Dear community,

There are important transitions coming for Bhumisparsha, and we wanted to be sure everyone has a chance to learn more.

At their June 25 talk, Lama Rod and Lama Justin shared that with many factors at play, by January 2024, there will be a transition for our community, including moving away from paid staff and the existing leadership structure, and possibly into a community volunteer-held organization.

The lamas and Mission Circle are finding that students are wanting to engage in-person and locally. And paying our beloved staff for Bhumisparsha's administration has become unsustainable. The lamas’ activities have also evolved.

By 2024, Lama Justin & Lama Rod plan to continue major offerings like Medicine Buddha, Mahamudra for the People, and their other regular practices, but to move them off of the Bhumi platform and integrate them with their other activities. They will also continue to teach together regularly. What will happen with community-led programs is less certain.

In the meanwhile, we as a community will explore if there is sufficient volunteer energy to administer Bhumisparsha, or if it would be more apt to let Bhumisparsha, which has always been an experiment, come to a glorious end. The lamas and Mission Circle are okay with any possibility.

Between now and the end of the year, several meetings will be held for interested community members to explore what comes next. Perhaps a collective of folks could carry something forward. The first of these meetings will be on July 13 at 5pm PT/8pm ET. A link will be on the calendar.

With impermanence, we feel grounded in knowing that so many of us, individually and as a sangha, have grown profoundly through Bhumi, and that can never be taken away, regardless of what happens with the organization itself. Community bonds forged with dharma siblings, and our love for the mission of this sangha, likewise, do not end. So we’ve been thinking of this as a time of organic transition to new and unknown forms, more than anything.

We encourage everyone to watch the recording of the meeting to hear from the lamas directly. And feel free to reach out if you want to connect!

Leigh, anita, and Shoken (Alex N) for the Mission Circle