Bring your favorite food  and join the EBS community in a potluck celebration of the Tibetan New Year – called Losar.

 An occasion for starting fresh, Tibetan people mark Losar by cleaning their homes, receiving blessings and teachings at the monasteries, and partying together with family and friends. In this way, they put the past to rest and make a fresh start in the new year.

 At EBS, we will view a short video about Losar (with an inspirational message from a Lama), followed by a traditional smoke purification ceremony, and then enjoy food together. Traditional foods are especially welcome if you know how to make Tibetan dishes, but bring whatever you like.

 Children are also welcome – this is a very family-friendly event. Please join us if a fresh start is appealing to you. And to enjoy food and companionship with the EBS community.

Questions? Contact Mick Wiggins, Betsy Johnson, or Cheryl Woodard

At an early age, Anam Thubten began to practice in the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. He has been teaching at EBS for more than twenty years and we are delighted to welcome him back this year. He is founder and spiritual director of Dharmata Foundation, has authored many Dharma books, and teaches in the US, Europe and Asia.

By special request, Anam Thubten has agreed to offer this Friday night event on Zoom as well as in person - for the benefit of those who cannot travel to Little Rock. Zoom information will be sent to those who register in advance.

The event is free but suggested donations are $10 to $20. All proceeds go to support the worldwide Dharma activities of Anam Thubten. Advanced registration is suggested and you can also register at the door.

Register and Donate Here.

The Buddha will be laughing at the showing of the Disney/Pixar animated classic, Inside Out, on Saturday, April 1st at 7pm! There is no charge and everyone (especially kids!) are invited!

Inside Out tells the story of Riley, a happy, hockey-loving 11-year-old Midwestern girl. Her world turns upside-down when she and her parents move to San Francisco. Critics and audiences alike have cheered and empathized with Riley's changing emotions -- led by the emotion, Joy, as she tries to guide Riley through this difficult, life-changing event.  It’s a movie for the young AND the young at heart. 

Meet other EBS families and youngsters. Everyone is encouraged to come dressed for a sleepover! Wear your jammies and bring sleeping bags, if you like.  We will have a few pizzas but please bring your own (or whatever you like to eat).  Popcorn and drinks will be also provided. We will eat and socialize at 7 with the movie starting about 7:30 and finishing at about 9.

Come and laugh and have fun with Buddha!

About the Workshop:
In this workshop, we will focus on food and eating as relationships to cultivate and continually explore. Like any relationship, they will change over time and can potentially lead us toward a better understanding of ourselves and the external world. We will start with curiosity, move into a space of joy and gratitude, and conclude by preparing and enjoying a vegetarian meal together. The workshop will also include meditation and light movement. If you would like to take a journey towards a new perspective on food and eating, join us!

For those participating on Zoom, we will provide you with a shopping list and recipes prior to the event so you can enjoy the process of cooking and eating along with our in-person group.

Cost:
$40 In Person; $10 Zoom
Limit 20 in-person participants.

Schedule:
Saturday, March 18th from 1 - 4 PM

Location:
Ecumenical Buddhist Society of Little Rock and online via Zoom

Registration:
Click Here to Register

Contact:
For questions about the workshop please contact Molly Carson at 
mollykaycarson@gmail.com

Our annual meeting will be Sunday afternoon, January 15th 2023 at 3:00pm

It’s our tradition to gather once a year to reflect and communicate about all of our EBS activities and the health/status of our community. We also recognize and celebrate our volunteers and supporters. And members elect next year’s Board of Directors.

Everyone is invited to attend. You may attend in-person at EBS or via Zoom. The link will be found at the bottom of this page. We hope you will join us!

As usual, we have a lot to talk about. Here’s a partial list:

• how to modify and optimize our programming in a perpetual-Covid existence

• how to engage more volunteers to help

• potential retreats/events/speakers for 2023

• new board members and officers

2022 brought us continued challenges. As we look to 2023, we hope to learn from these lessons and remain relevant and accessible to everyone who might benefit from our precious Buddhist traditions of mindfulness and compassionate community.

For those that want to attend virtually, here is the Zoom information.

Topic: EBS 2023 Community Meeting

Time: Jan 15, 2023 03:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87370158493?pwd=ZU5JL21XSHlFeERRdllqcGJNRW5IUT09

Meeting ID: 873 7015 8493

Passcode: ebs

One tap mobile

+16469313860,,87370158493#,,,,*785342# US

Below is the recording of the 2022 Annual Meeting. Refresh your memory as we look forward to our 2023 meeting!

Our annual meeting will be Sunday, January 16th, 2022 at 3:00pm

It’s our tradition to gather once a year to reflect and communicate about all of our EBS activities and the health/status of our community. We also recognize and celebrate our volunteers and supporters. And members elect next year’s Board of Directors.

Everyone is invited to attend. This will be a Zoom meeting only! We hope you will join us!

This year, we have a lot to talk about: how to safely reassemble post-Covid, how people can get more involved with EBS, what you want from the organization, and preliminary plans for the building that we purchased. 

