All posts by BZC News

Solar Update

After the solar panels were installed on March 15th, the solar project stalled for five weeks. Still, we are back on track now and the array should be live after a couple of inspections over the next month or two.

Anyone curious about the possibility of solar panels for their own roof can contact Mark Copithorne at copithorne@hotmail.com. Successful referrals return $250 to BZC.

Nominations for the BZC Board

Every year the Sangha elects three of six members-at-large to terms of two years to the BZC Board.  There is a two-term limit.  Elections take place in October and the new term starts in January.  The board will present its three nominees at the all-sangha membership meeting on September 13th, and other nominations can be made at that time from the floor by sangha members.

The board has already selected two of its nominees: Mark Copithorne and Stan Dewey, both of whom are currently serving their first term and have agreed to run for second terms.  Troy DuFrene is retiring from the board at the end of his term.  The board is extremely grateful for his service; he was crucial in getting the electronic voting for the board up and running and in redesigning and maintaining the BZC website.

The board will be considering whom to nominate to fill the third member-at-large position and would like to receive suggestions from BZC members.  Among the skills needed are: oral and written communication, organization, information technology, money management, fundraising, engineering, building maintenance and non-profit law. Board members attend monthly meetings and an all-day retreat in January, and serve on at

least one working board committee: finance, buildings, development, electronic communication, and nomination/elections. If you have a suggested candidate or are yourself interested in being nominated, please contact the Broad Recruitment and Elections Committee chair, Stan Dewey at standewey@comcast.net.

Work Day 2016 (Samu)

Wikipedia says that:

Samu refers to physical work that is done with mindfulness as a simple, practical practice…Samu is a way to bring mindfulness into everyday life as well as to get things done. Samu is popular in Zen monasteries, particularly as a means of maintaining the monastery.

Right on, Wikipedia!

Twice a year, sangha members are invited to participate in Berkeley Zen Center’s work day.  The first one of the year took place on Sunday, March 27th.

Our work leader, Paul Ridgway, developed a list of necessary projects to be done around the temple, and assigned each person to a crew – garden, shop/carpentry, kitchen. One shop crew sanded and put a coat of protective resin on the front zendo steps, the Abbot’s entrance, and the ramp.  The garden crew dug behind the zendo and along the fence leading to and away from the dokusan hut, laying mesh under the mulch to encourage the growth of some seeds, and discourage the growth of others.  Our kitchen crew started early and stayed late to prepare coffee!, breakfast, picnic lunch, coffee!, and beverages and snacks throughout the day.

One can sign up for the morning, afternoon, or the whole day which begins and ends with a 20-30 minute period of zazen.

Please join us for our next work day, scheduled for Sunday, September 18th. Bring your samu mind.

 

Half-Day Sitting

Half-day sittings include five periods of zazen, kinhin (walking meditation) and an informal tea. Sojun Roshi asks participants to commit to the entire four-hour schedule. A $10 donation is requested. If you have questions or if you cannot sign up on the bulletin board, contact the director Judy Fleischman hdaybzc@gmail.com.

Five-Day Sesshin Concludes 2016 Spring Practice Period

BZC will be in sesshin June 8-12. People not in sesshin are welcome to join us for zazen at these times:

  • Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 5:40am and 5:40pm
  • Saturday at 5:50 and 9:40am

Please note that there will be no noon zazen on June 8 or 9, nor will the Wednesday evening drop-in group meet on June 8.

Our spring practice period will conclude with a five-day sesshin from Wednesday, June 8th to Sunday, June 12th. The first four days’ schedule is from 5:00 am until 9:00 pm, while the final day’s schedule is from 5:00 am until 3:10 pm, followed at 3:30 by the shuso hossen, dharma dialogue with the shuso. Please sign up on the patio bulletin board for a minimum of three days; we encourage you to make two of those days consecutive. If you want to request an alternative schedule, please speak to the sesshin director. Sign-ups close on Saturday, June 4th, at 12:00 noon.

The Shuso Hossen ceremony will begin promptly at 3:30pm, and will be followed by a reception. All practice period and sesshin participants will be supporting the shuso and our practice by coming with a question.

If this is your first sesshin at BZC, it is strongly recommended that you first participate in a full Saturday program, have oryoki instruction, and that you speak with the sesshin director. The fee is $35 per day, advance payment requested. Leave checks marked “June sesshin” in the laundry room door donation slot. If you have questions, contact the sesshin director Gary Artim gartim@gmail.com or (510) 676-9756.

