Treetop Zen Center is pleased to announce Preserving Indra’s Net: An Ecospirituality Gathering on the grounds of Treetop Zen Center in Oakland, Maine, Saturday, August 30th and Sunday, August 31st. The gathering begins at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, and ends Sunday at 3:30 p.m.

Compassion, gratitude, and the courage to “stay awake” will help us navigate the challenges of climate change, resource depletion and economic contraction. These qualities are deepened and reinforced in community.

All too often activists in the trenches aren’t aware, or seldom pause to acknowledge, that they are points of light in a vast web of millions of twinkling lights, all steadily raising the collective consciousness of society. This gathering will fan the flickering flames of activism, build capacity for mutual support, and celebrate our interconnectedness.

An interactive opening session will invite participants to tell their stories, identify their common concerns and passions, and celebrate the environmental work they’ve been called to do. The Principles of Spiritual Leadership and the work of Joanna Macy will provide the spacious container for experiential recognition and anchoring of our interconnectedness through a series of exercises that will set the tone for the weekend’s exploration.

Participants include Alicia Daniel, a lecturer for the University of Vermont’s environmental program; nationally recognized poet Gary Lawless, who will be reading his poetry; Susan MacKenzie, Ph.D., a naturalist, spiritual director, and educator who leads retreats and outdoor adventures throughout New England; Pamela Boyce Simms, certified transition trainer at Mid-Atlantic Regional Transition Hub; and Ellen Tynan, an insight meditation teacher and the leader of Wild Presence Meditation.

The intention for this gathering is to promote participant interactions and develop a deep sense of community. Registration is therefore limited to 35 persons.