This time last year we thought the worst was behind us. Then 2021 brought us more challenges, loss, and suffering. For the future, we hope to learn from these lessons and remain relevant and accessible to everyone who might benefit from our precious Buddhist traditions of mindfulness and compassionate community.

Below is the recording on 2022 Annual Meeting

Join Us Virtually for an Orgyen Medicine Buddha Blessing
Saturday, September 11, 2021 • 2:00 PM

Mark your calendar! We'll offer an Orgyen Medicine Buddha Blessing for our EBS building as it becomes OUR home. Anna Cox (Lama Tsultrim Palmo) and Ellis Widner will lead us, and all are welcome. There is no cost, although donations to support our EBS programs are most appreciated.

The Zoom link and practice guide for the event are at ebslr.org/2021medicinebuddha

We will have a special community meeting on Sunday afternoon, August 15th, 2021 at 3:00pm on Zoom. Everyone is welcome! The topic of the conversation will be the upcoming purchase of the building we are currently renting.

MAKING A HOME

EBS is taking the historic step of purchasing the beautiful building at 1516 W. 3rd Street.

This fulfills the dreams of our founders and all the people who’ve been supporting the community all these years.

Owning this property allows us to modify the space and accommodate more people. We can put outdoor practice space in the vacant lot, for example, or build additional bathrooms downstairs, or make kid-friendly space for families with children. There are many possibilities.

THE MEETING

Please join us to celebrate the moment and to consider together what this step means for the future.

The EBS board will share the details of the purchase, answer your questions, and hear your ideas about how we might make the building more suitable for a growing EBS community. We have already begun developing a plan and look forward to sharing it with you!

Please join us on Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/8973728000 (Meeting ID: 897 372 8000; Password: ebs)

We truly look forward to seeing you and hearing your thoughts and ideas!

May 8th, 2021

8:30am - 5:00pm CDT

On ZOOM

Meeting Uncertainty With Compassion and Wisdom

With Terry Furstenau and Joe McCormack 

We live in times where there has been continual change and flux. Facing uncertainty is one of the most difficult experiences we encounter as human beings. It also is potentially one of the most fruitful opportunities for practice. The Buddha taught that uncertainty is inherent in the way life is, impermanent, containing unease, and not completely within our control.

In this daylong retreat we will explore how to open to the reality of uncertainty as a condition of life. We will explore the process of meeting our discomfort with compassion and spaciousness, and to use the uncertainty we meet to develop deeper insight into how life unfolds. We will have alternating periods of sitting and walking meditation, practice conferences, and question/answer times. Practitioners of all levels of experience--seasoned and beginners--are welcome.

Click Here for the online retreat registration form

NOTE: There will be a one hour lunch break from 12 - 1

Retreat cost: No set fee but a suggested Dana (donation to the teachers) of $25 is appreciated. Please go here to donate.

For more information or connection assistance contact Doug Holmes (doug.holmes.42@gmail.com) or 501-376-7056

About the Teachers:

Terry Furstenau has been a member of the Show Me Dharma sangha since 2001 and on the teachers council since 2004. He has led Insight Dialogue and Dharma Contemplation groups for the sangha. His teachings reflect retreat experience and study with Eastern and Western Vipassana teachers, Advaita Vedanta, Dzogchen, Insight Dialogue and the non-dual teachings of Adyashanti, Richard Miller and Matt Flickstein.

Joe McCormack has practice insight meditation since 1995. He has been a member of the Show Me Dharma Teachers Council since 2002. Joe leads an insight meditation group and has taught insight meditation to prison inmate since 1998. His teachers include Ginny Morgan, Phil Jones, and Matthew Flickstein. In his dharma instruction, Joe draws from Theravada Buddhist teachings, Zen and Dzogchen practice, Advaita teachings, and the Diamond Approach.

Registering saves a spot and will ensure that we can email you log-in instructions for the retreat.

Guided Breathwork Retreat (with Justin Watts)

Saturday, April 17th from  10 - 11:30 am CDT

This all-levels* workshop is for anyone who wants to learn the tools to feel energized and focused, as well as reduce stress and alleviate anxiety. 

The power to shift your mood and energy is already in you. Using simple techniques from ancient traditions and modern science, you’ll learn to unlock it on demand by consciously controlling your breath. 

These powerful practices can help calm your nervous system, boost your immune system, and strengthen your mindset so you can more skillfully navigate the uncertainty and stress of everyday life.

Potential Benefits of Breathwork:

• Reduced Anxiety

• Emotional Balance

• Clarity and Focus

• Strengthened Immune System

• Deep, Inner Peace

About The Teacher

A former CFO turned life and executive coach, Justin Watts began a breathwork practice following a cancer diagnosis almost 10 years ago. He is dedicated to helping others create positive change in their lives by activating the best parts of themselves. 

*Health Disclaimer: This class is suitable for everyone, but does require a basic level of health. Anyone with a health condition should always consult a medical professional before starting breathwork.

