To strengthen our planetary network, ZPI will feature newly affiliated groups.
Join us here at https://hive.zenpeacemakers.org to explore some of the offerings of the organizations affiliated with ZPI.
Re-introducing a long-time ZPI affiliate group:
Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center
What is your organization’s name?
Rocky Mountain Echodharma Retreat Center.
What is your mission?
We offer meditation retreats and workshops in nature, hosted by teachers from a wide range of spiritual traditions, and lasting from days to weeks. We bring Buddhism and Dharma back into the natural world where they originated, and in doing so, regain the connection and energy necessary to effectively address ecological and related social crises. We welcome participants from all walks of life. Retreats are affordable and scholarships are available. Click HERE to learn more.
Where is your organization based?
We are located in the mountains near Ward, Colorado, about 30 minutes drive from Boulder, with 180 acres of private river, meadow, and woodland at an altitude of 8500 feet adjacent to National Forest and just a few miles from the Indian Peaks Wilderness. The land is set aside as a nature preserve and home to an abundance of wildlife, including deer, elk, moose, bear, and beaver.
How many regular members do you serve? 500.
Tell us a bit about how the group was conceived?
The center began in 2016 when a group of dharma teachers and practitioners bought 180 acres (with forest trails, meadows, and a creek, along with a lodge, cabin, and barn) as a place to meditate and heal in the natural world.
Tell us about one exciting project, retreat, or other offerings that you are currently working on.
Each summer we offer Ecodharma retreats that focus on meditation in nature, the ecological implications of spiritual teachings, and how to respond appropriately to the ecological and social challenges that confront us today.
How do the Three Tenets inform your social engagement?
Our ecological situation today is grave, but none of us knows how “the Great Unraveling” (Joanna Macy’s term) will unfold. The task for each of us is to “respond appropriately,” to do the best we can without knowing whether anything we do will make a difference.
What is the most meaningful challenge your organization faces?
Ecodharma is a new development in contemporary Buddhism, and there is still resistance to this type of social engagement.
Your main website URL: https://rmerc.org
Main contact: David Loy, vice-president: davidrobertloy@gmail.com
