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Spring 2018 Practice Period: Rev. Liên Co-leading at City Center


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Wise Effort in Everyday Life: Harmonizing Stillness and Activity

Led by Keiryu Liên Shutt and Tenzen David Zimmerman
May 1 – June 9

About the Spring 2018 Practice Period

A Practice Period is a traditional intensive training period common in the schools of Buddhism and varying between six to twelve weeks in length. There are three practice periods offered onsite each year at our City Center temple—Winter, Spring and Fall. Participants can engage in a practice period in one of three ways: as a resident, as a commuter, and online.

Zen practice is often seen as “busy” and full of “correct” doing and effort. At the same time, we’ve heard, like the above quote, how we don’t need to “effort’ so much. How are we to practice with these seemingly contradictory teachings?

During this Spring Practice Period, we’ll explore teachings on Wise Effort as both prescriptive and descriptive. When can it be taken as instructive and when can it be inspirational? What did the Buddha say regarding Wise Effort? How have teachers, past and present, translated these teachings to us as instructions or encouragements to the “craft” of meditation or to our relationships, work, and the world/society?

At times of turbulence, it’s sometimes hard to figure out what one needs to do. When do we rise from the stillness, “getting off our seats”, and move into activity to “go into the world”?  Come explore with us how these two are not diametrical. Harmonizing the stillness of “non-doing” with the activity of “doing” is possible with Wise Effort.

This Spring Practice Period is a chance to develop and deepen your practice together with others in a supportive environment and through activities including daily sitting, study, practice discussion with the teachers, and weekly sangha discussions. Weekly events include an oryoki meal, classes, ceremonies, dharma talks, and Wednesday afternoon teas with the practice period leaders. During the six weeks students will have the opportunity to meet individually with the practice period leaders and/or other practice leaders.

Practice period TEAS are scheduled every Wednesday from 5:30 to 6:30pm beginning Wednesday, May 1 and ending Wednesday, June 6.

There will be two one-day sittings, May 5 and June 9. The practice period concludes with a three-day sesshin, beginning the evening of June 6 and ending on Saturday, June 9 (which includes the second one-day sitting).

As part of the practice period, Lien Shutt and David Zimmerman will also teach a five-week class, Practicing with Wise Effort: Stillness and Activity in Everyday Life on Tuesdays, 7:30 – 9 pm, May 8 through June 6.

Residential, online, and commuter participation in the practice period requires an application process. See the application for instructions and contact information.