of their children.And a community an ocean apart,touched by the commonality ofmusic,and a collective grief.

Of advice for marriage andrelationship,the leaving of, and the creation of space to Llourish.

Of a coyote’s cry on the mesa,and the wearing of pajamas to a party,hair askew.

Of a joke on us,for us: a song and a dance.Well done!

Of divine visions,a youth choir.

More to come?

Of generations represented through imagesone following the other.A continuance, a lineageof life.

Of the awesome pitter-‐patter of little feet. A gift of gifts.

Of slowing downto the call of the season.Looking inside,

being with the natural rhythm.

Of redwood trees and cluttered houses.How deep can they make you look within?

Of the melodic and wonderfulnames of Llora,and the hope of their becoming again.

Of the love of natureexpressed with fabulous art,a Murder of Crows.

Of the food.Wow -‐ those Buddhists know how to cook!

Of a pulling in of the circle,hand over hand.The fragrance of the forestmade more pungentby the warm, lit lights.The giving of wish giftseach to each hand to hand.Through the circle. Wonderful.

We are Nature.We are rhythm.

Thank you to all.





2011 RetreatsCheri Maples Spring Retreat Teacher at Lubrecht ForestThis year’s spring retreat will be at Lubrecht

Experimental Forest, about 40 minutes from Mis-‐soula, on May 5-‐8th, 2011. We were so happy with Cheri Maples last spring that we will once again be having her as our dharma teacher. The title of the retreat is “Awakening the Inner Buddha.” More information is posted in the calendar section on our website: openway.org. Registration will open in early March.Michael Ciborski Fall Retreat Teacher at Camp ChildMichael Ciborski will be our guest teacher for

the fall retreat. It will be at Camp Child, near He-‐lena, on September 29-‐October 2, 2011. Stan Voreyer and Ann Kuntzweiler will be directors.

Thich Nhat Hanh 2011 North American Retreats

Save the dates for the 2011 North American Teach-‐ing Tour with Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and the monks & nuns of Plum Village, EIAB, Deer Park Monastery, Magnolia Village and Blue Cliff Monas-‐tery.

Vancouver, British Columbiaplumvillage.orgMindfulness Retreat -‐ August 8-‐12Public Talk -‐ August 14

Coloradoplumvillage.orgEstes Park, YMCA of the Rockies:Mindfulness Retreat – August 19-‐24Denver:Public Talk – August 27

California: deerparkmonastery.orgPasadena:Public Talk – September 3Deer Park Monastery, Escondido:Day of Mindfulness – September 4 Mindful Retreat in English – Sept. 6-‐11Mindful Retreat in Vietnamese – Sept. 16-‐20Day of Mindfulness – Sept. 25

Mississippi:magnoliavillage.orgMagnoliaVillage, Batesville:Mindfulness Retreat – Sept. 28-‐Oct 1 Day of Mindfulness – October 2

New York:bluecliffmonastery.orgBlue Cliff Monastery, Pine Bush:Mindfulness Retreat – October 5-‐10Omega, NYC:Public Talk & Day of Mindfulness – Oct. 14-‐15Blue Cliff Monastery, Pine Bush:Day of Mindfulness – October 16 Above:

Pond at Camp ChildClaire Emery, 2010



http://openway.org/

http://openway.org/



Rowan ConradOpen Way Purchases Mindfulness Center BuildingWhen Lizzi Juda, the current owner of the Cen-‐

ter, decided to sell the building last Fall, Greg Grallo, as Director, asked the Mindfulness Center Directors to make a recommendation about pur-‐chase. Formal and informal communication among the Mindfulness Center Directors resulted in the recommendation that Open Way purchase the property. The Board subsequently reached con-‐sensus to do so. The following is an elaboration of the points made in their recommendation to the Board.Open Way’s program and identity are deeply

tied to this building. If we do not purchase, it will be sold elsewhere and we will have to seek an-‐other location.Another location of even similar quality likely

cannot be had at all. And even if so, rental of an-‐other full use facility would be more expensive than the payments to purchase this facility.We have long had most of the responsibilities

of an owner, but without the latitude of ownership. This will not signiLicantly increase our responsi-‐bilities, but it will increase our options.

