Week of Feb 12th
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Way Seeking Mind Talk: Jake Van Akkeren Way Seeking Mind Talk: Jake Van Akkeren
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Mon, Feb 12, 2024There will be a student talk in the online zendo right after a shorter period of zazen:
7:30 am: zazen
8:00 am: way-seeking mind talkWhat is a "way-seeking mind" talk? See below.
Way-Seeking Mind at Berkeley Zen Center
“Way-Seeking Mind” talks by practitioners at Berkeley Zen Center have been a regular event on Monday mornings for more than thirty years. Each of us came to Zen practice as a seeker, with a spirit of inquiry. Each of us arrives at BZC from our own diverse backgrounds—social, familial, educational, religious, and so on. The idea of our way-seeking mind talks is for students to share how it is that they came to practice. Each person tells his or her own story in a unique way that often blends autobiography, spiritual biography, and the practice questions that each of us is engaged with.
The talks are by invitation, and last about twenty-five minutes, including time for presentation and short question & answer period. For newer students, this is a chance to meet and hear those we are sitting with. Those invited to talk have been sitting steadily at BZC; for them it is an opportunity to tell their story and be seen and heard. One of the teachers or senior students is available for advice in shaping one's talk, should that be useful.
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Drop-in Sitting and Study Drop-in Sitting and Study
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Wed, Feb 14, 2024The Wednesday Drop-in group is a weekly event, now in person, that goes from 7:10 to 9:00 PM. It includes a 30-minute period of Zazen meditation and a brief service in the zendo, followed by tea and refreshments and an hour of reading and discussion in the Community Room. The group particularly welcomes newcomers to Zen Buddhist practice and/or new to Berkeley Zen Center. It also provides an opportunity for practitioners to sit and study together on an ongoing basis. We meet every Wednesday except for the five-day Spring Practice Period sesshin(retreat) in June, the annual seven-day Buddha’s Enlightenment sesshin in December and during the two-week interim period during the December holidays. We also maintain a google group to share reading materials we are studying, announce other BZC events and issues related to logistics. The groups is facilitated by a BZC Priest, Ikushin Gerry Oliva. Gerry can be contacted at gryoliva@gmail.com for further information.
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One-day Sesshin One-day Sesshin
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Sat, Feb 17, 2024A one-day sesshin on Saturday, February
17, 6:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
This sessin will be led by Gerry Oliva. Breakfast and lunch
will served oryoki style in the zendo. The
requested donation is $35. Look to sign up on
the website beginning three weeks ahead of
time, as space may be limited. If you have any
questions, please contact sesshin co-director
Mark Copithorne (copithorne@hotmail.com).Sign up here: https://forms.gle/GiCPHDdcxTYQdAtx9
Dharma Talk: Gerry Oliva Dharma Talk: Gerry Oliva
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Sat, Feb 17, 2024Saturday Morning Schedule
To be announced
Buddha’s Parinirvana Ceremony Buddha’s Parinirvana Ceremony
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Sat, Feb 17, 2024According to the Mahaparinibbana Sutta of the
Pali canon, at the age of 80 the Buddha
announced that he would soon reach Parinirvana, or the final deathless state, and abandon his earthly body. After this, he ate his
last meal, fell ill, and died.Each year we celebrate Buddha’s transition
with a ceremony where we all can make
offerings and chant in honor of this occasion.
This year the ceremony will take place
Saturday, February 17, at 5:00 p.m., as the
closing of our sesshin on that day.