Ceremonies – Page 2 – Hartford Street Zen Center

May 7, 2017

13 May 2017 @ 11am – Full Moon Ceremony

May is the Full Flower Moon! In most areas, flowers are abundant everywhere during this time. Thus, the name of this Moon. Other names include the Full Corn Planting Moon, or the Milk Moon. This is our renewal of our Bodhisattva vows after the Saturday Morning 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. All are invited to join in this ceremony/celebration.

Every Saturday we offer early morning zazen (seated meditation), morning service, a brief drop-in meditation instruction at 8:30am. And again zazen at 9:25 am. We wrap up with a dharma talk at 10:15am followed by ceremony when applicable and then right to social time, tea and cookies. Please join us!

March 4, 2017March 5, 2017

11 March – full moon ceremony 7:10am & Shukke Tokudo, Sōtō Zen Priest Ordination 出家得度 @11am!

Our monthly full moon ceremony will be conducted during Saturday Morning Service and then usual sitting schedule, dharma talk by Rev Myo @10:15am followed by…

A Sōtō Zen Priest will be ordained for the first time in over 20 years at Issan-ji!

The Sangha is very excited to announce the ordination of Hogetsu, Max Swanger, who will receive ordination from Rev Myo Lahey as the first to be ordained at Issan-ji (HSZC) since two students of Zenshin, Philip Whalen ordained priests (who are unfortunately for us no longer with us).

Issan Dorsey, our temple founder also ordained three priests and our surviving lineage survives today in one priest, Daiko Tanzen, David Bullock. This is an honor and celebratory moment to have Max join the lineage from hartford street zen center/Issan-ji!

This is looking to be a heavily attended event, but please know all are invited to celebrate the continuation of the Soto Zen priest lineage of Issan-ji, HSZC!

February 5, 2017

11 February Parinirvana ceremony & speaker Daiko Tanzen, David Bullock

…the Tathagata has completely extinguished the fire of the mental afflictions that have been accumulated over countless aeons, the nature of the diamond Tathagata permanently endures – not transforming and not diminishing.*

This coming Saturday, we’ll have a brief ceremony commemorating the entry into Nirvana of Shakyamuni Buddha, following a short Dharma talk at the usual time of 10:15 a.m. this week the talk is offered by resident priest Daiko Tanzen, David Bullock.

Everyone is welcome & invited to attend.

Every Saturday we offer early morning zazen (seated meditation), morning service, a brief drop-in meditation instruction at 8:30 am. And again zazen at 9:25 am. Dharma talk at 10:15 am; ceremony after when applicable; then socializing, tea and cookies. Please join us!

January 8, 2017January 9, 2017

Full moon Ceremony – Saturday, Jan. 14 @11am, Speaker Daiko Tanzen David Bullock @10:15am

In Native American and early Colonial times, the Full Moon for January was called the Full Wolf Moon. It appeared when wolves howled in hunger outside the villages. Traditionally, the January Moon is also known as the Old Moon.

This is our renewal of our Bodhisattva vows this upcoming Saturday morning after the Saturday Morning 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. All are invited to join in this ceremony/celebration.

Prior to the ceremony join us at 10:15am for a talk offered by Rev. Daiko Tanzen, David Bullock; one of our current connections to the early days of Hartford Street’s Zen Center founding; the garden’s long term friend, current Board President, a resident priest and current Tanto as well as many other capacities past and present of HSZC (and the past Maitri); ordained by the temple’s founder – Rev. Issan Dorsey.

October 23, 2016

29 October – Sejiki @11am!

Following the Dharma talk we’ll celebrate the ancient ceremony known in Japanese as Sejiki, or “Feeding the Jiki (wandering spirits)”.
This ceremony addresses our connection to the “unseen world”, typically overlooked in the West. All aspects of our life that have been disowned, disrespected and denied are invited to come forth from exile and be nourished, a gesture that may have particular significance for members of the LGBTiQQ community, whose own place in the social order has been undermined by fear, prejudice and violence. Costumes and sundry noisemaking devices are encouraged, and everyone is invited to participate. (Time approximate after the Dharma talk, at about 11 a.m.)

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 a ceremony if applicable, then tea and cookies.

Please join us Saturdays and we hope to see you often!

October 11, 2016

full moon ceremony saturday; Oct 15 @11am

This is the full harvest moon –this is the month when the leaves are falling & the game is fattened. Now is the time for hunting & laying in a store of provisions for the long winter ahead. October’s Moon is also known as the Travel Moon & the Dying Moon.

Saturdays include the early morning sitting & service beginning at 6:30am, a brief drop-in meditation instruction at 8:30 am. And again zazen at 9:25 am. We are offered a Dharma talk at 10:15 am followed by ceremony (when applicable) and then tea and cookies and socializing.

Please join us this Saturday and we hope to see you often!

September 28, 2016

Oct 1st @11am Memorial Service for Bodhidharma (Darumaki)

Daruma-san, a round red-colored doll, is known as a good-luck talisman associated with temples and shrines. The good fortune associated with Bodhidharma (Daruma) comes from the legend that no matter how many times Bodhidharma fell down he would always get up.

In the areas where silk worms are cultivated, there is a custom of painting in one of the eyes on the Daruma doll if the worms produce much silk thread in spring and painting in the other one of Daruma’s eyes if the worms produced much silk thread in autumn.

Bodhidharma, the inspiration for the Daruma doll, was originally one of the ancestral teachers of The Soto Zen School. He was the first Ancestors of Zen in China and also known as Bodai Daruma Daishi.

The red Daruma doll seen throughout Japan was originally modeled on this great teacher who sat facing a wall unflinchingly for nine years and lived to the old age of 150.

Bodhidharma died on October 5th. Early autumn is the harvest time in Japan and also the time when the autumn silkworm is cultivated. For this reason, this ceremony includes our feeling of gratitude to Bodhidharma as well as a prayer for a good harvest in the next year. There is also the wish expressed that those who participate in the ceremony will enjoy a long life.

August 15, 2016

Saturday 20 August – the full moon ceremony – 11am

Saturday is what the fishing tribes are given credit for naming the full sturgeon moon, since sturgeon, a large fish of the Great Lakes and other major bodies of water, were most readily caught during this month. a few tribes knew it as the Full Red Moon because, as the Moon rises, it appears reddish through any sultry haze. it was also called the Green Corn Moon or Grain Moon.

this is our renewal of our Bodhisattva vows this upcoming Saturday morning after the Saturday Morning 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. All are welcome to join in this ceremony/celebration.