Help!
The Center’s auto mechanic has made clear to us that our 1997 Dodge Caravan, which has survived for almost 200,000 miles and has very serious rust and transmission problems, is not repairable. In addition, The Center’s 1994 Ford pickup truck and 1998 Honda sedan have sufficiently serious structural rust problems (thanks to the heavy winter use of road salt in the Rochester area) that they may not pass their next New York State vehicle inspections. If you have a passenger van, pickup truck, or passenger car in good condition that you’d be willing to donate to the Center or sell at a discounted price (we’ll be sure to give you the proper tax-substantiation letter so that you can claim an income-tax deduction), please contact John Pulleyn at the Center: john@rzc.org or (585)-473-9180, ext. 13. In order to keep expenses as low as possible, we thought we’d check with the Sangha before hitting the local used-car lots.
Center Closed This Weekend
The Center will be closed this weekend, with no formal sitting on Friday evening, May 31, or on Saturday or Sunday, June 1 and 2. We’ll resume on Monday evening, June 3, with the regular evening sitting and dokusan.
Free Movie This Saturday: “A Walk of Wisdom”
This Saturday, May 4th, at 7 PM there will be a free screening of the movie “A Walk of Wisdom” in the 5 Arnold Park library. Sangha member Liza Savage-Katz co-produced the film and will be there to answer questions.
In this intimate and moving portrait, written and directed by Victoria Holt, we take “A Walk of Wisdom” with Mae Chee Sansanee, the revered female spiritual leader of Thailand. For the first time, this compassionate Buddhist nun shares her life, her work, and her wisdom and takes us on a breathtaking journey from her former days as a top model to her day-by-day helping of others and living a life of peace and of that true beauty that really does come from the heart.
Spring Has Sprung …
… and so is the lock mechanism in your car door, if you’re not careful! With the arrival of spring weather, car-pilfering delinquents are returning to Arnold Park like swallows returning to Capistrano. If you park your car on the street outside the Center, or even in our parking lot, be sure to take a few simple precautions to reduce the risk of an unpleasant post-zazen surprise: lock your car doors, bring any valuables inside with you, and do NOT leave anything visible that might interest a curious prowler. True, that creased paper bag packed with your dirty underwear may not be worth much to you, but it can be enough to tempt a thief to break a window to take a closer look. (Yes, this has actually happened.) Be mindful – your car will thank you.
Reminder: Free Workshops for Members
Perhaps because of the lovely weather, it appears that the introductory workshop this Saturday, May 4, may be the unusual one that doesn’t fill completely. It’s an ideal time, then, to remind folks that members can attend a workshop as a refresher, free of charge. If we do begin to fill up at the last minute you may get bumped for a paying customer, but it’s worth a try if you’re interested. (And if you do get the boot, you’re always welcome to volunteer at the workshop instead!) If you’d like to attend, contact the Center’s receptionist at (585)-473-9180 ext. 10, or receptionist@rzc.org.
Southeast Quadrant “Clean Sweep” This Saturday
The annual “Clean Sweep” for Rochester’s southeast neighborhood will be held this Saturday May 4th. Volunteers are asked to gather at Cobbs Hill Park at 8:30 am where coffee and donuts will be served and some tools will be provided (however if you can bring your own that would be a HUGE help). You will also receive a Clean Sweep T-shirt. Volunteers will then gather back at Cobbs Hill at 1:00 pm for a hot-dog lunch and socializing. Show your pride in your neighborhood and volunteer for this great community event. Further information (including Clean Sweep for other quadrants) is available on the City of Rochester website athttp://www.cityofrochester.gov/cleansweep/.
Cats Away
Roshi is in Santa Fe for the rest of this week, visiting his clan of 14. He’ll return Sunday night, and the next dokusan will be next Monday, April 29.
John and Chris Pulleyn are leaving today, April 25, for 2½ weeks in Japan. They will return on May 13.
Eryl Kubicka is in England visiting family, so she won’t be giving daisan this Friday, April 26. She’ll be back first thing next week.
Talk this Sunday
On Sunday, April 28, after sitting and chanting, Tom Kowal will give a Coming-to-the-Path talk.
Saturday Meeting on Climate Change
For members interested in discussing the issues surrounding climate change and how (whether?) to respond to them, there will be an exploratory meeting at the Center this Saturday, April 20, at 11:00. Roshi’s idea is to just get a conversation started, without any particular agenda, and see what might develop, irrespective of the Center’s involvement as an organization. That is, it will simply be a meeting of interested individuals.
The meeting will end no later than 12:30.
