Meditation is not a means to an end. It is both the means and the ...

February 11, 2008
UPAYA INSTITUTE | ZEN CENTER
Santa Fe, New Mexico
505-986-8518
upaya@upaya.org
www.upaya.org
Meditation is not a means to an end. It is both the means and the end.
Krishnamurti
COMMUNITY
Although it is too soon for the robins to nest, flocks of them have been arriving for
weeks. Their calls and the sound of dripping water floats through open
windows of the zendo. Old snow gives way to stretches of deep, sticky mud.
Yesterday a crew of residents went down to the river to clear out the nonnative
elms that grab too much water from the cottonwoods. But in spite of
some warming, winter still holds fast, especially at night when mud and
water freeze back into rock-hard ground and slick ice, Careful!
Since the daily schedule has returned to the normal round of meditationwork-eat-sleep,
residents have had time to spend an hour practicing ritual,
in this case the gassho, the bow of respect we use so frequently. Fingers
are pressed together and the hands are held fist distance from the face and
just opposite the nose. The arms are held horizontally with elbows out, and
feet are together, or fist distance apart. This is Part One. Next, the whole
assemblage bends over at the hips in a 45 degree angle, and then to finish,
the arms, head, chest rise as a unit back to the original standing position:
beginning, middle and end.
These rituals are a deep and interesting part of practice and they never fails
to rouse a spectrum of resistance, tolerance, curiosity and devotion. Not
only do these customs come from a radically different time and culture than
ours, their strict requirements irritate our modern sense of personal
autonomy. To bow to another person, ideology, or institution seems deeply
undemocratic, and yet we perform this bow countless times every day. This
creates a rich and fruitful dilemma for us to ponder.
Beata Stolte, the Vice Abbot of Upaya, commented in our seminar that Soto
Zen, more than other forms of Buddhism, is quite scripted and defined in its
outer forms, but at the heart of its practice, the individual is left to confront
the vast, unwieldy nature of mind with little guidance. Zen students can

spend years wandering in this wilderness. And there is a wisdom to this,
she explained. Ultimately practitioners have to teach themselves to find a
way through their own experience. During this difficult work, strict form
might actually provide supportive structure.
This daily practice of the gassho gives us plenty of opportunity to find our
way through the experience of ritual. In time, each of us can make the
passage from regarding ceremony as an annoying external requirement, to
seeing in it a useful internal discipline, and perhaps eventually to
embodying it as a slow dance, a shared community experience of beauty
and oneness. We can face another, eyes meet, and then we bow as one in
recognition of our true unity.
For more about the meaning and history of ritual, see the spring '08 issue
of Buddhadharma, "Rethinking Ritual," a review by Norman Fischer of the
book Zen Ritual: Studies of Zen Buddhist Theory in Practice, ed. Steven
Heine and Dale S. Wright.
Wednesday, February 13th DHARMA TALK at 5:30pm in the zendo will be given
by Beate Stolte, entitled "The Content of Consciousness."
Saturday, February 16TH, ZAZENKI lead by Beate Stolte. This daylong
silent meditation begins at 6am and ends at 8:15pm. The cost is $35
for meals and we ask for dana, or a donation, for the teacher. We sit two
periods in the morning and have a Zen service, followed by temple cleaning
and breakfast. We have an hour of work practice and then we meet in the
temple for zazen and hold a noon service before lunch. After lunch there is
a rest period, zazen,and a dharma talk. At 5:30 we sit before dinner until
6:30, and then we sit for an hour after dinner ending the evening with
chanting the four bodhisattva vows. Please join us for the day of deep and
silent practice. If there are any other questions you may have, please do let
us know by calling the office: 986-8518 or emailing temple@upaya.org.
Sunday, February 17th MEDITATION INSTRUCTION from 11-12.
Jisen Mcfarland will lead meditation instruction which will be followed by
meditation at 12:20 and then lunch at 1PM. We explore Zendo Etiquette,
Posture Instruction, Meditation Instruction, Walking Meditation, and more. All those
interested should call the office to sign up at 986-8518, or email temple@upaya.org.
Please give us your name, phone number, and/or email. The meditation instruction is
by donation and all are welcome to attend. If you would like to join the residents for

