Newsletter January & February 2020
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Chapel Hill Zen Center News P.O. BOX 16302, CHAPEL HILL, NC 27516 JANUARY & FEBRUARY, 2020 Board of Directors for 2020 All-day Sittings The new Chapel Hill Zen Center Board of Direc- All-day sittings are planned for Sundays, January tors are Kenneth Wilson, President; John Paredes, 19, February 16, and March 15, from 6:00 A.M. Vice President; Tripp Spivey, Treasurer; Chris until 5:00 P.M. The sitting will begin with orien- Censullo, Secretary; Maura High and Alex Fine, tation on Saturday night at 7:30, and will in- Members-at-Large; and Josho Pat Phelan, ex clude instruction on the meal form and one officio. Many thanks and deep bows to Andrea period of zazen. The regular Sunday schedule, Ashdown who served as Member-at-Large for the with zazen at 9:00 and 9:50 and Dharma Talk at past two years and continues to lead the Mainte- 10:30, will be open to everyone. The day will nance Committee for the Zen Center and its include zazen, a lecture, dokusan and a work property up the road at 5206, and to Mike period, as well as breakfast and lunch. It is alright McKillip who served as treasurer of the board for to sit half of the day, but please sign up in the past three years in addition to a three-year advance, and please speak to Josho Sensei if term several years before this. this is your first all-day sitting. For more infor- mation on the oryoki meal form see: https:// Sangha News kannondo.org/getting-started/oryoki/ Choro Carla Antonaccio The a suggested donation is $15 for members, has been invited to the and $25 for others; however, if you are inclined Austin Zen Center to be to offer more, that would be very helpful in Tanto, to help lead prac- maintaining Zen Center. Oryoki sets are avail- tice and to teach. The able for use by those who do not have their own, Austin ZC has one priest and a $5 donation would be appreciated. with a full program of 8:00 A.M. Wednesday Zazen - Discontinued zazen, sesshins, and study groups, and could use The period of zazen on Wednesday mornings at some help. Choro began 8:00, which started in April, will be discontin- practice in 1999 and has ued. Many thanks to Lance and Andrea Ashdown been a resident at the for their support in trying out this time for zazen. CHZC for fifteen years. Study Group She served as Ino, taking care of the zendo and training doans, for four years earlier before The Study Group meets weekly and it will resume becoming Ino again in 2019. She has also offered meeting on Thursday evening, January 9, from many hours of support and service as Tenzo, head 6:45- 8:00. We will begin studying the Bodhisattva of kitchen practice, for a number of sesshins and Precepts, by reading Returning to Silence by other retreats. In addition, she has taught classes, Dainin Katagiri Roshi, pages 67-95. Katagiri given Dharma Talks, and served as a model of one Roshi assisted Suzuki Roshi in the early days at who is committed to practice. Choro and her the San Francisco Zen Center, and later he husband, Bunkai Tracy, will move to Austin, TX, founded the Minnesota Zen Meditation Center. in February. We wish them and the Austin ZC the Copies of the book are for sale in the entryway. best. Everyone is welcome and there is no charge. Study Hall Monk Leaving Ceremony Monday Mornings at 7:45 AM On Sunday morning, February 2, around 10:50, there will be a Monk Leaving Ceremony for Choro We will resume having a quiet Study Hall to read Carla Antonaccio. Everyone is invited to attend, Buddhist materials on Monday morning, Janu- and a reception will follow. ary 13, from 7:45 until 8:30 or 9 AM. Please feel free to join us for any of this time that works for you. Chapel Hill Zen Center Newsletter — Jan & Feb, 2020 http://www.chzc.org PAGE 2 Beginning Zen Practice Precepts Weekend A Class with David Guy The Lay Precepts Ceremony, Zaike Tokudo, will Monday nights, 7:30-9:00, Jan. 27 to March 2 be held on Sunday afternoon, April 19, at 1:30. The Sixteen Bodhisattva Precepts will be given. Stop searching for phrases and chasing after You are warmly invited to attend, to witness and words. Take the backward step and turn the light support these ordainees, as well as renew your inward. Your body-mind of itself will drop off and own vows. A reception will follow. your original face will appear. — Dogen Informal Sitting Zen Meditation, or zazen, is the simple practice In preparation for the precepts ceremony, there of being present with our experience. We hear will be an informal sitting on Saturday, April 18, the instructions in a matter of minutes, but from 9:00–4:00. Everyone is welcome to attend spend a lifetime learning the practice. This