We are currently reading The Book of Serenity compiled in China in the twelfth century and recently translated into English by Thomas Cleary.
There are books to share for anyone who wants to join in.
2 March 2013: Full Moon Ceremony
We’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.
Congratulations Nicholas!
23 February 2013, 11:00AM; JUKAI – lay initiation
One of our dear and beloved Sangha members and former Hartford Street residents, Nicholas will have a Jukai (lay initiation) ceremony immediately following the Saturday morning Dharma talk and Saturday program. This public ceremony is to celebrate and formally mark a practitioner receiving the sixteen Bodhisattva precepts (3 refuges, 3 pure precepts, 10 essential precepts) and vowing to work to live their life in accordance with these precepts. Please join us for this wonderful event to celebrate Nicholas’ vows, renew our own and congratulate Nicholas and all on the Soto Zen path!
Parinirvana Day – 15 February
…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.*
Please join us Saturday to commemorate this event.
*Nirvana Sutra – Fa-xian version, tr. by Stephen Hodge.
Saturday, 16 February: Buddha’s Parinirvana
Presidents’ Day Holiday: Zendo CLOSED
12:30PM Feb 16, Sat.; Sangha Council
The Hartford Street Zen Center Sangha Council: 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, February 16, 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