Platform: Zoom (link will be emailed after registration)

Retreat Fee: $25

Scholarships are available, apply to donations@ebslr.org.

Register by clicking the button below.

Our annual meeting will be Sunday afternoon, January 17, 2021 at 3:00pm

Please join us on Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/91208183241 (Meeting ID: 912 0818 3241)

2020 has been one for the history books—full of challenges, loss, and suffering. Throughout it all, EBS has strived to remain relevant and accessible to our community. We are proud of our efforts—and your support—and are not letting up in 2021. We hope you won’t either.

We will spend time talking about our move to online practices, our plans for the building in 2021, and our goal to reach more people in our community. Members will also elect the Board of Directors. We would greatly appreciate everyone’s participation and feedback. We hope you will join us!

About the Talk: "The Heart Can Only Take So Much" 

We are living in the confluence of multiple disasters over varying periods of time: a worldwide pandemic (months); pending climate catastrophe (decades); and racial and ethnic discrimination and violence (centuries). From whatever our standpoint is: How can we keep our hearts open? How can we see clearly? How can we know what to do? There will be a 5 minute silent sitting at the beginning of the talk.

Date: Friday, July 10th

Time: 7:30 to 8:30pm CST

Suggested donation: $10 (pay during the registration process or choose “pay later”)

Registration Link: https://www.aplos.com/aws/events/kwanumzen_talk. We highly recommend registering to ensure that we have enough slots for everyone.

Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/96926896190; Meeting ID: 969 2689 6190

About Zen Master Bon Hae:

Judy Roitman (Zen Master Bon Hae) is the guiding teacher of the Kansas Zen Center in Lawrence KS. She began practicing Zen in 1976 with Zen Master Seung Sahn at the Cambridge Zen Center, and helped found the Kansas Zen Center in 1978. She was granted authorization as a teacher (inka) in the Kwan Um School of Zen in 1998 and received dharma transmission in 2013. She is a poet and a retired mathematician. 

Learn more about the Kwan Um School of Zen and the Kansas Zen Center.

Friday, March 20th, 7-8pm 

As you may know, EBS was scheduled to host a retreat with renowned Zen teacher, Flint Sparks this coming weekend. Like everything else, the retreat was cancelled and Flint has returned home to Hawaii. However, we are able to offer the Friday night talk online using the Zoom platform. You are welcome to join in for free. Please email donations@ebslr.org so we can get a head count.

Perspective:

It is important to remember that we are facing a great contagion aside from the COVID19 virus, and that contagion is fear and uncertainty. There are four main streams which I believe fuel the profound vulnerability we all feel: terror, grief, helplessness, and rage. How do we contain these very infectious reactions and not spread them in our community? Buddhist practices are precisely designed to create this containment and this healing.

In addition, our current quarantine can be understood as a move toward temporary monastic practice. We are sequestered in our home temples, committed to continuing our practices, and offering the merit of our practice for the whole world and all beings. This is the function of a true monastic — not to turn away from the world, but to serve the world in a particular way. Now is our time. This is what is being asked of us.

Invitation:

All of the information you will need to participate in the Friday evening event is below. The talk is free and registration is not required although donations are gratefully accepted. Below you will find is a link for the Zoom event and a link for any donations you might want to offer.  

Please Note: The presentation will not be a moderated event so remember a basic Zoom etiquette for larger groups — please mute your microphone when you come online so everyone does not hear your household noises, dogs barking, and phones ringing. I look forward to seeing your beautiful faces!

Join Zoom Meeting

1. Click this link: https://zoom.us/j/9732806043

2. When prompted, enter this Meeting ID: 973 280 6043

About the Talk:

Zen Mind Beginners Mind

"In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities; in the expert’s mind there are few.”

This is one of the most famous quotations in all of contemporary Zen. It was offered by a transplanted Japanese Zen monk speaking to a very small group of his American students in 1965. The teachings of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi have continued to inspire Zen students for more than 50 years and the small volume of his talks, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, has helped shape the expression of Zen practice in the West.  In this Zoom presentation, renowned contemporary Zen teacher Flint Sparks will lead us through a truthful and gentle exploration of our own “beginner’s mind” by revisiting the classic teachings of Suzuki Roshi, and investigating their relevance to the current moment. 

About The Teacher:

Flint Sparks is a Soto Zen teacher who leads retreats throughout the United States and Europe. His traditional Zen training began at the San Francisco Zen Center and continued at the Austin Zen Center which he founded and nourished as a leader in its early years.  He was ordained in 2001 by Zenkei Blanche Hartman of the San Francisco Zen Center and was given Teacher Acknowledgment in a ceremony at the Austin Zen Center in 2007.

Flint also spent decades in the practice and teaching of psychotherapy.

His early research and counseling experience with the terminally ill inspired him to continue investigating the influence of consciousness in physical healing and emotional well-being.

Today, Flint’s teaching and consulting bridge the fields of health psychology, the psychology of contemplative practices, and traditional Zen Buddhist practice.