|
Greetings!
We are living through times of enormous change and
upheaval. How do we practice with chaos and
uncertainty? Fear and anxiety arise, at the prospect of
losing homes, jobs and money. But change is also a time
of transformation. It is a time when hard truths can
emerge that we were not willing to face before.
It's easy to blame others at times like this, but perhaps
we should examine our own life styles to see how we
have contributed to the problem. We often think that if
something is good, we should have more of it. But in
Zen, less is more. It's hard to be simple. In Zen
gardens a few carefully placed rocks rest in a sea of
sand. To be simple means we are able to discern and
choose what is important.
So we should be thankful for having a Zen practice which
can help us appreciate the small things in life. It can also
help us reside in the midst of uncertainty and change. In
our traditions, koans often require that we learn to be
more at ease with not knowing and uncertainty.
I encourage each of you to renew your zazen practice,
and to connect with your own aspiration to live your
life for the sake of liberating all beings. Your authentic
self has the resources and richness to bear witness
and work with any challenge or difficulty that may arise
in your life.
May all beings be safe, happy and free from fear.
In gassho, with much respect
Joshin Althouse
| in this issue |
 |
|
Garden Update
Zen Practice 1: Entering the Way, Oct. 5, 8-9 am
Sangha Outing in Pilsen, Oct. 5 - noon to 4 pm
Writer's Workshop, Sat. Oct. 4
Qigong Class, Tuesdays, 6-7 pm
Children's Dharma Class, Sunday, Oct. 12th
Hula Classes in Chicago
Hula Classes in New York
Stewardship Circle, Sunday, Oct. 26
Tara Dance Circle, Oct. 12, 1-3 pm
Django Jam, Friday, Oct 10
Full Moon Fusatsu Ceremony, Oct. 14th; 7:30-9:00 pm
Bodhisattva Crew, Sat. Oct. 4th at Rich and Vicki's home
Tsultrim Allione Study Group, Oct. 17, 7:30-9:00 pm
|
| Zen Practice 1: Entering the Way, Oct. 5, 8-9 am |
|
|
A class on beginning meditation will be taught on
Sunday, Oct. 5th from 8:00 to 9:00 am. The class offers
basic instruction on how to sit meditation which includes
posture, working with the breath and working with the
mind.
Register online or call the office at 708.445.1651.
Cost is $25
|
| Sangha Outing in Pilsen, Oct. 5 - noon to 4 pm |
|
|
Immediately following our Sunday program on Oct. 5,
at
around 11:30 am, we will leave for an outing in Pilsen.
Our friends, Enmei and Amado live in Pilsen and will
be our hosts for the afternoon. We will begin with an
authentic Mexican meal and then visit the Mexican
Museum.
Everyone is welcome to join us. If you would like to come,
please call our office at 708.445.1651 or email us at
info@zencommunity.org, so we know how many to
expect.
|
| Writer's Workshop, Sat. Oct. 4 |
|
|
Have you ever wanted to write - or do you write - but
you've never given yourself enough time? Join us for two
hours of writing and sharing from 10 am to 12 noon on
Saturday, Sept. 6th at the Zen Community of Oak Park.
Sharon Myoku Ankrum, will lead the workshop. Myoku
holds two degrees in literature and an MFA in creative
writing. She has published poems in journals like The
New York Quarterly and has run writing workshops for
teachers through the New Jersey Writing Project in
Texas.
Dana offerings are appreciated.
|
| Qigong Class, Tuesdays, 6-7 pm |
|
|
Paul Mokuin Levy will lead a Qigong class each
Tuesday from 6:00 to 7:00 pm. Qigong is an excellent
complement to zazen. It emphasizes conserving and
growing the vital force (Qi), thus enhancing health,
creativity, mental clarity, emotional and mental stability
and increasing longevity.
Mokuin has practiced several types of Qigong over the
years including Golden Bell, ChiLe'l and Falun Gong. He
has lead groups for 12 years.
Everyone is welcome and it is ok to come to the class
late. The cost of the class is $15.
|
| Children's Dharma Class, Sunday, Oct. 12th |
|
|
The Children's Dharma Class will take place on Sunday,
Oct. 12th from 9:00 am to 10:45 am. The class will be
taught by Rev. June
Ryushin Tanoue and Suzanne Fairfax.
The class includes stories, some simple meditation and
mindfulness exercises, singing, hula and more. The class
is open to all ages.
Register online or call the office at 708.445.1651
Cost is $15/child.
|
| Hula Classes in Chicago |
|
|
New Beginners Hula: Thursday 6:00-7:00 pm; includes
basic footwork and hand movements - hula auana.
Adults and children are welcome. $15/class.
Intermediate Hula: Wednesday: 6:30-7:30 pm; Includes
basic footwork and hands - hula auana. Adults with at
least a year's dance experience or permission of Kumu.
$15/class.
Come dressed comfortably. If you are interested or have
questions, call
Kumu June at 708.445.1651. You can also
email her
at kaili@zencommunity.org.
|
| Hula Classes in New York |
|
|
Location for all hula classes in New York is the Dance
Theatre Workshop at 219 W. 19th St. (between 7th and
8th Ave.)
