Spring Week 4 & 5

Join the BoWZ-Westchester Sangha via Zoom on Saturday mornings:
(Times: US Eastern)
9:45-10:00 -- Informal conversation
10:00 -- Opening Dedication, Readings, Zazen, Kinhin, Zazen
11:00 -- Sutra Service
11:15 -- Dharma Talk and Conversation
12:00 -- Closing Readings

https://zoom.us/j/2898507899
Audio Only: telephone 646-876-9923 & Enter Meeting ID: 289 850 7899

Passcode: 468468

Sat Apr 18: Practice to be led by Meredith Garmon

Zoom with Boundless Way Zen Temple in Worcester, MA at any of these times:
Mon-Fri, 7-8am
Tue, Thu, Sun, 7-8pm
Zoom link: CLICK HERE

Next Online Weekend Sesshin

Fri Jun 11, 7:00pm through Sun Jun 13, 12:30pm
Online Practice periods include Zazen (seated meditation), kinhin (walking meditation), dharma talk, dharma dialogue, and dokusan (interview with teacher).
Times of Online Practice:
7:00am-8:30am -- Sat, Sun
10:30am-12:30pm -- Sat, Sun
2:30pm-4:30pm -- Sat
7:00pm-8:30pm -- Fri, Sat

For Spring Week 4: Mon Apr 12 - Sun Apr 18

Reading

for Sat Apr 17

• The Saturday Talk will address the readings in the week's Sutra Service: "Shantideva's Way of the Bodhisattva," and "Song of the Jeweled-Mirror Samedi."

Week 4 Raven Tale

• "Affectionate Acceptance"

Week 4 Sutras

Dedication

• For odd-numbered days, begins with Gatha of Atonement 
• For even-numbered days, begins with The Three Refuges 

Opening Verse for Mon Mar 22 - Sun Apr 18 (1st Fourweek)

• Prayer for Practice, p. 3

Sutra Service for Week 4

• Shantideva's Way of the Bodhisattva, p. 14
• Song of the Jeweled-Mirrer Samedi, p. 14

Closing Verse for Mon Mar 22 - Sun Apr 18 (1st Fourweek)

• The Ship of Compassion, p. 39
• The Four Bodhisattva Vows, p. 42

For Spring Week 5: Mon Apr 19 - Sun Apr 25

Reading

for Sat Apr 24

• The Saturday Talk will address the readings in the week's Sutra Service: "The Compassionate Heart of Wisdom," "Harmony of Relative and Absolute," and "Hakuin's Song of Zazen"

Week 5 Raven Tale

• "Anguish"

Week 5 Sutras

Dedication

• For odd-numbered days, begins with Gatha of Atonement 
• For even-numbered days, begins with The Three Refuges 

Opening Verse for Mon Apr 19 - Sun May 16 (2nd Fourweek)

• Invocation of Kanzeon, p. 3

Sutra Service for Week 5

• The Compassionate Heart of Wisdom, p. 16
• Harmony of Relative and Absolute, p. 17
• Hakuin's Song of Zazen, p. 17

Closing Verse for Mon Apr 19 - Sun May 16 (2nd Fourweek)

• Spring Everywhere, p. 39
• Save All the Beings, p. 42

Sutra Book

For printing (double-columned pages):CLICK HERE. (Page references are to this double-column version.)
For reading on your computer screen (single-column pages):CLICK HERE.
Chant Along with these Audio Files: CLICK HERE.

Home Practice

Practicing every day, or nearly every day, is a crucial aspect of the Zen path. Other central aspects include sangha (meeting weekly or so to practice with a group), and sesshin (going on occasional week-end or week-long Zen retreats).

Home practice ideally includes Zazen, study of zen text (or listening to a recording or podcast of a dharma talk), and chanting/reciting some of Zen's central texts.

Recommended:

• Sitting supplies: A zabuton (mat) and either a zafu (round cushion, usually of kapok or buckwheat hulls), or a seiza bench (kneeling bench); or a chair that is your meditation chair
• A dedicated space: A corner of a room that is used only for Zen practice, where your sitting supplies and a small altar reside
• An altar: a small table with a Buddha statue and maybe an incense holder, candle, or sacred items.

There are many ways to structure home practice. Here's one:

• Light a candle, stick of incense, or both, on your altar.
• Standing in front of altar, facing it, make three bows (prostrations or standing bows) to Buddha.
• Recite "Gatha of Atonement" (odd-numbered dates) or "The Three Refuges" (even-numbered dates);
• Recite Dedication and Opening Verse (see Sutra Book)
• Zazen (25 mins)
• Recite the Sutra Service Readings for the week (see Sutra Book)
• Dharma Study time: reading a dharma book or listening to a dharma talk recording (15-30 mins). (Check out "A Quarterly Study Plan" on the Reading/Videos page.)
• Recite Closing Verses (see Sutra Book)

Additional Practice Opportunities

White Plains Zen Center:
Tue evenings: 7:30 PM
https://zoom.us/j/122286388

Hudson River Zen Center:
http://hudsonriverzencenter.org/

Insight Meditation with Nina Nagy
Mon evenings: 6 PM
https://www.awakeabiding.com/