lunch, we ask for a donation of $15, though no one is turned away for lack of funds.
Please let us know if you plan on staying.
================
>> DATE CHANGES FOR MARCH AND APRIL EVENTS
- CANCELLATION of The Non-Dual Dimension of Life, scheduled for March 11-
12. Matt Flickstein. - Zazenkai will be held on April 12th (originally scheduled for
April 5th) - Introduction to Chaplaincy will happen April 2-10 (originally scheduled
for April 4-10) - Thinking Like a System is now scheduled for April 3-6 (originally
scheduled for April 10-13)
=================
>>SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Roshi Joan is in need of a vehicle and she would love to find a
donated 4WD Forrunner, X-Terra, or pick-up truck that can get her reliably
up to Prajna and around town. The Toyota is no longer viable, so even a
sedan on loan for local errands would be WONDERFUL. Please call or email
with any helpful ideas.
================
>>UPCOMING RETREATS
February 28 – March 2, 2008
THE JOURNEY WITHIN WOMEN’S RETREAT
WITH SURYA LITTLE & ELESA COMMERCE
at Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico
Come immerse yourself in a women’s retreat with master teachers Surya
Little and Elesa Commerse as we journey within to the land of selfblessing.
Everyday you will be guided in therapeutic, restorative asana and
will learn meditative techniques for self-renewal. Our time together will be
punctuated with infusions from the natural world: Japanese flower
arranging, Japanese tea ceremony and releasing our cares and concerns to
the waters at 10,000 Waves. Reserve your space early and begin to look
forward to activating your Inner Resource. Thursday, Friday, Saturday 9am
– 12pm and 1:30 – 4:30; Sunday, 9am – 12pm.
TUITION: $595.00; does not include meals and accommodations at the
waters at 10,000 Waves.
REGISTRATION: please call Prajna Yoga directly at 505-690-9779.

April 03, 2008 - April 06, 2008 THINKING LIKE A SYSTEM: How to
Intervene in a System for Social Change
Merle Lefkoff, Ph.D, John Goekler
For many of us, the greatest challenges to living our principles arise in the
social systems of which we are a part, such as our families, communities
and work places. This training blends complexity science and Buddhist
principles to guide our interventions in these systems to foster positive
social change. Drawing on emerging work in physics, neuroscience, biology
and systems dynamics, we examine how the alignment of spiritual practice
with science can open space for joyous collaboration and creativity, and
give deeper meaning to all our endeavours.
Tuition (Members): $440.00 Tuition (Non-Members): $490.00 More details:
Required for Chaplaincy. Plus lodging. Dana to teachers. To register, call
Upaya at 505-986-8518 or email upaya@upaya.org
April 12, 2008 ZAZENKAI
Beate Seishin Stolte, Jean Wilkins
A day-long silent meditation retreat provides us with the experience of deep
periods of uninterrupted meditation. We do sitting and walking meditation
throughout the day, one hour of work practice, three informal meals and
dharma talk in the afternoon. Interviews with the teachers. Meditation
instruction is available for those new to practice. Payment for meals only.
Donation to teachers and Upaya. If there are any other questions you may
have, please do let us know by calling the office: 986-8518 or emailing
temple@upaya.org.
2008 BEING WITH DYING trainings: April 25 - May 2, July 10-13, October 1-5.
Early registration is advised. This revolutionary and practical training program
for health care professionals gives essential tools for work with dying people
and their families. Designed for physicians, nurses, social workers, hospice
workers, and clergy, the training covers core issues related to dying, death,
and grieving; ethical issues in end-of-life care; community building around
dying persons and relationship-centered care; cross-cultural and family
concerns around religion and ethnicity; approaches to psychological and
spiritual care of the dying; the relationship between pain and suffering;
peri-death phenomena; and care of the caregiver. Over the years, this
program has been a key resource for hundreds of health care professionals
in the U.S., Canada, and Europe who are dedicated to transforming the
environment around dying. For more information please call the office at

