Great Plains Zen Center

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Brian Hodges
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1 Great Plains Zen Center Sangha Newsletter November, 2009 through January, 2010 November 6-8 A will be held at Myoshinji, Friday evening through Sunday morning, November 6-8. This one-day sitting, similar to a single day of sesshin, is open to experienced practitioners and those who are new to practice and would like to try a more extended sitting. Time is set aside for personal instruction (dokusan) with Roshi.. will officially begin on Friday evening (the 6 th ) at 7:30 p.m. and run through Sunday breakfast. Part time attendance is acceptable. The cost for zazenkai is $75. Bodhi Day December 4-6 A special Bodhi Day will be held at Myoshinji on Friday evening through Sunday mroning, December 4-6. is a wonderful opportunity to deepen your practice with a day of intensive sitting. Open to experienced practitioners and those who are new to practice and would like to try a more extended sitting. This zazenkai will include a Bodhi Day Service. Everyone is encouraged to come to Myoshinji to attend this zazenkai commemorating Buddha s Enlightenment. will officially begin on Friday evening (the 4 th ) at 7:30 p.m. and run through Sunday breakfast. Part time attendance is acceptable. The schedule for zazenkai will be posted at least 2 weeks prior to the event so that participants who need to attend part time can plan their schedules accordingly. The cost for zazenkai is $75. 3-Day January A 3-day sesshin will be held at Myoshinji, beginning on Friday evening, January 15, and running through Monday morning, January 18 (Martin Luther King Day, national holiday). is an intensive meditation retreat that offers us an important opportunity to strengthen our practice. In addition to alternating periods of zazen and kinhin (sitting and walking meditation)as well as opportunities for dokusan, the daily schedule includes one period of samu (work practice), three services, three meal periods (oryoki style) and teisho (dharma talk) given by Roshi. Registration for GPZC Events Please register for any sesshin, zazenkai or workshop at least 1 week prior to the start. This allows us to assign positions and arrange other logistics for the event. If you will be unable to meet this deadline, please contact us to make arrangements and check on availability of space in the event. Late cancellations are subject to a $35 non-refundable fee. The cost for each zazenkai is $75. The cost for each 3-day sesshin is $150 for current Practicing Members; $180 for others. Students may attend any sesshin on a part-time basis ($50 per day for current Practicing Members; $60 per day for others). To register, please register/pay online at greatplainszen.org. & are Unique and Rare Opportunities to Deepen our Practice a message from Roshi I would like to encourage those who have been practicing to consider the importance and great benefit of attending zazenkai and sesshin, or intensive retreats. While practicing daily at home is very important, having the chance to set other concerns aside and dive deep into practice is a challenging, but truly remarkable experience in our practice lives. While it is not easy for many of us to create this space in our lives with our multiple responsibilities, I would encourage us to try to do so. During zazenkai and sesshin, we all live together at Myoshinji and follow the same schedule with multiple periods of zazen interspersed with walking meditation, as well as services, formal meals and work period throughout the day. Silence throughout the week or weekend allows us to focus on our practice intensely, without the usual distractions. In the words of Keizan Zenji, Listening and thinking are like being outside the gate; zazen is returning home and sitting in peace. Future Event Dates for 2010 The Board of Directors has set special activity dates for the coming year. Please visit the greatplainszen.org to monitor any possible changes which may occur to these planned dates. 3-Day Nirvana Day February 26 - March 1 3-Day April 1-4 May June Day July Day August 5-8 * Start of Summer Ango * End of Summer Ango

Please join us for this important practice milestone for the recipients. It is a joyful and inspiring event for the whole Sangha.

