Reminder: Term Intensive Starts Thursday

The fall 4-week Term Intensive will begin two days from now: Thursday, October 7. You can fill out the online application here. After an hour of zazen (7:00 – 8:00 pm), everyone who’s participating at Arnold Park will meet in the third-floor library. Because we will be speaking and in relatively close quarters, we will wear masks for the weekly meeting. You can also join the meeting online using the usual zendo meeting room. Contact Trueman at trueman@rzc.org if you have questions.

Bodhidharma Day Next Week

On Tuesday, October 12, the zendo will be set up for the annual ceremony honoring Bodhidharma, the “bearded barbarian” who is credited as the original founder of the Zen school in China. We’ll sit for two short rounds, and the ceremony will follow (no dokusan that night). If you’re unable to attend the ceremony in person, you can tune in via Zoom.

Teisho This Sunday, October 10

There will be an in-person workshop this coming Saturday, October 9, led by Roshi; Sensei will give teisho the following day.

Sangha Programs Office Updates

Dharma Reflections, our new Sangha group led by Larry McSpadden, has its second meeting coming up this Sunday, October 10, from 1:00 – 2:15 pm EDT, on Zoom. The October 10 session will introduce a several-sessions-long discussion of the “Four Immeasurables” (brahmavihārās, or divine abodes/conditions of existence): immeasurable equanimity, loving-kindness, great compassion, and empathic joy. These qualities are described as “immeasurable” because they can be directed to the benefit of all beings everywhere, and also because they can be developed (or uncovered) endlessly. To review the text selections (“Notes & Quotes”) Larry has prepared for October 10, click here. To register for a free “ticket” and receive the Zoom meeting information via email, click here.

Weekly Dharma Reading Group, another popular new Sangha group led by Kathryn Argetsinger, is currently at capacity, but we’ll let you know if space opens up in the future. For future reference, to learn about this Zoom group’s structure, concept, and source text, click here.

Happy Friday, the ongoing social group led by longtime RZC member Brenda Reeb, is continuing using a new Zoom meeting room of its very own. Happy Friday generally takes place every second and fourth Friday of the month on Zoom from 4:30-5:45 EDT, and is a wonderful way to connect casually with Sangha and start your weekend off in a pleasant way. You can register for a free “ticket” to receive the updated Zoom meeting information for Happy Friday by clicking here. Alternately, email Brenda at reebrochester@gmail.com or Luka Häkkilä at hakkila@wisc.edu to get the updated Zoom link.

Uprooting Racism Speaker Series: Rev. Myra Brown

There’s still time to register for Uprooting Racism’s forthcoming talk with Rev. Myra Brown, progressive Catholic pastor, community leader, and local activist. The event will take place on Zoom on the evening of Wednesday, October 20, from 7:00 to 8:30 pm EDT. Local and out-of-town members, guests, as well as friends and family are all invited to attend this special discussion. For much more information about Rev. Brown and to register for a free “ticket,” click here.