Trust in Mind

Sojun’s class subject for the spring practice period will be the Hsin Hsin Ming (Trust in Mind). The Hsin Hsin Ming is a fundamental classic of Zen literature, concerning the interpenetration of duality and non-duality, related to our clinging to preferences and views. The Hsin Hsin Ming or Xinxin Ming is by the third Chinese Zen ancestor, Seng-ts’an who lived in the sixth century.
    Sojun has taken previous English translations from the Chinese and made edits of his own for clarity. We’ll use Sojun’s edited version for our text. Copies are now on the BZC patio shelf. If you’re interested in other translations and a cultural/historical background to the text as well as commentary, one source is Trust in Mind by Mu Soeng. In the back section are multiple translated versions arranged in a compact and easy to compare format. Its available online used for less than $10.
Class times are Thursday evenings 7:15 pm – 8:45 pm. Dates are May 5, 12, 19, 26, and June 2.
The sign up for class is on the patio bulletin board. Fee for the series is $50, payable preferably by check at class. Discounts are possible by speaking with class coordinator Ron Nestor at class. Questions can be sent to Ron at rnestor1@ahoo.com.

One-Day Sesshin | Opening of Spring Practice Period

Our annual spring practice period will begin  with a one-day sesshin on Saturday, from April 30, 5:00 am until 9:00 pm. All are welcome to attend. If this is your first sesshin at BZC, it is strongly recommended that you first participate in a full Saturday program and that you speak with the sesshin director. The fee is $35 and is due by April 27th. All details are on the sesshin sign-up sheet.

Our practice period entering ceremony will take place that day at 4:00 pm. All practice period participants should make it a priority to attend the entering ceremony and support the shuso.

After you’ve signed up for the sesshin, please complete a sesshin information form and place it in the sesshin director’s box. (If you completed one for a prior sesshin, there is no need for another one unless information has changed.) If you have any questions, contact the sesshin director, Ken Powelson, sesshindirectorbzc@gmail.com.

20s / 30s Hills and Streams Backpacking Sesshin

The Berkeley Zen Center 20s and 30s Dharma Group is happy to announce it will be hosting its second annual “Hills and Streams” backpacking sesshin, from Friday, April 22nd through Sunday, April 24th. There is also a mandatory meeting on Thursday, April 21st. The retreat will be held in the steep oak woodlands of Sunol Regional Wilderness, east of Fremont (http://www.ebparks.org/parks/sunol). Sign-up and cancellation deadline is Monday, April 11th. While readings for this sesshin will be announced at the April 19th meeting, last year we studied the Xin Xin Ming and contemplated some verses of Thich Nhat Hanh’s on walking meditation while we were hiking.

This is an intensive meditation retreat which will involve significant hiking and will maintain (to the extent possible) a sesshin atmosphere and practice. This includes long periods of silence, sitting zazen, and shared responsibilities (cooking, cleaning, etc.). If you are new to backpacking or sesshin, please speak with the director, Kelsey. This sesshin is a wonderful way to connect with other young sangha members and experience practice in wilderness. If you or someone you know is interested in attending, please fill out an application at the following link: http://bit.ly/1PBorgw or email Kelsey at kelseybrynne@gmail.com. We hope to see many old and new faces there!

Expanded Noon Zazen Schedule and Bag Lunch Discussion of Practice

Noon zazen returns just in time for spring practice period! Beginning April 4th, we will offer a period of zazen from 12:00 to 12:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Beginners are welcome, but please be prepared to meditate in stillness for thirty minutes. There will also be opportunities discuss Zen practice and share a bag lunch with vice abbot Hozan Alan Senauke immediately following noon zazen on Wednesday, April 13, Thursday, May 12 and Tuesday, June 21. We look forward to this opportunity to practice together at this new time of day.

One-Day Sesshin

Sojun Mel Weitsman will lead a one-day sesshin on Saturday, March 19,  from 5:00 am – 9:00 pm. We encourage old and new sangha members to participate. Please sign up on the patio bulletin board by Wednesday morning, March 16, after zazen. If this is your first sesshin at BZC, we recommend that you first participate in a full Saturday program and also speak with the sesshin director, Gary Artim.

The fee is $35 per day and should be paid in advance (a discounted fee is possible for those in need; please speak to the director). Leave checks marked “March Sesshin” in the mail slot in the courtyard laundry room door or mail to the BZC Office Manager at 1931 Russell St., Berkeley 94703.

If you have any questions, contact the sesshin director, Gary Artim, gartim@gmail.com or (510) 676-9756.

Read more about sesshin in general here.