2 Sangha Newsletter November, 2009 through January, Jukai, Ceremony of Receiving the Precepts Jukai will take place Saturday morning, February 27, 2010 at 9 AM at Great Plains Zen Center, W7762 Falk Rd., Monroe, WI for Rebecca Mott, Wayne Johnson, David Beighley and Mary Beth Von Till. This ceremony will take place during the Nirvana Day, Feb 26 March 1. Please join us for this important practice milestone for the recipients. It is a joyful and inspiring event for the whole Sangha. New Members Orientation Nights in Palatine John Daido Loori Roshi Dies at 78 John Daido Loori Roshi, successor to Hakuyu Taizan Maezumi Roshi (and dharma brother of Myoyu Roshi), founder of the Mountains and Rivers Order of Zen Buddhism, and abbot of Zen Mountain Monastery, and one of the most influential Zen masters in the West, died at the Monastery in Mount Tremper, New York on Friday, October 9th. He had been diagnosed with lung cancer eighteen months earlier. Daido Roshi, who in a magazine interview conducted in the 90s referred to his style of Zen teaching as radical conservatism, was a dynamic religious figure whose depth of spiritual insight, fierce commitment to his students and the Buddhist tradition, personal charisma, business acumen and sharp organizational skills contributed to the creation of a well respected and wide ranging organization of Zen Buddhist temples and practice centers in the United States and abroad. His life-long work was recognized by Franklin Pierce University in May of this year with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. Continuing this quarter, GPZC will designate one Sunday night each month for New Members Orientation. Those who are new members or considering membership in GPZC will enjoy an opportunity to learn about some important topics in informal sessions with Roshi or senior students over tea prior to scheduled sitting. Orientation teas will begin at 6:15, and last about half an hour, followed by sitting at 7:00. With one focus each evening, topics to be discussed include: Zendo Procedures; Bells and Service Positions; Chanting and Liturgy; Retreat Opportunities and Daily Routines. And there will always be time for questions and answers each time as well. Please join us and get to know GPZC members in an informal setting. New class offered at Myoshinji on Eightfold Path. Class will be held on Saturdays Feb. 6 through March 27, 2010 from 10:30-11:30 AM at Great Plains Zen Center, W7762 Falk Rd. Monroe, WI Participants are welcome to join regular Saturday morning sitting from 910:30 prior to the class. The class will explore the Eightfold Path, one of the most fundamental teachings of the Buddha and the fourth of the Four Noble Truths. The eightfold path describes the elements of ethical conduct (Sila): Right Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood, the elements of concentration (Samadhi): Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration, and the elements of wisdom (Prajna): Right Thought and Right Understanding. This class will include readings, discussion and instruction in meditation (zazen) and everyday practice. Cost of the class is $45 for 8 class sessions. Register online at or by mail to Great Plains Zen Center, W7762 Falk Rd., Monroe, WI For further information, please call Blackhawk Meditation Class Repeats Semester 2 An Introduction to Practice of Meditation class, which Roshi premiered this semester at Blackhawk Technical College in Monroe, will be offered again in the Winter Semester. Dates will be posted on the GPZC website, greatplainszen.org. Contact Blackhawk technical College at for further information and for registration.

