New Fees for Online Sesshin

It has been our policy that if you’re attending sesshin online and wish to go to dokusan, you need to attend at least two of the four daily blocks of sitting. Beginning with the July sesshin, online sesshin participants will also need to pay $5 for each block they plan to attend. This was a recommendation made by the Center’s Board of Trustees in concurrence with Roshi and Sensei. The fees will help cover technology and other expenses involved in managing a hybrid sesshin. A link to a registration and payment form will be provided in your sesshin acceptance email, and you may pay by check or PayPal.

Abbots’ Fund

The Abbots’ Fund is flush with cash! Sangha members who might not otherwise be able to afford in-person or online sesshin fees or training-program fees may request aid from this fund from either Roshi or Sensei. Please email your request to the Head of Zendo, Trueman Taylor.

Events on Saturday, July 9

An online introductory workshop begins at 10 a.m. If you’d like a refresher on the “whats, whys, and hows” of Zen practice, it’s not too late to register.

Finding Your Seat, from 11:00 to noon, is an online program that provides an opportunity to get to know fellow practitioners, ask questions, receive advice and encouragement, and sit a short round of zazen.

DepreshZen, a support group for Sangha members with depression and anxiety disorders, got off to a great start in their first meeting last month. If you’re interested in participating, join us at 3 – 4 p.m.

Teisho and Hybrid Extended Sitting on Sunday, July 10

In addition to the sitting and Roshi’s teisho at 8:30 – 10:30 a.m., there will be three more blocks of formal sitting scheduled, with Jeanette Prince-Cherry offering Private Instruction during block 3. Here is more information, including the day’s full schedule.

Annual Sangha Picnic, Saturday, July 16

All are invited to our annual potluck picnic at Chapin Mill – including family, friends, children, and dogs!

We’ll get underway at 11 a.m. with “Buddha Bazaar” games. Lunch will be served 1:00 – 2:00 p.m., and the Center will provide sweet corn, fruit, beverages, and ice cream. Please bring a vegetarian (no flesh food) main dish or dessert to share (enough for eight people). Also bring clothes for volleyball and hiking, if you’d like to do either of those things, as well as blankets or folding chairs. If you’re bringing along kids or dogs, it’s your responsibility to supervise them. Directions to Chapin Mill are here. If you need a ride or can offer one, contact Keith Carpenter, and we’ll make it happen.

Safety note: If you’re planning to hike in the woods, please be aware that Lyme disease, a serious tick-borne infection, has become a problem in our area. Information is available online from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: www.cdc.gov/lyme/.