by Deborah Helzer
“What is this?” my first meditation teacher asked me as she held out a small brass bell in her hand. “What is this?” This was my first introduction to the koan… a Zen teaching question that is asked in everyday language, but must be answered in a deeper way. After reflecting, I reached out, took the bell, and gave it a quick ring. We both sat silently for a few moments, listening to the sound resonate and then fade away.

by Bridget Rolens

Lovingkindness, Compassion, Appreciative Joy, and Equanimity are called Brahma Viharas.  The word “brahma” can be translated as “heavenly” and the word “vihara” can be translated as “home.”  When these four qualities permeate our minds and hearts, we might say that we are dwelling in a heavenly state.

One meditative practice that strengthens these four qualities is that of offering phrases of well-wishing to various categories of beings; that they have happiness, be free from suffering, enjoy good fortune and remain balanced and at peace in the midst of the challenges of life.  I have heard a variety of “equanimity” phrases over my years of practice. 

by Annie Nugent

When we are faced with the challenge of bringing the practice into
our everyday lives on a moment-to-moment basis, it can seem like a
daunting task. Out of this we may become despondent and feel that it
is just too much to ask of ourselves and slowly our good intentions
about practice begin to recede into the background as we become
seduced by worldly distractions, relegating our practice to a period
of formal sitting some time in the day. While this is an important
part of the practice, it is only a part. What about the rest of the
day?

by Lucy Freeman

Recently a “Help Wanted Ad” was sent to everyone on the Mid America Dharma mailing list. It was addressed to “Those Who Love the Dharma and Those Who Value In Person Retreats”. The ad shared that the board is excited to begin offering in person retreats again and a whole line up is planned for 2024. As retreats can’t happen if there is no one to do the behind the scenes work, the ad asked for volunteers to help make the retreats happen. Positions available were: Board Members, Retreat Coordinator for 2025, Retreat Managers, Public Relations Committee members, and a Web Content Support volunteer.

by Christy Hart

The global pandemic created new opportunities to share the dharma online. What a wealth of teachers that are now accessible to those of us who usually wouldn’t travel to a retreat center. We have created new opportunities for those of us who missed practicing with others and those opportunities have continued to provide us with support.

Mid America Dharma hosted David Chernikoff for an online retreat on June 2-4, 2023, titled “Befriending Death, Embracing Life: Live Fully, Live Well, Die Joyfully”. David is a guiding teacher at the Insight Meditation Community of Colorado. He says that death has been his major spiritual teacher. Our encounters with death can open up in places where nothing else can. There is ripeness to change when everything is blown to pieces in our minds and hearts and we become open to something new.