3 Sangha Newsletter November, 2009 through January, Weekly Schedule in CUUC Zazen (Zen meditation) is held every Sunday at 7:00 p.m. at Countryside Unitarian Universalist Church, 1025 N. Smith Road in Palatine, IL. We welcome new friends to join us any Sunday. A standard schedule includes a 30-minute period of zazen; 10 minutes of kinhin (walking meditation) and a second 30-minute period of zazen. Contact Us By phone: (847) By gpzc@greatplainszen.org Myoshinji (Monroe, WI) : Visit Our Web Site Find out more about the Great Plains Zen Center on the web at: greatplainszen.org Each month, the Zen Center holds Fusatsu, the Renewal of the Vows ceremony (in place of the second zazen period). Everyone is welcome whether they have formally taken the Buddhist Vows or not. Upcoming Fusatsu dates are November 15, December 20 and January 24. One Sunday sitting each month will feature teisho (a formal dharma talk) by our teacher, Susan Myoyu Andersen, Roshi, followed by group discussion. Upcoming teisho are scheduled for November 1, December 13 and January 10. Please note that there will be no sitting on December 27 or January 17. Introduction to Zen Practice Workshops Great Plains Zen Center will continue to hold monthly Introductory Workshops at Countryside Unitarian Church, 1025 N Smith Rd, Palatine, Illinois and at Myoshinji in Monroe, Wisconsin. Each workshop provides basic, practical information including how to do zazen (Zen meditation), how to practice at home and throughout the day, the aims of practice, and what opportunities for additional or more advanced practice are offered at GPZC. Attendance at an introductory workshop is required of anyone who would like to become a member of the Great Plains Zen Center. Workshops in Palatine will be held Saturdays, November 28, December 12 and January 9 and run from 8:30-11:30 a.m., followed by an informal lunch. Workshops at Myoshinji will be held Saturdays, November 21, December 19 and January 23. Workshops run from 9:00-11:30 am. The cost for each workshop is $25 per person ($15 for students and seniors; free for repeating participants). Visit greatplainszen.org/workshops to register, or call us at (847) Other Services Offered by Great Plains Zen Center Myoyu Roshi is an ordained Buddhist priest and can perform weddings, baby blessings, memorials and funerals, and home visits for those members who are seriously ill. She is also a Reiki practitioner. For further information about these services, please contact myoyu.roshi@greatplainszen.org Membership in the Great Plains Zen Center There are four levels of membership in the Sangha of the Great Plains Zen Center: Practicing Membership ($50 per month) is for anyone who will be practicing zazen with the sangha on a regular, weekly basis. Practicing Members receive a discounted rate for sesshin and Summer Ango retreats. Affiliate Membership ($30 per month) is for sangha members who live at a greater distance from the regular sittings, and who are not able to attend on a regular basis. Friend of GPZC (any amount per year) is for anyone who wishes to support the Zen Center and be included in all special communications. Sustaining Member, is for anyone committing to any amount, $75 and above per month. Any of these levels of dues can be submitted at our website at: Membership helps deepen one s commitment to practice helps support the center and helps make the practice available to more people now and in the future. Please join us.

4 Sangha Newsletter November, 2009 through January, The Sangha Newsletter is Now Digital The Great Plains Zen Center Sangha Newsletter has moved to electronic delivery as the default mode. You may download the current newsletter by visiting our web site's "News" page ( ) To request a hard copy or to be placed on our list, contact us at gpzc@greatplainszen.org Practice Circles at Myoshinji One Saturday per month, GPZC will hold a Practice Circle in place of our regular Saturday morning program at Myoshinji in Wisconsin. The schedule is as follows: 9:00 a.m. Zazen 9:30 Kinhin (walking meditation) 9:40 Teisho (talk by Myoyu Roshi) 10:00 Informal discussion on our practice in everyday life 10:30 Zazen 11:00-11:10 Closing This format is based on the three aims of Zen practice, which are: kai (precepts or harmonious living), jo (concentration or meditation) and e (wisdom). These Practice Circles are open to anyone and a good follow-up to the Introductory Workshop (also offered monthly). This is a wonderful way for friends and members of GPZC to support each other s practice and develop a strong Zen Community. People of all religious beliefs and practices are also welcome to participate and learn more about how ancient Buddhist wisdom and guidelines for everyday life can enrich their own spiritual practice. Upcoming dates for Practice Circles are: November 14, December 12 and January 9. On Saturdays other than Practice Circle dates, our regular Saturday morning program in Wisconsin will continue starting at 9 am with two periods of zazen (meditation) followed by an informal discussion. (Note: no sitting on December 26.) Please call for further details or to confirm scheduled events. GPZC P.O. Box 3362 Barrington, IL 60011

5 Great Plains Zen Center Myoshinji (Subtle Mind Temple) Monroe, Wisconsin November am Practice Circle in Ludington December am Practice Circle Christmas Day 26 (no sitting) January Practice Circle (ML King Day)

6 Great Plains Zen Center Countryside Unitarian Church Palatine, Illinois & Teisho 8 () 15 6:15 orientation & Fusatsuu 22 November December :15 orientation 13 & Teisho 20 & Fusatsuu 27 (no zazen) 7 Labor Day Christmas Day January :15 orientation 10 & Teisho 17 (no zazen) 24 & Fusatsuu (ML King Day)

Great Plains Zen Center

Great Plains Zen Center Sangha Newsletter May through July, 2007 Summer Retreat Schedule Set This summer, there will be three sesshin held at Myoshinji in Monroe, Wisconsin. Myoshinji is located about