Saturday, Oct. 11, Auana class: 12 noon to 3 pm
Saturday, Oct. 11, Kahiko class: 3 pm to 6 pm
Sunday, Oct. 12th, Beginning Kahiko: 12 noon to 3 pm
Caren Loebel Fried wrote some reflections on the Hula
Retreat in New
Jersey which can be found on the Dharma Talks section
of our web site.
|
| Stewardship Circle, Sunday, Oct. 26 |
|
|
Our shared stewardship circle continues. We will
continue to discuss the proposed establishment of the
Lotus Circle and the 3 month Ango training period in the
Spring of 2009.
Everyone is welcome to join this circle, which will be a
combination of council and old-fashioned meeting to
present and discuss information that concerns the
sangha community.
|
| Tara Dance Circle, Oct. 12, 1-3 pm |
|
|
The 21 Praises of Tara is an ancient prayer that
celebrates 21 aspects of Tara (Kwan Yin, Kannon), the
Tibetan Buddhist emanation of divine compassion in
feminine form. Through the medium of sacred dance
this prayer becomes a meditation in movement,
gracefully blending mantra and mudra. The
movements are simple and one does not need to be
a trained dancer to master them, nor does one need to
be a Buddhist to participate. Its practice teaches
mindfulness in motion and can also be a joyful and
healthy addition to a daily devotional routine.
This will be the first Tara Dance circle in Illinois. The
circle is open to practitioners from all the various
wisdom traditions who are drawn to practice the
Praises of Tara and their chosen
tradition and its creative expression through the
sacred arts.
Tara Dance is the core practice of Tara Dhatu,
www.taradhatu.org, an international nonprofit
organization dedicated to empowering and uplifting
humanity through the sacred arts. The organization
was formed by Prema Desara, the dancer's master, at
the request of her teacher, His Eminence Tai Situ
Rinpoche, to protect the dance's integrity as a Vehicle
for Liberation.
|
| Django Jam, Friday, Oct 10 |
|
|
Our Django Jam continues into the summer. This is an
opportunity to explore this unique genre of jazz music
that Django Reinhardt created. Everyone is welcome. All
instruments are welcome.
The jam begins at 7:00 pm.
|
| Full Moon Fusatsu Ceremony, Oct. 14th; 7:30-9:00 pm |
|
|
We will hold our first Fusatsu Full Moon Ceremony on
Tuesday, Oct. 14th, instead of our normal zazen. We
will do one period of zazen, and then do the Fusatsu
ceremony where we renew our vows. The Atonement
ceremony is open to everyone as an opportunity to
bring the precepts alive in our everyday experience
and strengthen our commitment to practice.
Following the ceremony, Joshin Sensei will lead a
discussion with the sangha on some aspect of the
precepts and tea will be served formally in the zendo.
|
| Bodhisattva Crew, Sat. Oct. 4th at Rich and Vicki's home |
|
|
We're calling on the Bodhisattva Crew for action at Vicki
and Rich's home on Saturday, Oct. 4th. We will meet at
the Empty Sound Temple at noon to carpool to Rich and
Vicki's.
The plan is to remove wallpaper and wash and paint
some doors. Vicki will provide us with lunch (pizzas)
when we get there and we'll work for a few hours after
that.
Everyone is invite to participate, as this is a great
opportunity for us to help members of our community. If
you have a car and would like to come, and can transport
others, please let us know by calling our office at
708.445.1651.
|
| Tsultrim Allione Study Group, Oct. 17, 7:30-9:00 pm |
|
|
A study group will meet to listen to Tsultrim Allione once
a month for five months. It begins on Friday night, Oct. 17
from 7:30 to 9:00 pm.
The study group will be facilitated by Marianne Solome. If
you have questions about this group, please contact her
at taradhatu@yahoo.com
A dana contribution is requested.
|
| Support the Zen Community of Oak Park |
|
|
We deeply appreciate your continued support of our
Empty Sound Temple. Please consider making a tax-
deductible contribution to our Gutei's One-Finger
Building fund today. You may do this online or by mail.
Online contributions may be done through PayPal. If
mailing a check, please make it out to the "Zen
Community of Oak Park" and send to 163 N. Humphrey
Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302.
The Zen Community of Oak Park is a 501 (c)(3)
non-profit organization so your donation is fully tax
deductible
$
USD
Learn More
|
|
|
Garden Update |
|
|
|
As you can see from this photo, the Japanese
contemplative garden is coming to fruition. With much
hard work from Joshin Sensei, sangha, hula students,
Jesus and friends, the garden has come a long way
towards a beautiful space that will accommodate many
future dharma events.
The simplicity and spaciousness of this garden reflect
the Zen aesthetic which comes from our tradition and
practice. Things are perfect and complete as
they are, and we can often realize this more clearly
when things are taken away and made simple.
This Japanese garden can also connect us to the
sacredness of our natural world and to our own true
nature. In the opening words to the "Mountains and
Rivers Sutra", Dogen expresses this as follows:
"The mountains and waters of
the immediate present are the manifestation of the
path of Buddhas".
The last big architectural feature to complete the
garden will be the construction of a large pond. So far
we have raised $33,000 in our Gutei's One Finger
Building Fund. To complete the pond, we will need
to raise another $30,000. With
your generous support, I am confident we will bring
this to completion. As you can already see, this
garden is a sacred and contemplative space that will
be restorative and healing to all who enter.
more:
|
|