SanghaPalooza – Register Now for the Best Choice of Classes!
The 2nd Annual RZC SanghaPalooza will commence Friday evening, August 2, and conclude Sunday, August 4, 2013. The weekend will be filled with a wide variety of activities, including yoga, tai chi and qi gong classes, a screening and discussion of the documentary The Lost Bird Project, an Indian cooking class, a presentation on the life and works of Beethoven, a guided nature walk through Chapin Mill, a lecture on Zen practice and sleep, an authentic “magic lantern” show (entertainment from circa 1890!), a ping-pong tournament and other games. Activities tailored to kids will include crafts, jewelry-making, swimming, yoga, outdoor games, and more. The complete schedule and registration form are available at http://www.rzc.org/program-events/sanghapalooza/. Some classes will have limited space available and will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis, so get your registration in soon! The deadline to submit a registration form along with a $50 fee (to cover meal expenses) is July 1. Kids register for free.
Call for Zen Bow Articles: “Seeing Through Racism”
An upcoming issue of Zen Bow will explore the theme “Seeing Through Racism.” Racism can take many different forms depending on the cultural context and the communities we engage with. How does racism operate through collective consciousness? How does complicity give racist structures permission to flourish? Are practicing mindfulness and abstaining from hatred enough to address the problem of racism? What has your zazen practice and your experience with racism and/or embracing diversity taught you about the Dharma? Readers are invited to submit articles and images to the editors at zenbow@rzc.org. Submission deadline: May 20, 2013.
Memorial Service for Chuck Braun
Tomorrow morning, Saturday, April 13, at 9 am, we’ll hold a memorial service for Chuck Braun, the husband of long-time Center member Margaret Lee Braun. Anyone who’d like to attend is welcome. The ceremony will be held in the zendo.
Good Works
François Raoult and Rose and Rafe Martin are old friends of the Center whose daughters (Maiwenn and Ariya) are part of a humanitarian project to teach photography in schools this summer in Haiti. They’re doing this work on their own dime, and any help would be greatly appreciated.
Here’s a link to the website if you’d like to learn more: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/riviere-froide-kid-camera-project
HD Video Camera Wanted
Over the last couple of years, the Center has produced a series of videos on Zen using a camera generously loaned to us by Sangha member George Gecik. So far, our YouTube page has recorded over 11,000 views! (If you’re not yet one of those 11,000, you can have a look for yourself at http://www.youtube.com/user/RochesterZenCenter). Now, we’re hoping to step up our technological game and start filming in high definition. If you have a good-quality HD video camera that you would be willing to loan or donate to the Center, contact Cecily Fuhr at cecily@rzc.org.
Connecting to rzc.org
This afternoon the company that hosts the Center’s website upgraded our webserver’s operating system. So in order to connect to www.rzc.org you may need to flush your web browser’s cache.
Well, THIS is awkward…
By now, many of you will have received your copy of the latest Zen Bow issue, “Coming Out As a Buddhist.” We’ve heard from at least one member, however, that an error by our printer resulted in two pages of her issue being replaced by two pages from a Nazareth College concert program – including an ad for Wendy’s hamburgers! (Oops.)
We’re trying to find out the extent of the problem, so we’re asking that those of you who may have put your Zen Bow aside for later enjoyment have a look at the issue you just received and see if anything looks amiss. (The rogue pages we’ve seen so far were printed on a whiter, lighter grade of paper, so that should make them easy to spot even in the absence of telltale ads for antibiotic-laden meat products.) If you find anything fishy (or cow-y, or chicken-y), drop John Pulleyn an email at john@rzc.org.
All-day Sitting Sunday, April 14
Our all-day sitting this month will be this coming Sunday, April 14. Besides the usual Sunday sitting & teisho that run from 8:30 to around 10:30, there are three other blocks of formal sitting. It’s all right to come just to part of the day, but please commit to stay for all of the two or three rounds of sitting in any block you come to. Here’s the full schedule for the day:
6:15 AM Zazen
7:30 Breakfast (provided by the Center)
8:30 Zazen, Chanting, & Teisho
~10:30 Tea break in the dining room
11:00 Zazen
12:50 PM Lunch break (bring your own)
1:30-3:00 Zazen
Happy Birthday to Roshi
Besides all the sitting on Sunday, we’ll be celebrating Roshi’s birthday. Come for the sitting and teisho; stay for cake!
Change of Plan for Sunday’s Sitting
John Pulleyn has been called away for an unexpected family responsibility and won’t be able to give the Dharma talk scheduled for Sunday, March 24. In its place, we will play a recorded teisho.