Sep 14 - 20

Summer, week 13

"Usually we practice in order to acquire or gain something, not to let go. We start sitting because we want to become better in some way -- to improve our physical well-being, become more intelligent or more stable, experience samadhi or even enlightenment -- the list is endless. Usually practice is a matter of what we want to gain. But the message that keeps coming back (from the practice itself, as it were) is: "Let go! Let go! Let go!" To which we usually respond, "I don't want to. I want to be taught." But again what the practice keeps saying is, "Let go!" --Bernie Glassman

Saturday Zen. Our next Zen service is Sat Sep 16, 10:00 - 11:45am, in room 24 at Community UU, 468 Rosedale Ave, White Plains, NY. Meredith will lead the dharma discussion.

Chants. See: Boundless Way Zen Sutra Book, and
BoWZ Westchester Chant Schedule
For Wed Aug 23 - Wed Sep 20, the chants are:

• Song of the Jeweled Mirror Samadhi, p. 18
• Shinjin Gakudo, p. 42

Reading this week: Bernie Glassman, Infinite Circle, Chapter 3 "Emptiness," pp. 26-35. Next up: starting Sat Dec 16, our book will be, Yamada Koun, Zen: The Authentic Gate.

Case this week: Gateless Gate #25, Book of Serenity #90, "Yangshan's Dream Sermon": CLICK HERE.

Events at Boundless Way Temple, 1030 Pleasant St, Worcester, MA:

• Buddhism 101, is a four-part series. You need not have attended earlier parts to attend any of the dates. The three remaining dates are Sat Oct 14, Sat Nov 11, and Sat Dec 2. Information: HERE. Registration: HERE. For carpooling from White Plains, email to Brain LaVoie: brianlavoie43 -at- gmail -dot- com
• Practice and Study Retreat. Fri Nov 3, 19:00, to Sun Nov 5, 13:00. Information: HERE. Registration: HERE