ANNUAL EVENT
August 11-18 - Great Sky Sesshin
This Soto Zen style sesshin draws together teachers and practitioners for seven days of deepening their understanding of the dharma under the extraordinary great sky of Hokyoji.
EVENTS
February 18 and 19 - Two-Day Sitting: Nehan
February 15 is the day we traditionally honor the Buddha's passing into Nirvana. All things, including ourselves, are impermanent. What can death teach us about our life and practice?
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February 22 - Open Sitting: President's Day
8 am - 5 pm
There will be no schedule, no bells, no services and no meals provided--just an open door to the zendo. If you've got the day off and want to sit for awhile, please arrive when you please and leave when you're ready.
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March 4 - Work Day
12 pm - 4 pm
After a pot luck lunch, we'll set to work on cleaning, maintenance and administrative projects around the building.
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March 9 - Buddha and the Box Office: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring
7:15 pm
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March 10 - Annual Membership Meeting
9:30 am
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March 14 - Firethroat Press event at Woodland Pattern Book Center
7:00 pm
Join us for an evening with Firethroat Press founders Dale and Barbara Verkuilen. The new press, based in Madison, focuses on dharma studies and has already released several titles related to Dogen, as well as an illustrated Zen fable. There will be a reading, as well as a chance to ask questions and participate in discussion.
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March 17 and 18 - Two-day Sitting for O-higan
O-higan is a time of concentration on the six virtuous practices (paramitas) of almsgiving, observing the precepts, forbearance, diligence, zazen and wisdom. We'll spend these two days considering how these paramitas are at work in our lives.
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March 26 - Dinner at Serenity Inn
5:45 pm - 7 pm
Bodhisattvas from MZC will prepare and offer dinner at Serenity Inn, a comprehensive, seven month transitional living program for homeless men who choose recovery from drug and/or alcohol addictions. This highly-structured program addresses the physical, social, emotional, financial, and spiritual needs of its residents. As part of this program, community organizations bring dinner and eat with the men, talking together and sharing experiences. On the Sunday before our visit, the dharma talk will focus on issues of addiction and will help prepare us to practice at Serenity Inn. For more information, or to sign up to participate, please contact MZC's president, Peter Johnson, at panddjohnson@sbcglobal.net.
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April 1 - Work Day
12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
After a pot luck lunch, we'll set to work on cleaning, maintenance and administrative projects around the building.
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April 8 - Buddha's Birthday Celebration
Information coming soon.
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April 13 - Buddha and the Box Office: Kiki's Delivery Service
7:15 pm
A young witch, during her mandatory year of independent life, finds fitting into a new community difficult while she supports herself by running an air courier service.
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April 14 - Tonen's 80th Birthday Open House
10:30 am - Noon
Stop by to wish resident priest emerita Tonen O'Connor well in her 80th year.
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April 21 and 22 - Two-day Sitting
Set aside time to really dig into zazen practice by sitting for an extended time. If you usually sit one 40-minute period, try two. If you usually do two, try half a day. It's a special opportunity to settle and concentrate.
ONGOING EVENTS
Introduction to Zazen
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Sundays at 8:20 am (except during two-day sittings)
Learn the basics of sitting and walking meditation as they are done in the Sôtô Zen tradition. There will also be plenty of opportunity to ask questions about practice and MZC.
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Buddha and the Box Office
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Fridays, 7:15 pm
Join us at MZC to enjoy a variety of movies, including anime classics from Studio Ghibli and live-action films from around the world. After the video, stay for refreshments and an informal discussion of the Buddhist ideas and themes portrayed in the movie.
Note: the 7:15 start time makes it possible to attend the first period of evening zazen prior to the movie.
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Dharma Discussion
Saturdays, 9:30-10:30 am
As we make our way through the book of the moment, participants take turns reading aloud and the group engages in discussion of the ideas and issues that arise. Attendees need not own or have read the book beforehand, and participate as their schedules permit.
Current book: Elegant Failure: A Guide to Zen Koans by Richard Strobe
Zen koans are stories of exchanges between Zen masters and their disciples at the moment of enlightenment or near-enlightenment. The author provides background and personal anecdotes for 22 cases from The Blue Cliff Record and Wu-men-kuan that help to illuminate their meaning without detracting from their paradoxical nature.
Up next: Dream Conversations on Buddhism and Zen by Muso Kokushi
Dream Conversations is a collection of a renowned Japanese master's written replies to questions about the true nature of Zen. In short, simply worded teachings, Muso Kokushi (1275-1351), also known as Muso Soseki, exposes common misconceptions and offers insights designed to lead the reader into the depths of authentic Zen experience.
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Online discussion: Eight Awarenesses of Great Beings
Join our on-line discussion group as we consider Dogen Zenji's Hachidainingaku, or Eight Awakenings of Great Beings, as is relates to current thinking in areas like sociology, economics, science and design. Each week we'll watch a short video presentation (20 minutes or less) from an engaging speaker on the leading edge of one of these areas. Then we'll consider some discussion questions to get the conversation started, with group members sharing their reactions and insights. Complete information