Category Archives: Old News

Beginners’ Sesshin

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On Sunday, January 31st, BZC will offer our annual Beginners’ sitting from 8:30 am until 4:30 pm. BZC priests Gerry Oliva and Judy Fleischman will offer instruction in the basic forms of our practice—zazen, kinhin, service—while maintaining our ground in meditation throughout the day. There will be a lecture on zazen and plenty of time for discussion. This is a good opportunity to ask questions about our practice.

Participants should bring a bag lunch, which we will eat informally in silence at midday. Newer people are particularly encouraged to take part, but we welcome longtime students who can enjoy a day of sitting and model the richness of our practice. The cost will be $15 for the day. Please see the zendo bulletin board for a sign-up sheet and further information. Contact Gerry Oliva at sesshindirectorBZC@gmail.com or (510) 652-7217 with any questions.

First Sesshin of 2016

Taking the time to sit still after all the holiday and year-end activity is a great way to begin the New Year. The first sesshin of 2016, led by Sojun Mel Weitsman, will take place on Saturday, January 16, from 5:00 am to 9:00 pm. We encourage old and new sangha members to participate. 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. Please check the patio bulletin for the sesshin sign-up sheet, the sesshin information forms and further information.

The sesshin fee is $35 (a discounted fee is possible; please speak to the director). Place checks marked “January 16th sesshin” in the slot in the laundry room door or mail to BZC Office Manager at 1931 Russell St., Berkeley 94703.

The deadline for signing up and payment is Wednesday morning, January 13 after zazen. If you have questions, call the sesshin director, Gary Artim, at (510) 676-9756 or email at gartim@gmail.com.

Buddhist Perspectives on the Climate Emergency

The earliest story of Buddha’s awakening has him calling on the Earth itself to serve as his witness. Today, as temperatures rise, drought rages, and coastal areas flood, we need more than ever to be witness the planet we live upon. The emerging climate crisis touches everyone.

On Thursday evenings in February, Hozan Alan Senauki will lead a class and discussion about Buddhist perspectives on climate change, drawing from traditional Buddhist texts, analysis by Bhikkhu Bodhi, and the ground breaking reflections of Pope Francis’s recent encyclical Laudato Si.

Class session will be on February 4, 11, 18, and 25 from 7:15 pm to 8:45 pm in the community room.  The class charge is $40/series. No one is turned away for lack of funds. Materials will be available in advance of the class.

Sojun’s Winter Koan Class

Sojun will present a koan class series in January and March. Taking off from our recent Aspects practice period, he’ll select cases from our Chinese Ch’an ancestors and the three main koan collections: the Blue Cliff Record, Book of Serenity, and Mumonkan (Gateless Gate). Across these collections he’ll focus on multiple koans all relating to a particular teacher, and cover a limited number of teachers in this fashion as time permits. So not only do we get to take on the meaning of the case, but we’ll also get a feel for the character and style of the teacher its centered on.
The series will cover six Monday evening dates from over the two months. All classes begin at 7:15 pm and end at 8:45 pm.  These will be the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Mondays of the month. 1/11, 1/18, 1/25, 3/14, 3/21, 3/28. This is the first time he has taught a Monday evening class. The sign up will be posted on the patio board after Rohatsu or you send an email to Ron at rnestor1@yahoo.com. Cost is $60/series, but if you want to attend for just one month @ $30, that’s okay. This will not be a drop in class and as always discounts are available by talking to Ron.

Special Announcement: Rohatsu Sesshin Information

This year’s Rohatsu sesshin, led by Sojun Mel Weitsman, begins on November 29 and ends on December 5. Each day begins at 5:00 am and ends at 9:00 pm, with the exception of the final day, which ends at 5:00 pm.

Times open to non-sesshin participants are:
  • Sunday
    • 10:15 am  Lecture
  • Monday – Friday
    • 5:50 am zazen
    • 10:15 am lecture
    • 5:40 pm zazen
  • Saturday
    • 5:50am zazen
    • 8:45am zazen instruction
    • 9:30am zazen
    • 10:15 am lecture

Everyone is also invited to attend these ceremonies:

  • Monday, November 30: Suzuki Roshi Annual Memorial at 7:40 pm (not 8:20 pm)
  • Saturday, December 5: Buddha’s Enlightenment Ceremony immediately after lecture
Please note that the following activities will not occur this week:
  •  Wednesday night drop-in group will not meet on December 2.
  • Family practice will not occur on December 5.

