You are invited to participate in the online Village Zendo “Urban Sesshin” from March 16-18. On Saturday March 19, it continues with a full day of Zazenkai practice and culminate in Sunday’s “Shuso Hossen” ceremony. For details and registration, please check the following Village Zendo page.
Three bows: Zazenkai w/ Ryotan Roshi
Three bows to Ryotan Roshi for making the trip to join the first in-person Zazenkai in about two years at Oxbow Zen. Thank you for an inspiring talk, generous interview, and a beautiful outdoor service!
Householder Koans (Apr 25)
Study: April 25, 2021, 9:30 am – 11:00 am, The Book of Householder Koans by Eve Myonen Marko and Wendy Egyoku Nakao. We will focus on Daian: The Climbing Rose Vine, p 29. We’ll be exploring various ways to engage with this and other koans. Is there another koan that resonates with you? If so, go ahead and bookmark the page, as we may explore other koans, time permitting.
Zoom + Outdoor Zazen (Apr 18)
Zoom + Outdoor Zazen Sunday 4/18 We are planning to have a combination of Zoom and outdoor Zazen on Sunday 4/18 (weather permitting). Outdoor Zazen will be in Shokai’s garden in Southampton. For Zoomers, the start time may be modified, but otherwise, the Zoom Zendo as usual. Please watch for more information.
December & January 2020
Upcoming:
Year End Retreat — Village Zendo, Being Time — Virtual Winter Sesshin, December 26 – December 31
The Village Zendo’s annual Winter Retreat has always held special significance as we conclude one year and welcome the next. This year, the invitation to a deeper letting go is all the more urgent when it is clear that big changes are in store for us. More information here.
Oxbow Zen Sangha Meeting — Sunday, January 10th, 9:30 am – 11:00 am,
Study: Sunday, January 24th, 9:30 am – 11:00 am, The Book of Householder Koans (also from your local book store) by Eve Myonen Marko and Wendy Egyoku Nakao. The discussion will focus on one koan, to be announced.
Study: Three Step Zen Mindfulness Method by Ryodo Roshi
Regarding Ryodo Roshi’s chapter, you can find a one-page overview that summarizes the realms of the mind he names, along with some of their qualities.
Here’s a link to the entry point I would suggest, into the Cloudbook, namely the section on the “Realms of the Mind.”
I think the following few short consecutive sections would be helpful to read for our December 6 study meeting:
As you read the sections, you are invited to explore:
- How do you experience each of these “Realms” and “Steps?”
- What are their qualities, for you?
- Are there specific practices that support you in taking particular “Steps”?
- What words or images do you find helpful in communicating the qualities of each “Realm”?
For an overview of his overall online writings, here’s the Table of Contents at https://zenmindfulness.org/cloudbook.php?page=TOC
To help identify possible future study texts, Shokai suggested we take a look at Suggested Readings from the Village Zendo:
Looking forward to studying with you!
Change in Date: Study on Dec 15
Today, we enjoyed a wonderful sit with seven people in our new Zendo at the Friends Meeting House, including an opportunity for private interview with Soshin Hoshi. Settling in…
Note the change in date for the next Study: It will take place on December 15, for about 1.5 hours after the boring sit. We will focus on the great teacher Linji/Rinzai (Chapter 6 of the book “Making Zen Your Own” by Janet Abels).
You are warmly invited to participate. You don’t have to have participated in any of the prior study meetings. Just read and reflect on the chapter before the meeting, exploring its relationship to your own Zen Life today.
May 27 Council Circle
Bodhisattvas! Fellow Dharma friends! Dear Sangha community!
Our current Sunday morning lease at the Upstairs Studio completes at the end of the month. Next Sunday, May 27, marks—for now—the last Oxbow Zen sit at the Upstairs Studio. Come June the Sunday sit will move to Magna House.
The Upstairs Studio has been the home of our Sunday morning sit for a number of years. On May 27 we’ll be setting aside some time for sitting in a Council Circle: speaking and listening together from the heart, as this particular outer form of the sitting location changes. Please consider participating, perhaps sharing brief appreciation, anecdotes, feelings, silence, questions, wonderings, …, as each arises in the moment.
Looking forward to coming together in Council!
April Sangha Meeting
You are warmly invited to a Sangha Meeting on April 8, to connect and explore how to support our practice together. Email for details. Looking forward to seeing you!
Spring events
Starting in February we will be following this monthly schedule:
1st Sunday – Speaking Sunday (Dharma Talk and Study)
2nd Sunday – Service Sunday
3rd Sunday – Simple Sunday (seated Heart Sutra)
4th Sunday – Service Sunday
5th Sunday – Silent Sunday (no chanting)
Check out the online Calendar to confirm specific events on specific dates.