Zen Ceremonies: The heart of Practice

June 26-28, 2009

Zen Priests Greg Fain and Linda Galijan, senior pracitioners from San Francisco Zen Center and Berkeley Zen Center, return to Houston Zen Center to teach another important ceremony. Friday, June 26 come for dinner at 6:30; potluck, if you wish. Saturday, June 27 the regular Saturday schedule will include a talk by Rev. Greg Fain, followed by training for the monthly Full Moon Bodhisattva Ceremony. This is the traditional reaffirmation of the Bodhisattva precepts — open to everyone.

Sunday June 28, during the Half-Day Sitting, Linda will co-teach the sewing class with Vick Glenn, Houston Zen Center's sewing teacher, allowing a more intensive sewing practice for those preparing to receive the precepts.

A Day at the Beach: 4th Annual Beach Gathering

July 26, 2009

Come as early as 10 am and stay as late as 5 pm. Bring a lunch or a dish to share, your swimsuit, sun block and/or walking clothes. Bring your friends and family!

The address is 22402 Bay Vista, and here are the directions:

Take I-45 South to Galveston
Exit 61st Street/West Beach
Turn right on the seawall
Set odometer to zero
It's 16.4 miles heading west past Pirate's Beach and Jamaica Beach
Turn right at “Isla del Sol” neighborhood which is before Terramar & San Luis Pass (look for the HZC sign)
Travel down Isla del Sol street
Turn left at Bridge Harbor
Road curves right into Bay Vista
The address is 22402 Bay Vista (yellow house, blue roof) beside an empty lot and facing the bay.

Download the map and phone numbers here.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

To receive occasional email flyers for upcoming retreats and special events, send your email address to Announcements@houstonzen.org.

CLASSES

Classes at Houston Zen Center are taught by our Guiding Teacher, Gaelyn Godwin, or by senior members of HZC. There is a modest charge for classes but scholarships are readily available. Bruce McMills will answer any questions about costs and scholarships.

Classes are open to everyone and are generally designed for all levels or practice experience, from beginners to experienced practitioners, unless otherwise specified.

The class list is frequently updated. The current offerings are:

INTRODUCTION TO ZEN MEDITATION

• Taught by Gaelyn Godwin, Sensei
• and Mike Keller
• Jul. 23–Aug. 20
• 5 Thursdays
• 7:00–8:15 pm

For people new to meditation, this class series will provide an introduction to Zen meditation. Each class will include a brief period of meditation, beginning with 10 minutes and working up to 30 minutes at the end of the series. The course is designed to provide a basis of practice and to de-mystify meditation.

Each class will include a presentation on basic Zen philosophy and a discussion of how to practice Zen in daily life, while walking, working, vacationing, shopping — that is, how to practice mindfully anytime, anywhere.

Cost is $60 for the series. Register by phone at HZC, 713-869-1952.

INTRODUCTION TO BASIC BUDDHIST CONCEPTS

• Jul. 21–Aug. 25, 2009
• 6 Tuesdays
• 6:30–8:30 pm
• Taught by Mike Keller, a Senior Zen Practitioner of HZC

This 6 week series is an Intermediate Class designed for those who have taken the Introduction to Zen Meditation series. Anyone who has meditation experience is also welcome to attend.

The class introduces some basic Buddhist concepts, including Dependent Co-Arising and Emptiness, Interdependence, Non-Self, Impermanence, Nirvana, Relative/Absolute Truth, Signlessness, Non-goal-seeking, the Five Aggregates (or Skandas), the Four Noble Truths, and the Eightfold Path.

Each evening will begin with a period of meditation followed by a discussion of the evening's topic.

The text for the class, Thich Nhat Hanh's The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching is available for purchase at the Center.

Cost is $60 for the 6 week series, $25 for members of HZC. Register by phone at HZC, 713-869-1952.