Zen practice in the Connecticut River Valley
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.
https://villagezendo.org/events/urban-sesshin-2022/
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!
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 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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.