50986-8518, or visit the website at www.upaya.org.
May 05, 2008 - May 11, 2008 MOUNTAIN AND MONASTERY
SESSHIN Roshi Joan Halifax, Roshi Enkyo O?Hara, Marty Peale This is the
practice of the Ancients who revered the great mountains. It is a time of
deep solitude with Roshis Joan and Enkyo at remote Prajna Mountain Forest
Refuge. Sitting, mountain walking, exploring Buddhism and bioregion with
environmentalist Marty Peale, accommodations are camping; food is
simple; mountains are high, clear and accessible from the Refuge. Utter
simplicity of practice. Daily zazen, simple liturgy and dharma talks. Shared
transportation to Refuge. Roshi Joan Halifax is Abbot, Upaya Zen Center;
Roshi Enkyo O’Hara is Abbot of Village Zendo; Marty Peale is an
environmentalist and teacher. Tuition (Members): $480.00 Tuition (Non-
Members): $525.00 Includes dormitory at Upaya (upgrade available) and
camping at Refuge. Registration is limited to 12. Please call office to be
placed on waiting list upon reaching our maximum. Thank you. Dana to
teachers.
May 22, 2008 — May 25, 2008 LIBERATION THROUGH YOGA AND
BUDDHISM Richard Freeman, Roshi Joan Halifax This powerful and rare
retreat brings together Yoga and Buddhism with two master teachers in a
radical approach to healing and liberating body and mind. Richard Freeman,
a renowned teacher of Ashtanga yoga in the tradition of K. Pattabhi Jois,
integrates yoga practice with Dharma. Roshi Joan, Abbot of Upaya Zen
Center, explores the shared principles of yoga and Buddhism through
dharma exchanges with Richard in the evenings. The spirit of yoga and
Buddhism is realized in a retreat setting that includes five hours of guided
yoga practice, evening talks, two hours of meditation, and silence. Call 505-
986-8518, visit the website www.upaya.org.or email upaya@upaya.org for more
information.
Tuition (Members): $475.00 Tuition (Non-Members): $525.00 More details:
Plus lodging. Dana to teachers.
Jun 26, 2008 — Jul 06, 2008 WILDERNESS FAST AND
COMPASSIONATE ACTION Roshi Joan Halifax, Marty Peale
A time for deep practice and a rite of passage, participants enter the
wilderness in solitude and fasting to see how to bring forward greater
energy and depth in their lives to serve others. Preparations include

intensive teachings, interviews, meditation, and council. A basecamp is
established at Prajna Mountain Forest Refuge. From there, participants find
a natural refuge where they spend four days alone and fasting. In the
vastness of the mountains and sky, we hope to discover how to bring
wisdom and compassion forward to actualize compassion in the world.
Tuition (Members): $750.00 Tuition (Non-Members): $825.00 More details:
Plus lodging. Dana to teacher. Registration limited to 12 participants.
Contact Upaya for application prior to registration. Phone: 505-986-8518 or
email upaya@upaya.org
================
ENGAGED BUDDHISM
METTA COUNClL - Living with Illness
Tuesdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12.00 noon--a weekly group for people who are ill, their
partners, caregivers, hospice volunteers, nurses, and anyone interested in exploring
issues around living, sickness aging and death. Beginning around 12:05 p.m. until
1:00 p.m. the group engages in contemplative writing. This is not a writing group per
se but rather an alternative way of exploring what is alive for people in the moment.
No previous writing experience is needed, just a willingness to be fully present.
Please call Jean at 505-986-8518 or email jean@upaya.org for more information.
PRISON OUTREACH PROJECT
Volunteers in the Prison Outreach Project offer weekly mindfulness instruction classes
in three correctional facilities: Central New Mexico Adult Correctional Facility, Santa
Fe Youth Development Facility, and the Santa Fe County Adult Detention Facility.
These classes provide inmates with a way to reduce the stress of their time in prison
and to encourage a shift in thought and behavior patterns away from violence and
harming. Studies show that this training reduces violent behavior among inmates as
well as between inmates and corrections staff, preparing them to re-enter society
without relapsing into addiction and ending back in prison.
Persons interested in working “inside” with prison residents are warmly welcomed.
Volunteers may choose to train and work in the Santa Fe County Youth Development
Center or in the SF County Adult Detention Center. There is a defined training
program, in which a volunteer works as a co-facilitator with a trainer at weekly group
meetings. Volunteers who choose to work with youths are invited to contact Susan
Benjamin at ArtTherapy@aol.com; those who desire to work with groups of adult
inmates should contact Ray Olson at nanrayols@aol.com. A volunteer commitment of
several months’ to one year’s services is requested.

