A Personal Message from
Reverends Do’on and
Rinsen
It has been simply wonderful to be a part of the growing community of practice that is the Toledo Zen Center Sangha, and it is equally wonderful to be able to share with you some of what is happening with our updated newsletter format, thank you for subscribing!
|
|
What is Sesshin?
One of our most popular retreat offerings, the weekend retreat (sesshin) is held over 4 days, commencing on Thursday evening and ending Sunday early afternoon. Sesshin offers intensive study of the self. You are welcome to attend sesshin for shorter periods if you cannot attend all the days. Sesshin is held at Lourdes college in Sylvania, OH.
|
|
Zen Master Hongzhi Zhenjue (1091-1157) on “Positive and Appropriate Activity”
“Expansive and inherently spiritual, refined and inherently bright, [awakened mind] can permeate universally without grasping the merit of illumination, and can apprehend without being bound by discursive thinking. Emerging from manifestations of existence and non existence, surpassing the emotions of deliberation and discussion, merely interact positively and appropriately without dependence on others. All Buddhas, all ancestors, all leaves and all flowers relate in this manner. When responding they do not grasp at forms, where illuminating they do not attach to conditions. Then they can stay wide open and unhampered. Only this family wind [intimate awareness] appears complete everywhere. Let yourself accept it.”
(from Cultivating the Empty Field: The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi. Boston: Tuttle Publishing, 2000. p.53)
|
Find us on Facebook |
|
|
Deepen your practice with TZC!
August events (Please note: evening practice begins at 7:15 p.m.)
4: Evening Zazen practice at the zendo
11: Evening Zazen practice at the zendo
18: Evening Zazen practice at the zendo
25: Evening Zazen practice at the zendo
26: Sesshin begins at Lourdes College (6:30 p.m.)
29: Sesshin ends (noon)
To attend a TZC Sesshin, please fill out the application form, available here. For more information about sesshin, see the box at bottom left, or check out our website!
|
University of Toledo Zen Buddhist Fellowship
There has been progress in setting up a formal Zen Buddhist student group at the University of Toledo. The group intends to make the practice of Zen Buddhism available to the members of the UT community and to help the members participate in TZC activities. We will begin with a special presentation by Rev. Rinsen in the Fall – look for updates in the next newsletter!
Special thanks to Fellowship President Sharri Jo Merricle and Serctary Bradley Levine for their intensive efforts with this important project!
|
| Welcome new sangha members!
Congratulations to our new members Debbie Goldberg, Jim Grant, Christian Meade and Brad Self, all of whom were formally ‘recognized’ by the TZC sangha at the April 2010 Sesshin. |
| United Christian Fellowship makes a significant donation to TZC
Bill Thompson of the United Christiian Fellowship in Bowling Green has donated liturgical furniture–an altar, pews, a desk and chairs, among other things–to TZC. After decades at their Thurstin Avenue, BG location, UCF recently sold their building to BGSU. The resulting move left UCF with far more furniture than it has room to accomodate.
As a Lutheran pastor with 40-years of experience in progressive outreach and pastoral care, Bill has profound respect for the contemplative practices of both Christian and Buddhist traditions. He wanted the liturgical furniture to go to a good home, one where he knew the items would continue to be used for the purpose for which they were designed. The TZC sangha was delighted to be the recipient of Bill and UCF’s generous gift.
Thank you Bill, from everyone here at TZC.
|
Featured Reading
We have a new book discussion
going on at the Toledo Zen Center
online forum!
Please join in the conversation
at www.ToledoZenCenter.org in
the Forum link at the top of the
page. The book discussion is
listed under the forum
Topic “Sangha Discussion.”
|
| Coming soon! Sunday services and Dharma school
Watch this space (or check the website) for exciting new developments relating to our Sunday services and associated Dharma school. |
A Look Ahead to the the Zen Arts Series, Fall 2010
 We have a wonderful Zen Arts Series planned for this year. We hope you can join us! Our first event takes place the weekend of September 10-12 with Rafe Martin, author and storyteller.
Rafe Martin is an internationally known storyteller and award-winning author whose work has been featured in Time, Newsweek and USA Today. Rafe has appeared in thousands of schools, libraries, festivals, and conferences in nearly every state-including Alaska and Hawaii-and as far away as Japan. He is a recipient of the prestigious Empire State Award, for the body of his work, and is also a fully ordained lay Zen practitioner and dharma teacher.
We have a lively weekend planned with Rafe. On Friday, Rafe will present an evening of wisdom tales, on Saturday, lead a three-hour storytelling workshop, and give a Dharma Talk on Sunday.
Watch this space,or check online, for updates.
|
|
|
|
Art of Mindful Living
Make Yourself Free
OceanFloor Mala
7 Comments
July 30th, 2010 at 1:30 pm
Awesome information !! perhaps You will check out the sessien ?
Thanks for posting this !!
December 16th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
Good thought. Keep it up.
December 25th, 2010 at 9:45 pm
Howdy, just stopping by to show some [holiday|seasonal|Christmas|Kwanza|winter} cheer! I posetively understand how hard it is scripting all this information! Have a GREAT NEW YEAR!
Thanks!
January 9th, 2011 at 11:41 am
Nice thought!
Thanks
January 14th, 2011 at 4:58 pm
Good article!
Keep it up
January 15th, 2011 at 4:39 pm
Thanx everyone! & thanx for checking out this site* Endless Bows to you & all beings*
~Fu
December 29th, 2011 at 9:42 pm
ทำงานดี! ให้มันขึ้น