Rohatsu Sesshin

The following periods, lectures, and ceremonies during Rohatsu are open to all:

Sunday, November 29

  • 5:50am zazen
  • 10:15am lecture

Monday  – Friday, November 30  – December 4

  • 5:50am zazen
  • 10:15am lecture
  • 5:40pm zazen
  • 7:40pm Annual Suzuki Roshi Memorial Ceremony (Monday, November 30 only)

Saturday, December 5

  • 5:50am zazen
  • 8:45am zazen instruction
  • 9:30am zazen
  • 10:15am lecture, followed by Buddha’s Enlightenment Ceremony

New Year’s Eve Sitting and Celebration

Join us on Thursday evening, December 31 for the chance to ring in the New Year with the quiet and reflection of zazen, punctuated by 108 soundings of the bell to mark the last 108 minutes of 2015 and a bonfire after midnight. Everyone is welcome to attend any portion of the program, entering the zendo during kinhin or the beginning of a period of zazen.     The schedule is:

  • 8:00 pm Zazen
  • 8:35 Kinhin
  • 8:45 Zazen
  • 9:20 Kinhin
  • 9:30 Zazen
  • 10:05 Tea
  • 10:13 108 bells begin
  • 10:35 Kinhin
  • 10:45 Zazen
  • 11:20 Kinhin
  • 11:40 Zazen
  • 12:10 Slow Heart Sutra and sitting.

A celebration and potluck will follow in the community room. Watch the bulletin board for details and the sign-up sheets for providing food and help with clean up. If you have any questions, contact Sue Oehser at soehser@earthlink.net or (510) 339-0243.

Close Aspects of Practice Sitting

Aspects of Practice 2015 will close with sesshin on Saturday, November 14, led by Ryushin Andrea Thach. Everyone is encouraged to attend, whether signed up for Aspects or not. This will be a Saturday sesshin schedule—5:00 am to 9:00 pm. There will be the option of a lighter schedule—8:30 am to 5:40 pm—for students with significant physical limitations only. The signup will have a check box for those asking for this shorter schedule. The Aspects of Practice closing ceremony will be at 8:40pm. Questions about sesshin or the schedule should be sent to the Director, Gary Artim  (Sho Toku) gartim@gmail.com.

Rohatsu Sesshin

This year’s Rohatsu sesshin, led by Sojun Mel Weitsman, begins on November 29 and ends on December 5. Each day begins at 5:00 am and ends at 9:00 pm, with the exception of the final day, which ends at 5:00 pm. All are encouraged to participate for as many days as possible, but participants are asked to sit for a minimum of three consecutive full days.

The sesshin fee is $35 daily, paid in advance. (Anyone unable to pay the full amount may request a reduced fee from the sesshin director). Payment must be received by the sign-up deadline or no seat will be reserved for you. Please leave checks marked “Rohatsu” in the courtyard laundry room door slot or mail it to the BZC Office Manager at 1929 Russell St., Berkeley 94703. The sign-up sheet will be posted on the patio bulletin board by November 1 and sesshin information forms (with other important sesshin information) are on the shelf below. Please put completed forms in the sesshin director’s mail slot. The sign-up deadline is Wednesday, November 25 at 7:00 am.

We will be eating all of our meals oryoki style in the zendo. If you are unfamiliar with oryoki please request training which is offered every Saturday at 6:40 am. You may also contact oryoki instructor, Ellen Webb at elweb@sbcglobal.net to schedule an oryoki training session at a different time. If you wish to stay overnight at BZC during sesshin, please contact the shika, Tamar at bzcshika@gmail.com.

If you have questions about sesshin, please contact the sesshin director, Gerry Oliva, at (415) 290-6015 or sesshindirectorbzc@gmail.com.

Finally, as Rohatsu commemorates the enlightenment of Shakyamuni Buddha, everyone is invited to attend Buddha’s Enlightenment Ceremony on Saturday, December 5, at 11:10 am, after lecture. In addition, everyone is invited to the Suzuki Roshi Annual Memorial Ceremony on Monday, November 30 at 8:20 pm.

Join Us for Our Annual Party and Fundraiser

The Berkeley Zen Center Development Committee invites you, your friends and your family to our annual fundraiser taking place Saturday September 26th from 11:15-1:15.  The fundraiser will have a photo booth (complete with costumes), sangha offerings ranging from a walk with Sojun to an improv and mime acting class, food, music and raffle prizes.   Raffle prizes include a $150 gift certificate to REI and a $150 gift certificate to Chez Panisse, as well as several other items.   All proceeds raised at the fundraiser will benefit our $25,000 building fund goal.

We are looking for about 8 volunteers to support us with set-up, food monitoring and clean-up. Please email me at kelseybrynne@gmail.com if you’re able to help in any of those areas

Here are a few ways you can help!

  1. Attend the party on September 26th from 11:15-1:15
  • Enjoy free food, raffle prizes, a photobooth and sangha!
  1. Support raffle ticket sales
  • Purchase raffle tickets for yourself
  • Purchase raffle tickets as a gift for your friends
  1. Volunteer to support the event
  • Look for sign-ups on the bulletin board to help set-up, take-down and run the event
  1. Make a donation and designate it to The Building Fund
  • Every bit of support helps us reach our goal!

We hope to see many of you there!