Many other Mindfulness-‐promoting programs regularly or occasionally use the Center as home base. One engagement aspect of our “mission,” building awareness and skill toward a mindful so-‐ciety, is greatly enhanced by having a dedicated facility for this purpose. Without Open Way Mind-‐fulness Center, these programs would have to scat-‐ter themselves in search of an affordable home.The strategy suggested for funding the pur-‐

chase is reLlected on the form enclosed in this newsletter. It asks persons or groups of persons to sponsor a month each year for Live years (renew-‐able) at the rate of $600/month. Open Way has sufLicient general income that it doesn’t matter if all pick the same month. Open Way has sufLicient savings for initial purchase costs and to handle any uneven pattern in donations. It is hoped that sufLi-‐cient “month pledges” will accrue to pay ahead and do some improvements.There are a great many individuals who have

said if we ever had a Linancial need they would re-‐spond. For example, the previous Flowing Moun-‐tains Director has said he would recommend that Flowing Mountains sponsor a month. Before we had even implemented our funding plan, several members who were aware of it have said they would sponsor a month. Thus, we are likely to be

Sangha News





at least half-‐covered even before we formally start seeking funds. Most years Open Way has Linished the year with a budget surplus. Last year’s surplus was over $3,000. That is money that can go toward purchase or improvements in successive years. Owning will remove us from the tax rolls and re-‐coup the over $1,000 in taxes that we pay each year as part of our lease agreement. We have a good core of members, more cash Llow, and four viable sitting groups now–a much stronger position than we were in when we considered purchase in the past. We are being given a

sweetheart deal by Lizzi, who is selling for what she has invested in the property, rather than the considerably greater market price. Addition-‐ally, she is carrying an interest free note elimi-‐nating Linancing cost in return for our paying closing costs and grant-‐ing her “member basis” facility use. Thus, should some calamity overtake us, we should be able to easily recover the amount owed should we be forced to sell, even in a bad market.In short, it is a no-‐brainer to buy. The sale has

closed, and we are patiently waiting the arrival of our deed in the mail.

A pledge sheet is included in this copy of the news-‐letter if you are moved to help sponsor a month of payments on the Center.

Steve Zellmer2011 Annual MeetingDear Friends,

As we settle together into the New Year, the Open Way Board was joined by a number of full and afLiliate members in Missoula on January, 16 for our Annual Meeting. If there was one theme that emerged from our time together, it was that we are a growing, dynamic and engaged commu-‐nity! The following are highlights from our day together. As always, we invite ideas and involve-‐ment from any and all!

We now comprise four active Montana sister sanghas with Open Way and Be Here Now in Mis-‐soula, Flowing Moun-‐tains in Helena, and Open Sky in Kalispell.Our newest sister, Open Sky, is celebrating its foundation year with 6-‐15 pract i t ioners on Wednesdays at the Shin-‐ing Mountains Church, and recently hosted a Lilled-‐to-‐capacity Mind-‐fulness Day at Deep Bay on Flathead Lake.Flowing Mountains or-‐ganized three Mindful-‐ness Days and the Fall Retreat with Michael Ciborski, and remains consistently strong

with 10-‐12 weekly practitioners and two new full members.Be Here Now is celebrating eight years with

attendance of 20-‐30 per week, a leadership coun-‐cil, and many formal and informal sangha building activities.Open Way has purchased the Mindfulness Cen-‐

ter building following a very generous purchase agreement offered by Lizzi Juda. We are embark-‐ing on a sponsorship support campaign, so please be thinking of how you might contribute!

Michael Ciborski with Thatcher and Corrie Grallo.Fall Camp Child Retreat, September 2010





