Letters

Following up on my previous post, I have decided to offer what I call a “listening circle.”

For many years I taught at a Zen Center where I led meditation groups. These were not discussion groups in the usual sense. Instead, they were a simple form of shared inquiry. I would introduce a theme or question for our time together. Then people would share if they wished—one at a time—about whatever arose for them in relation to that theme. My role was simply to listen carefully and respond as clearly and compassionately as I could.

The conversation followed a very simple rhythm. Participants did not offer advice or respond to another person’s story and this created a surprisingly spacious atmosphere of attentive listening. When we don’t have to prepare a reply or think about what we might add, listening becomes a different kind of experience. We gain a deeper understanding of another person, and often someone else’s sharing illuminates something in our own lives as well.

Several people have wondered whether something like this might be possible again, so I have scheduled a time on Saturday, March 28, from 9:00 – 10:00 AM (Pacific Daylight Time) to have a “Listening Circle” following that format. We will be looking at the theme: Navigating Life Transitions; living with uncertainty.

If this resonates with you and you would like to participate, please let me know by using the email link below. I will then email you a Zoom link for the session. Let’s see what emerges as we continue to share our journeys together.

I wish us all peace and stillness.

Bill

(The best way to reach me is at william@williammartin.org)

It has been some time since I last posted here. Nancy and I have recently relocated to Corvallis, Oregon, entering what feels like a spacious and somewhat mysterious new chapter of life. We packed what we could into our old Subaru and drove north, not entirely sure what awaited us. We found a small apartment, furnished it simply, and promptly wore ourselves out

I experienced an unexpected illness, along with a brief hospital stay followed by a time of quiet recovery. In retrospect, the move and the stillness that followed feel very much like a quiet initiation and the beginning of transformation.

We are slowly discovering Corvallis — walking the tree-lined campus of Oregon State University on quiet Sundays, feeling the damp Oregon air after rain, and discovering little shops and a wonderful French bakery. There is something gentle here, something unhurried. We find ourselves listening more than planning.

At eighty-one, I am increasingly aware of both the fragility and the grace of being alive. I find myself less interested in defining “what’s next” and more willing to watch and listen for what wishes to unfold.

One thing, however, has become clear: I miss the direct exchange with readers and students. I miss the shared inquiry into what it means to live contemplatively in unsettled times. I miss the depth that emerges when we pause together and turn toward what is Real.

In the coming months, I would like to reconnect. I am open to individual conversations and small online gatherings. If interest arises, perhaps retreats here in Oregon or elsewhere may evolve naturally in time. There is no grand design — only curiosity and a willingness to see what grows.

In unsettled times, I find myself drawn less toward noise and more toward depth and connection. If you feel drawn in this direction, you are welcome to reach out through the email link below. We can explore together what form that connection might take.

With gratitude for the many paths we have already walked together,


Bill

(The best way to reach me is at william@williammartin.org)