Just a quick heads-up about events in planning for early 2026
-
- January 25: Sangha Meeting
- February 1: Winter Zazenkai
Sept 28: Sangha Meeting & Discussion of draft Ethics Statement
Looking ahead, we’ll have a Sangha Meeting on Sept 28, after the Sunday morning sit.
Based on the feedback from the Sangha, Soshin Sensei has revised the VZ Ethics Statement to address the suggestions made at the July meeting. The draft of an Oxbow Zen Ethics Statement has been shared. We plan to discuss it on September 28, as part of the Sangha Meeting.
Don’t hesitate to reach out if you want to learn more.
June 1 – Sangha Meeting
We’ll be gathering for a Sangha Meeting on Sunday June 1 2025, after the regular Sunday morning sit. All are welcome! If you have items you’d like everybody to discuss, please communicate them to Shokai.
Sept 29 – Sangha Meeting
We’ll be meeting for a Sangha Meeting on Sunday September 29 2024, after the regular Sunday morning sit. All are welcome! If you have items you’d like everybody to discuss, please communicate them to Meikame.
Topics: Our Shared Practice, Service Positions, Events, Zazenkai, Finances, Talks, Inviting a Teacher for an event, Outreach to the wider community, etc.
Sangha Business Meeting – Oct 29
We will meet after Community Check-in to discuss any community business, such as financial status, use of zoom, managing the door for practice periods, service positions. Have something to bring up? Email Meikame.
Sangha Meeting (continued)- January 15, 2023
We will continue our Sangha Meeting on January 15, 2023 after check-in. The primary purpose of this discussion is to schedule sangha events to include as many as possible. Bring your calendars.
Oxbow Zen Sangha: Fall/Winter 2022/23
At our Sangha Meeting today, we discussed plans for various events. Here’s the resulting plan (updated on Nov 13):
Quarterly Zazenkais: Moving forward, we’ll be holding a regular Zazenkai in early December, March, June, and September. Typically, these will take place on the first weekend of the month (except for September, when we meet on the second weekend to avoid Labor Day). Mark your calendars.
Full Service (Sunday): Starting on November 6 2022, we will be doing a once-a-month full service as part of every Sunday sit. This will include the Heart Sutra, Sho Sai Myo Kichijo Dharani, and the Enmei Jukku Kannon Gyo, along with healing lists and memorial dedications.
Weekday evening sit (Thursday): Starting soon on December 1, we will be adding a regular, weekly Thursday evening sit from 5:30-7:00 PM, with two rounds of sitting.
Study (Sunday): Starting on October 30 2022, we are resuming our once-a-month study of chapters in The Zen Teachings of Homeless Kodo, by Kosho Uchiyama & Shohaku Okumura. This will take place after the regular Sunday sits, in place of the usual check-in.
-
- For the study on Oct 30, we will look at Chapter 9, page 31, “What is Happiness?” Jo-Ei will facilitate.
- For Nov 27, we will look at Chapter 66, page 188, “Enriching our Lives.” Kenko will facilitate.
Now Oct 2: Sangha Council
Please mark your calendars!
You are warmly invited to a Sangha Council on October 2 , after the usual Sunday morning sit. We hope to be in person at the Zendo.
The meeting will include a Council Circle so we can listen to all the voices.
Oxbow Zen Sits Now **Online**
Hello everybody,
We hope this message finds you well. As part of the recommended efforts at social distancing, the Friends Meeting House has closed until at least the end of March.
Starting immediately and continuing until at least the end of March, the Oxbow Zen Sunday morning meetings will connect us all *online* for meditation using a video platform. (We just did a quick test-run. A few technical recommendations below.)
Remember: Times of upheaval can be important times for practice. Let’s stay connected!
Sunday schedule for tomorrow:
- 8:00 AM: A link to a Google Hangouts video room will be emailed to this list. Connect early if you want to test your tech. You can point your camera wherever you like. It might be nice to get a visual sense of all the people sitting together.
- 8:15 AM: The Jikido (time keeper) will start the sit.
- 8:45 AM: The sit will end with Four Vows and Three Bows. (We can see how the chanting together works over video 😉 )
Right after this sit (8:50’ish), there’s an opportunity to connect for a check-in, to hear what’s going on with everybody. It’s a chance for connection in this time of social distancing. And also an opportunity to brainstorm opportunities for practicing together; e.g. additional evening sits, connect the online sits with sangha members at other Zendos, e.g. at the Hyannis Zendo or the New Paltz Zendo or the Village Zendo, etc. etc.
Everybody is invited to participate!
We can figure out a schedule for future Sunday sits at the check-in.
This email list can also serve as a path of connection. Every person on the list can post. If you have ideas, suggestions, concerns, etc. related to our evolving practice together, don’t hesitate to post and reach out!
Looking forward to practicing with all of you,
Kenko.
Tech recommendations:
- For now, we’re using Google Hangouts (https://hangouts.google.com/). I suspect you might need some kind of Google login …
- The video link can open in a browser on your PC. There is also a “Google Hangouts” app for your phone.
- Connect early to test your tech.
- After connecting, you can mute/activate your microphone and your video camera using the controls that appear below the center of the screen. (Both start set to ON, I think.)
- For loudspeakers & microphones, make sure they are turned up just right and not redirected to a smart speaker somewhere. (e.g. turn off Bluetooth)
- For the conversation, please use head-phones to cut down on echo and feedback for everybody. I don’t think they are needed for the silent sit.
- … and a space for the traditional unexpected tech mishap …
You are invited! Sangha Gathering (Sept 29)
Sunny days Cool nights Hint of fall
Hello everybody:
We had a wonderful deep and quiet morning sit with six people today. And then an intimate study circle, checking in; exploring Shitou’s life and our own.
Next Sunday, Sept 29, you are warmly invited to share your voice in our fall Sangha Gathering. We meet right after the morning sit, starting around 9:45 / 10 AM, usually around 11:30 AM or noon. Snacks are welcome!
It’s a time when we connect with our voices and hearts to explore how we’d like to shape our Zen practice together throughout the next season or two. If you’d like to join remotely via video let me know.
Some opportunities for discussion might include: weekday sits, Zazenkai (day-long sits), private interviews, monthly study, shared road trips to the Village Zendo or retreats, Dharma hikes, locations for sits, connections to other groups, etc.
Please bring your ideas and suggestions!
