Practioners gathered on Sunday, April 7th at Shao Shan Temple for a full morning of intensive practice. The Zazenkai program included opening and closing ceremonies, zazen (sitting meditation), kinhin (walking meditation), and dokusan(individual meetings) and a Dharma reading. The Dharma reading was from Shunryu Suzkuki Roshi's Zen Mind Beginner's Mind. As the sun came out in later morning, the doors were wide open during walking meditation.
Monday, April 8, 2024
April 1/2 Day Zazenkai
Practioners gathered on Sunday, April 7th at Shao Shan Temple for a full morning of intensive practice. The Zazenkai program included opening and closing ceremonies, zazen (sitting meditation), kinhin (walking meditation), and dokusan(individual meetings) and a Dharma reading. The Dharma reading was from Shunryu Suzkuki Roshi's Zen Mind Beginner's Mind. As the sun came out in later morning, the doors were wide open during walking meditation.
Sunday, March 31, 2024
March Introduction to Shao Shan
Friday evening March 29th, was an in-person "Introduction to Shao Shan Temple" program. Twelve new people braved the bumpy, rutted, muddy roads to participate. This program offers an overview of the Temple, history, programs offered, an introduction to meditation, the opportunity to ask questions and a brief tour of the grounds. Julie & Caleb joined as sangha (Temple community) representatives.
Thursday, March 21, 2024
Spring Equinox Ceremony 2024
Monday, March 18, 2024
Winter Practice Period 2024
Rev Shinshu Robert - online Dharma Talk 3/12/24 |
Rev. Gendo Field - in-person Dharma Talk 3/16/24 |
Rev. Kenzan - in-person Dharma Talks 3/9 & 3/17 |
Enlightenment is like the moon reflected on the water. The
moon does not get wet, nor is the water broken. Although its light is wide and
great, the moon is reflected even in a puddle an inch wide. The whole moon and
the entire sky are reflected in dewdrops on the grass, or even in one drop of
water.
- Genjo Koan: Dogen Zenji
Moon reflecting in mud puddles on Cranberry Meadow Road |
Monday, March 11, 2024
Getting stuck in mud and views - March Children's Program
For March's Family Program we gathered online, in part thanks to the theme of the month: MUD! We first shared our observations of the natural world, such as the warmer weather, muddy roads, returning robins and Canada geese, and ravens starting to make their nests. We checked out the onion and scallion seedlings sprouting under grow lights, soon to be planted in the Temple vegetable garden.
We then acted out the story of Six Blind Men and an Elephant, an ancient Buddhist tale illustrating how we can get stuck thinking that our own perspectives are the only "right" perspective, similar to the blind men who think that an elephant is like a pillar, a fan, a rope, a tree branch, a spear or a wall, depending on which part of the elephant they are touching.We used several optical illusions to explore ways to help our minds not get "stuck in the mud" by seeing situations from various perspectives, and then meditated while watching mud settle in a jar. We closed with the ringing of the big bell and a group OMExample of optical illusion, where our mind can get stuck seeing something only one way.
(turn 90degrees for the frog to turn into a horse)