Sitting with no agenda; putting nothing before the mind - this is the art of zazen. This practice is appropriate for people seeking relief from the vicissitudes of feelings and discriminating consciousness, and it is good for people seeking simply to sit in true reality. This retreat will include periods of sitting and walking meditation and […]
Everything is in Everything! There is "Not One Single Thing." (Shodo Harada) Come sit, walk together, deeply entering the silence as we realize our lives are not our own. Rev. Paravrtti Doralee Grindler Katonah will lead a half-day retreat with sitting meditation (zazen), walking meditation (kinhin), and a dharma talk and […]
"What we call 'I' is just a swing door which moves when we inhale and when we exhale. It just moves; that is all. When your mind is pure and calm enough to follow this movement, there is nothing: no 'I,' no world, no mind nor body: just a swing door." - Shunryu Suzuki roshi […]
"Communing with the Source, travel the pathways, embrace the territory, and treasure the road.” Song of the Jewel Mirror Samadhi Whether sitting, walk, sitting, standing, or lying down we open wholeheartedly to the Way and Buddha activity happens on its own. Come, sit, and walk together to support each other in continuous practice. The retreat […]
Rev. So'on Jim Hare will lead a half-day sit in the morning with a special service at noon for the ceremonial washing of the Baby Buddha statue and the chanting of the Buddha's Birthday Eko in gratitude for Queen Maya's sacrifice. Buddha's birthday is celebrated in Japan on April 8th. In south and southeast Asia […]
A monk asked Dongshan: What is Buddha? Donshan replied, 'Three pounds of flax.' Whether sitting, walk, sitting, standing, or lying down we open wholeheartedly to the Way and Buddha activity happens on its own. Come, sit, and walk together to support each other in continuous practice. The retreat includes periods of zazen (sitting meditation), kinhin […]
Come rest in the mystery, practice with great awareness, and experience the mystery unfolding amongst us. The retreat includes periods of zazen (sitting meditation), kinhin (walking meditation), and a dharma talk. Please bring a bag lunch and join us for an informal lunch at 12:30 pm. Hot water and tea will be available. Everyone is […]
Hongzhi lived in 12th century China and is famous for his Zen poems, which are recorded the Book of Serenity and elsewhere. Eihei Dogen admired his poem called Zazenshin and commented on it in his own text of the same name. During this retreat we'll look at Hongzhi's Zazenshin, particularly the line, "Knowing without touching […]
This will be a silent meditation retreat (no Dharma talk). It is offered to simply to rest in samadhi (aka zazen), allowing silence and stillness to offer their blessings. The schedule will alternate six half-hour periods of sitting and walking meditation, with a short break mid-morning. We'll have an optional social lunch following the retreat. […]
"And what is the middle way realized by the Tathagata that - producing vision, producing knowledge - leads to calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to Unbinding? Precisely this Noble Eightfold Path: right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. This is the middle way realized by […]
When two arrow points meet, this has nothing to do with the power of skill! (Jewel Mirror Samadhi) In our practice together we will consider this Truth of practice realization – that realization comes spontaneously and is not within the realm of consciousness (Genjo Koan) – it does not appear in the realm of perception […]
Join the sangha for a half-day of shikantaza or just sitting with alternating periods of zazen (sitting meditation) and kinhin (walking meditation), In the “grass-roof hermitage we “just sit” followed by a social lunch at noon (please bring a bag lunch). Registration is requested, but not required. Dana is appreciated. Donation can be made below. […]