Saturday Dokusan with Roshi

Tomorrow, May 7, will be Roshi’s first Saturday-morning dokusan in six months, and he’ll go back to starting it at 10:00 am, his customary time. Saturday dokusan is offered for the benefit of members who have a hard time making it to dokusan during the week. To attend, take a seat on the left side of the Arnold Park zendo, near the Kannon Room, any time before 10:00 a.m. An announcement will be made in the zendo before dokusan begins.

Tuesday Evening Dokusan with Sensei

Now that Roshi is back to giving dokusan at sittings on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, Sensei will resume giving dokusan on Tuesday evenings. As part of the Tuesday Beginners’ Night, Group Instruction will also be offered, concurrently, with the occasional Private Instruction if Sensei is unable to give dokusan.

Sangha Meeting Postponed

The previously-scheduled Sangha meeting for this Sunday, May 8, is postponed in view of the high COVID-19 infection rate in Rochester and the resulting precautions that would be required. Plus, it’s Mother’s Day. We’ll announce the new date and time in next week’s Sangha email.

Buddha’s Birthday: Spread the Word!

In 2020, when the pandemic began, our celebration of the Buddha’s birth was cancelled for the first time in the Center’s history, and then 2021’s celebration was a downsized version. This year, we hope to return to our full weekend of celebrations (presuming the current local spike in COVID-19 cases will decline by the end of the month). There’s a good overview of the schedule on the website, and more details will be provided in next week’s email.

This is our biggest celebration of the year, with something for everyone – children, adults, and friendly animals. All sentient beings are welcome. Come if you can!

Hitting the Pause Button on Chanting

Because of the current high COVID-19 infection rates in Rochester, for the time being there will be no chanting services at sittings. You’ll find the updated weekly schedule here.

“Cultivating Insight: Mental Health and Zen Buddhism” Panel Discussion

On April 21, Sangha member Susan Rakow, who is a licensed professional clinical counselor and leader of the Cleveland Zazen Group, was the keynote speaker and a panelist in the “Cultivating Insight” webinar sponsored by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Greater Cleveland. Sangha member Jeanette Prince-Cherry, leader of the Louisville Zen Center, also participated on the panel.