Holiday Schedule

Greetings all. AZMG will not be meeting again until January 4th. Have a good holiday season and keep warm.

Oryoki

Oryoki is the formal taking of a meal during a sesshin (intensive Zen retreat). Although it is among the most elaborate services in the Zen traditions, what happens is everyone takes a meal together, and then washes their bowls. It is a profound practice of immense gratitude.

The link below will take you a podcast by the Reverend Jay Rinsen Weik of the Toledo Zen Center. In this firstpart of a 2 part talk, Rev. Rinsen explores the meal gathas that are used in the practice of oryoki.

http://traffic.libsyn.com/drinkinggourd/TDG86.mp3

Resources

In Zen practice, Zazen is the great teacher, but there are those who can help. 

While it is true that we already have that which we need to realize ourselves, it helps to connect with those who have walked this path before us.

For 2500 years this is how the practice has been passed on.  Individuals helping others, by inspiring to do their own work.

Living 2 hours away from my teachers, I have found nourishment in the posdcasts that they make available.

I recommend them.

The Drinking Gourd Podcasts can be found at thedrinkinggourd.org

Thoughts on the first month

With just a few weeks under our belts, Julie and I very grateful for the experience of practicing with in this new situation.  Currently, about 4-6 people are coming out weekly.  We meet, disucss how things are progressing and then settle in to sitting.  We sit 2 periods of 15 minutes with a 5-10 minute kinhin in the between.  We conclude the evening with the evening gatha and some talk about what is being experienced.

This fall, we hope to hope to introduce the Heart Sutra as we look at the various aspects of practice as life.

Keep at it.

Taking the seat of practice.

Tonight we had the first meeting of the AZMG.  Some 16 people came out for beginning instruction in Zazen.  It was a wonderful experience to practice with everyone.  Thank you especially to Ena of Love it Yoga for the space and support.

It is a wonderful thing to meet people in this frantic day and age who are willing to just sit down and look inward.

May your life and practice go well.

We Start Next Week

We are a week away from the first meeting of the Amherstburg Zen Meditation Group.  If you are interested in coming out, September 21st is the best date.  Since we are starting that night, everyone will be receiving beginning instruction together.

Please wear loose fitting clothes.  Preferably, they should be neutral to dark in colour, without distracting text, images or patterns.

Resources on Zen

Zen is much more the media has made it in the West.  Zen practice is about how we engage each moment of our lives; the good, the neutral and the bad.  It is not, as my teacher has said "a Calgon bath for the soul".  In addition to a regular sitting practice, I would recommend that you check out the Dharma talks that are available at  thedrinkinggourd.org  OR on iTunes under the same name.

Come out and sit with us

AZMG will be begin meeting on September 21st, 2010.  Please come out and join us.  This meditation group is free and open to the public.

Free Public Talk on Zen and Meditation

Amherstburg Zen Meditation group will be hosting  a free public talk and workshop, given by Rev. Jay Rinsen Weik, co-founder and Senior Dharma Teacher of the Toledo Zen Center.

This talk and workshop will be held at Love it Yoga in Amherstburg Ontario.

More details to come.