Category: Ceremonies

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7 March, Saturday – Full Moon Ceremony 11am

It is our renewal of our Bodhisattva vows this upcoming Saturday morning after the Saturday Morning Dharma talk.

The ceremony takes about crowmoona 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.

March is the full worm moon, as the temperature begins to warm and the ground begins to thaw, earthworm casts appear, heralding the return of the robins. the more northern tribes knew this moon as the full crow moon, when the cawing of crows signaled the end of winter; or the full crust moon, because the snow cover becomes crusted from thawing by day and freezing at night. the full sap moon, marking the time of tapping maple trees, is another variation. to the settlers, it was also known as the lenten moon, and was considered to be the last full moon of winter.

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!

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14 February – Multiple events: Parinirvana, Sangha Council & Guest Speaker!

In addition to St Valentine’s day ♥, we will have a morning and early afternoon packed full of events:

Regular Saturday Scheduleparinirvana.jpg.w300h360

Guest Speaker – Rev. Ryuei Michael McCormick is an American Nichiren Shu convert to and longtime practitioner in the Nichiren Shu school of Buddhism, who has written prolifically on the topic asking us to look deeper at this path and is also a long-time practitioner of zazen (seated meditation) and a student of the writings of Dōgen-zenji.

Following the talk we will commemorate in a ceremony  the passing of the Buddha to nirvana known as Parinirvana

We then go on to have social time, tea and cookies and suggest folks grab a quick lunch. So at 12:30pm we can reconvene for the Sangha Council and run for 90 minutes with a break mid-way — We’re  continuing this format that is flexible enough for a diversity of needs. 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 and invited to all of these events!

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Saturday Jan 3rd, Full Moon Ceremony!

Join us Saturday for the Full Moon Ceremony!

The Full Moon Ceremony is at around 11:00am — 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. 2fThis month according to the Farmer’s Almanac it’s the Full wolf, old, snow, or after yule Moon. Amid the cold and deep snows of midwinter, the wolf packs howled hungrily outside Indian villages. Thus, the name for January’s full Moon. Sometimes it was also referred to as the Old Moon, or the Moon After Yule. Some called it the Full Snow Moon, but most tribes applied that name to the next Moon.

The ceremony will begin around 11am roughly after the Dharma Talk. 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 with socializing. Please know you are welcome and invited!

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8 November – Full Moon Ceremony & Sangha Council.

Join us the next upcoming Saturday for a Full Moon Ceremony, Sangha Council and keep in mind there are still added practice opportunities to practice for our Fall Study Period (Schedule Here) going on right now.

329758377_0471a34b81_zFull Moon Ceremony at around 11:00am — 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. This month according to the Farmer’s Almanac is the Full Frosty or Beaver Moon. The ceremony will begin around 11am roughly after the Dharma Talk.

Sangha Council will commence around 12:30pm and run for 90 minutes with a break mid-way — We’re  continuing this format that is flexible enough for a diversity of needs. 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 to all of these events including our Fall Practice/Study Period!

 

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Study Period start & Sejiki! October 25th

Bring a lunch!
The Study Period begins with a One Day Sitting on Saturday 25 October at 6:00am.
There will be two periods of zazen 6:00am and 6:50am,
10 minutes of Kinhin
then chanting service,
formal breakfast,
followed by 9:25am zazen,
10:15am Dharma talks and then the Sejiki Ceremony. 
We will then move to a silent, brown bag lunch,
an afternoon sitting (zazen),
finishing with chanting mid-afternoon.
After all of the above we will move to this schedule (click here)
We hope that you will join us for any or as much of this Study period schedule as you can and if you wish to formally sign up (so we plan your attendance) for meals and Teas for the study period, see the instruction here. This schedule will end around 2pm.
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Oct 25 – Sejiki Ceremony & the start of the Fall Study Period

Following the Dharma talk we’ll celebrate the ancient ceremony known in Japanese as Sejiki, or “Feeding the Jiki (wandering spirits)”. sThis 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 also do not forget; this is the start of the Fall Study Period as well! (click here for details) and to sign up.

Please join us Saturdays and we hope to see you often through out the rest of the week!

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Oct 25 through Dec 7th 2014 – Fall Study Period!

512px-Maple_leaf_structureclick here for further details and schedule
Periods of focused practice are an ancient and vital part of Buddhist, and especially Zen, tradition. During the Study Period and Winterlight Retreat we will have an opportunity to focus on meditation and inner reflection, deepening our practice of the Buddha Way together. 

Modeled on the traditional 90 Day Ango (Practice Period) the Study Period will include opportunities for private interviews with  Rev. Myo (dokusan), lectures and special ceremonies, as well as semi-formal meals (oryoki style), teas, and additional periods of meditation.

If interested please begin a dialogue with us by emailing hszc108@yahoo.com to discuss what days and times you can commit to, and we very much look forward to this practice opportunity with you!