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Saturday 25 May 2013: Full Moon Ceremony

fullfmoonWe’ll have the monthly Full-Moon Ceremony renewal of our Bodhisattva vows Saturday morning after the Dharma talk.

The ceremony takes about a half-hour and involves some thirty full prostrations, but simple standing bows are also all right if prostrations are too strenuous.

Everyone is welcome to take part in this celebration.

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17 May 2013: Two program options…

10:30 – HIV, Friends, Supporters & Community sitting & Socializing.

19:30 – Meditation in Recovery

Tomorrow/Saturday program, Dharma talk provided by Rev. Myo Lahey

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Thursdays – 7:30pm – Study Hour

e220b_buddha“When Xishi had a pain in her chest, she held her chest and grimaced. It made her even more beautiful. Homely girls imitating her only increased their ugliness. This is a criticism of study by mouth and ear, those who do not work for ineffable enlightenment.”

Join us this Thursday at 7:30 pm as we study the story of Shoushan’s “New Bride” in The Book of Serenity as an opportunity to practice together with the Sangha. We read the entirety of text we discuss together. Preparation is encouraged, and so are drop ins!

There are books to share for anyone who wants to join in.

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14 – 28 May: Sangha Newsletter – 2013

Click here to view it!

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14 May 2013

Going single edition hardcover for sale on May 14 2013!

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11 May – Saturday; Guest Speaker Rev. Kojun Hull Sensei

Kannon paintingPlease join us this Saturday morning for a Dharma talk by Rev Kojun Hull Sensei of Great Vow Monestary in Oregon.

Read more here!

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Metta Meditation: May 10 2013 6pm

B Day RJoin us on the second and fourth Friday evenings of each month for a Metta guided meditation lead by Rev. Myo Lahey.

This is an exciting new program, so please join us, and let us know what you think.

We hope to see you to help encourage more Metta in our sometimes difficult world!

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Thursdays – 7:30pm – Study Hour

12We are currently reading The Book of Serenity compiled in China in the twelfth century and recently translated into English by Thomas Cleary. We read together the entirety of the text we discuss each week, so please feel free to drop in. Prior preparation is encouraged, however, by no means required.

There are books to share for anyone who wants to join in.

 

 

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11 May – Saturday; Guest Speaker Rev. Kojun Hull Sensei

mntsitPlease join us this Saturday morning for a Dharma talk by Rev Kojun Hull Sensei of Great Vow Monestary in Oregon.  Kojun Sensei is a Dharma successor of Chozen Bays, Roshi and Zen Teacher Hogen Bays. Kojun entered training with Chozen and Hogen Bays in March of 1999. She was ordained in August of 2002, and became a Dharma Holder in January of 2008. She received Dharma Transmission in July of 2012. Kojun is the Director of Training at Great Vow, and leads a number of retreats there each year. Currently on sabbatical in San Francisco.

Great Vow Monastery is a residential Zen Buddhist training monastery guided by the vow to help relieve suffering in the world. They aspire to maintain authentic, wholehearted practice while keeping the teachings open and accessible to anyone with a sincere desire to experience the Buddha-Dharma. Their practice is a synthesis of Soto and Rinzai Zen traditions informed by the practice and study of thier teachers, Jan Chozen Bays, Roshi and Zen Teacher Hogen Bays. The monastery is an arm of the Zen Community of Oregon.

Every Saturday we offer early morning zazen (seated meditation), a brief drop-in meditation instruction at 8:30 am. And again zazen at 9:25 am. We wrap up with a dharma talk at 10:15 am followed by tea and cookies.

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4 May 12:30pm – Sangha Council after Buddha’s Birthday

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The Hartford Street Zen Center Sangha Council will occur post Buddha’s Birthday event and a quick break for lunch:  We’ve formed council as a forum to continue to talk of and discuss with each other – and with the sangha at large –  issues, concerns, questions and conflicts which have been challenging –  downright hard  to talk about or never seem to have an appropriate time we are all together to discuss.  We’ll use a practice model of working with each other with the most skillful speech we can access. This is a great opportunity also for those who haven’t been around lately to reengage and be a part of the present and future Hartford Street!

Our next meeting will be on Saturday 12:30pm to 2:30pm, May 4, 2013 for 120 minutes (with a break included).

We’re  continuing this format that is flexible enough for a diversity of needs.  This session will be facilitated by Beata Chapman, a long time member and Board president of the Santa Cruz Zen Center.  She is knowledgeable about many aspects of zen communities.    The scaffold we’ll be working from is based on the Council process developed by the Ojai Foundation.

You do not need to have an ‘issue’ or overt concern to attend.  Council is sangha building, connection and healing.  All are welcome!

If you have questions regarding this, call Peter Goetz at 510.595.1281.  If you’d like a copy of the Ojai Foundation guidelines for Council process, email Peter at goetzpj@aol.com

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