In addition to organizing the Spring retreat with Cheri Maples, Open Way continues to host weekly Tuesday practice nights with 12-‐20 practi-‐tioners, and is enjoying monthly Dharma talks by senior practitioners organized around seasonal themes and the Eightfold Path. Interplay activities are held most Friday afternoons at Open Way, and center around creativity and Adult play, such as story telling, movement and exercises to free the child within.A new, slightly re-‐organized slate of Board

members, Committee Chairs and OfLicers were nominated and elected at the meeting. Nicole Dunn will serve as the Executive Director in 2011. David Maslanka and Greg Grallo will be sharing the Elder position. Rowan Conrad will be the Pro-‐gram Director. Steve Zellmer will serve as Secre-‐tary with Jody Pavilack assisting, and Bill Elison will be the Treasurer/Financial Manager. Standing Committee Chairs are Peggy Mallette (Retreats), Sandra Johnson (Membership), Steve Allison-‐Bunnell (Print Publications) and Andy Laken (Web). Board appointed OfLicers are Rowan Con-‐rad, Nicole Dunn, and Linda Lightfoot (Mindful-‐ness Center Directors), Nicole Dunn (Be Here Now Program Director), William Tanke and Ria de-‐Neeve (Interplay Program Leaders).Our Montana sangha community will continue

to offer Spring and Fall retreats with guest teach-‐ers, offering opportunity for more focused study, deeper practice, and sangha building. Cheri Maples will again join us for the Spring retreat scheduled for May 5-‐8 at Lubrecht Forest, with Michael Ci-‐borski returning in the Fall from September 29-‐October 2. Costs of hosting retreats have risen sig-‐niLicantly, so we are in need of more scholarship support so that registration fees do not discourage attendance. As we welcome new Sangha babies into our community, we are working diligently this year to consider ways to enhance include parents and families on practice more regularly.A number of ideas have been offered that per-‐

tain to our growth as a practice community given

the reality that Open Way is now a minority of Open Way, so to speak. Some of the ideas that the Board will take up in 2011 include: restructuring, changing bylaws to better include the afLiliated sanghas, and developing an all-‐sangha Board. The Board was in favor of the suggestion of bringing the Directors and Program Directors of the four sanghas together during the coming year to exam-‐ine this issue in depth; perhaps piggybacked onto a Mindfulness Day or retreat.Our afternoon of Visioning resulted in a host of

ideas and areas for further discussion. These in-‐cluded a strong desire to better incorporate chil-‐dren and teens in both retreat and weekly sangha activities. We have a number of ideas to consider about the selection of teachers for retreats and even the possibility of inviting monastics to par-‐ticipate in our community in some way. There is great appreciation for the rich capacity of sangha members to lead meaningful Dharma talks, con-‐tinuing our spirit of “sangha” vs. “leader” centered practice. To that end, in 2011 we will be looking for more opportunities to enhance this practice. The idea of more informal opportunities to “just be wonderfully together” was warmly offered and embraced.We are all deeply grateful for the opportunity

to practice and grow together. In the coming year, please consider the invitation to share your ideas and your heart with any of the Board members or OfLicers regarding any issue of concern.



FALL 2007

About Open WayOpen Way formed in 1989 to

practice mindfulness and medi-‐tation in the tradition of Nobel Peace Prize Nominee, Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh and the The Order of Interbeing. In Missou-‐la, meditation practice is of-‐fered on Monday and Tuesday evenings. The Sangha schedule includes discussion groups, classes, outdoor walking medi-‐tations, and mindfulness day events. Flowing Mountains Sangha in Helena meets Tues-‐day evenings, and Open Sky Sangha in Kalispell meets Wednesday evenings. The Open Way Sanghas jointly offer resi-‐

dential retreats in Spring and Fall. Open Way is active in the Open Gate Prison Outreach Pro-‐gram, which helps sponsor meditation groups in area pris-‐ons.The Center is at 702 Brooks

Avenue in Missoula, in the cor-‐ner of Rose Park. For further information and a full calendar of current events, visit www.openway.org.To contact the center, call

(406) 541-‐8191 or email [email protected] newsletter feedback

and submissions to [email protected].

2011 OFFICERSELDERSDavid Maslanka & Greg GralloEXECUTIVE DIRECTORNicole DunnPROGRAM DIRECTORRowan ConradTREASURERBill ElisonSECRETARYSteve Zellmer & Jody PavilackRETREAT DIRECTORPeggy MalletteMEMBERSHIP CHAIRSandra JohnsonPUBLICATIONSSteve Allison-Bunnell& Andy Laken

OPEN WAY MINDFULNESS CENTER702 Brooks AvenueMissoula, MT 59801Return Service Requested



mailto:[email protected]




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News & Views, 2010