Since the first of this year, a number of inmates from around the country have written
asking for information about meditation or Zen practice. Several of these inmates
have requested participation in our Pen-Pal Program which provides information
about spiritual practice, meditation and Zen practice, and assistance in setting up a
Buddhist meditation group in their prison. In the past eighteen months, 15 volunteer
Sangha members have engaged in correspondence with prison residents. The hypermasculine
ethos of prison life often makes sharing personal thoughts and feelings
with another man taboo, so we are especially in need of female volunteers for the
Pen-Pal Program as some inmates feel much more comfortable talking about their
inner feelings of anger and isolated loneliness with a woman. If you would like to
participate as a volunteer in the Pen-Pal program, please call Ray at 505/986-5835 or
email him at nanrayols@aol.com
================
PATH OF SERVICE AT UPAYA
Dear Friends.
Upaya is very happy to let you know that we have once again opened up our powerful
Path of Service program - living in a practice community with 15-20 people for three
months to a year in the historic east valley of Santa Fe, New Mexico; having the
precious opportunity to receive teachings from our Roshi and many other
extraordinary teachers, weekly seminars and dharma talks, dokusan and retreats,
and the deep joy of living in community; this is in exchange for serving all the many
beings who come through our doors every day. If you are interested, or know of
someone who might be interested, please let Yushin know (pos@upaya.org ). Path of
Service candidates must have a deep appreciation of practice and community, and be
physically and mentally healthy. You can find more information and the requirements
for this program on our website, as well as the application form. We are looking
forward to you!
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Upaya is always grateful for a helping hand. We have volunteer opportunities in the
office, kitchen, and housekeeping, and there is the possibility of earning retreat credit
(up to 80% of the total cost of a retreat) for hours volunteered. If you are interested,
please call Roberta at 505-986-8518 ext. 2 or email registrar@upaya.org
ROSHI JOAN HALIFAX ON THE WEB
Roshi Joan discusses dharma, offers koanic poetry, considers the works of Ken
Wilber, William Irwin Thompson, and Francisco Varela, and brings us into her
lifestream. To find out more, go to http://jhalifax.zaadz.com/blog. This complements
her Flickr photo site, http://flickr.com/photos/upaya/, where she constantly adds new
photos of current Upaya happenings, as well as some great archival photos of her
life.
* The Chinese filmmaker Kam Sung has made a fascinating and visually poetic
account of Roshi Joan in Tibet and her teachings, which you can view here:

video.google.com/videoplay
This is a low-resolution video; a high-resolution version on DVD will be available
shortly, which you can order from Upaya.
• Roshi's new book, Being with Dying: Cultivating Compassion and Fearlessness in
the Presence of Death. It can be pre-ordered from Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/2ullul
The book is a powerful exploration of nearly 40 years of contemplative work with dying
people.
• Her 6-CD series on Being with Dying (from Sounds True Audio) is now available.
Call 505-986-8518 to order.
• Also, the Upaya bookstore has a number of Roshi's dharma talks on DVD,
including one with Brother David. We are happy to make this wonderful series
available to you. Please call the front office for titles and ordering.
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