class any part of the sitting. Please enter and leave the will introduce participants to meditation and zendo quietly, as you wish. Tea will be available, give them support as they develop a daily sitting but lunch will not be served. practice. It will also introduce them to other Children’s Program aspects of practice at the Chapel Hill Zen Center. The Zen Center’s Children’s program offers The first night will begin with meditation in- children four years and older a place in the Zen structions and a short period of sitting. Each Center sangha through a variety of activities, week we will continue to sit for a period at the including meditation, story, craft, song, and beginning of class, gradually increasing the time. movement, as well as participation in Zen Center Participants will have a chance to ask questions events and celebrations throughout the year. In and raise concerns about their practice. As the each meeting, the children have the space and weeks proceed we will study other aspects of Zen time to practice living mindfully and to learn practice, including walking meditation, protocol about Buddhist teachings and contexts while around the zendo, and the service of bowing and giving their parents an opportunity to meditate chanting. But the focus will be on zazen, and in the concurrent adult program. The Children’s participants’ actual practice as it unfolds. The Program meets twice a month, on Sunday morn- content of the class will emerge from partici- ings, from 8:50 until 11:00; the program will pants’ questions and concerns. begin on January 5, and continue meeting on Cost is $60, payable the first night, and will be February 2, and March 1. For more information, contributed to the Zen Center. Partial scholar- please contact Maura High, the program coordi- ships are available. For more information, or to nator, at [email protected]. sign up, please contact David Guy at 919-641- 9277 or [email protected]. Aging Gracefully, Befriending Death David Guy has been practicing meditation since Sunday, January 12, at 11:15 1991, and regularly gives sitting instruction. He This is an informal discussion group that provides has co-authored two books with Larry Rosenberg the opportunity to share readings, information, of the Cambridge Insight Meditation Center – and explore conversations among ourselves on Breath by Breath: The Liberating Practice of these topics. Please contact Carol Klein at Insight Meditation and Living in the Light of [email protected], Kris Garvin at Death: On the Art of Being Truly Alive. In 2008 [email protected], or Jeff Sherman at he published Jake Fades: A Novel of Imperma- [email protected], if you have ques- nence. David’s Blog can be found at tions or would like more information. Everyone www.davidguy.org is welcome, regardless of age. Chapel Hill Zen Center Newsletter — Jan & Feb, 2020 http://www.chzc.org PAGE 3 Eco-Dharma Discussion Group Prison Outreach January 26, at 11:30 Members of the Chapel Hill Zen Center volun- In this group we informally explore Buddhist teer in both state prisons in North Carolina and teachings on the natural world, caring for the the federal prison at Butner. We can always use natural world as an expression of bodhisattva vow, more volunteers, and having volunteers present and our own responses to current environmental is often a requirement in order for inmates to issues. If you are interested, please contact Zenki meet for religious services or to sit zazen. We are Kathleen Batson at [email protected]. looking for people who have been sitting zazen at the Zen Center for a year or more. Orientation Recovery Meeting is required by each institution. If you would like The Recovery Meeting meets on Tuesday nights more information, please contact Josho Roshi at at 7:30. This is a recovery group with a Buddhist (919) 967-0861 or [email protected]. perspective on the 12-Step Program which meets at the Chapel Hill Zen Center. The meetings Looking Ahead begin with twenty minutes of silent meditation. We are honored to welcome back Daitsu Tom For more information, contact: 919-265-7600 Wright to lead a 5-day sesshin, June 12-17. or [email protected]. Daitsu Roshi plans to talk on the understanding Sangha Network of zazen practice he developed by practicing with Uchiyama Roshi for almost 40 years. More infor- The CHZC has a Sangha Network of volunteers to mation will follow. offer short-term assistance to those in the sangha who need help with simple tasks such as shop- Sunday Morning Dharma Talks ping, arranging for meals, or transportation, due Josho Pat Phelan will give Dharma Talks on January to transitions in one’s life including illness, 19, February 16, and on March 15, at 10:30.