Half Day SitDate: Saturday October 3, 2009
Time: 9am-12pm
Donation: $20
Half-Day Sits are great times for beginners to really dig in to their practice with the rest of the sangha. It's also a great time for experienced practitioners to continue moving forward. It's a great way to kick off the weekend and move into the next week.
The retreat will begin with a short Dharma talk & instructional. Each sitting meditation session will be 30 minutes long and separated by 10 minutes of walking meditation. Before the final sitting session, we will perform the 108 prostrations, an incredible practice, useful for centering both body & mind. The sit will be followed up with a brief Dharma talk & discussion session over a light lunch & traditional tea.
Four Truths & Eight StepsDate: Saturday October 3, 2009
Time: 1pm-3pm
Donation: $20
The foundation of our practice comes from Buddha's core teachings, known as the Four Noble Truths & the Eightfold Path.
The Four Noble Truths are the observations that the Buddha made about the world around him, its nature, and its affect on us and how we relate to it. There is suffering in life, our suffering is brought about by our cravings, there is freedom from this suffering, and we can find freedom by following the Eightfold Path of wisdom, conduct, & meditation.
During this introduction class, we'll discuss how the Buddha's observations can be seen in our own lives, and how we can begin to practice the Eightfold Path.
This class is the perfect opportunity for those just beginning their Zen practice. It covers the fundamentals upon which our practice rests. For those who attend the morning Half-Day Sit, this continuation will allow you to reflect on how your meditation practice can apply to what you do in daily life, transforming your life to one complete practice.
For those not attending the Half-Day Sit, this is still a wonderful introduction to the fundamentals of what we practice at the Baltimore Zen Center.
For those only attending this Basic Training Class, we ask for a $20 donation to help cover expenses.
Harvest Moon FestivalDate: Saturday, October 3rd, 2009
Time: 3pm-2am
In cultures around the world, the time of the Harvest Moon is a time of thanksgiving. We invite you to join us for a mix of modern & traditional festivities here at the Baltimore Zen Center.
Known as Chuseok in Korea, the Harvest Moon Festival is a time to remember our ancestors and pay respect to those who have had an impact on our lives. The Dharma Hall will be open all day for those wishing to honor their ancestors in the traditional fashion with food & incense.
In the evening, we have fun activities for family & friends alike, including games like tug-o-war. We'll have great foods, including Korean cellophane noodles, beef barbeque, fruits, & Harvest Moon rice cakes.
After dusk, we'll continue with a bonfire & moonviewing. We'll also be featuring poetry readings from famous local poets.
We'll also have a Sake tasting for the adults after sunset!
This is guaranteed to be a fun event for everyone, so don't miss out!
Later on in October:
Mind-Body Oneness: Zen Practice Within TaekwondoDate: Saturday, October 17th, 2009
Time: 12pm-5pm
Donation: $50
During Korea's Shilla Dynasty, Buddhist patriarch Wonhyo spoke the teaching, "心身一如". This teaching, pronounced "Shim Shin Ilyeo" means "Mind & Body Oneness". In our Zen practice, we begin to realize that we have created dualistic barriers between our bodies and our minds, between our rational thoughts and our emotions, between our flesh and our spirit. Through Zen Body Practice, we look to tear down these barriers, to realize that we were whole all along, as Wonhyo said.
In this martial arts retreat, we will examine this through the modern Korean martial art of Taekwondo. Wonhyo's teachings were fundamental to the development of this style of fist & foot fighting. We will examine a high-level Taekwondo form named after Wonhyo's teachings, called "Ilyeo". Through mind-body awareness, we will learn to engage ourselves fully as we practice the movements of this set. Finally, we will examine the combative applications of Ilyeo, and how the teachings of Wonhyo are seen in the body & mind's reaction to combat.
Ilyeo is considered one of the highest forms of Taekwondo, and achieving the Mind-Body Oneness spoken of by Wonhyo is considered the central goal of all Taekwondo training.
This seminar is open to all, though it is recommended that students have some level of experience in the martial arts.
A donation of $50 is requested for this retreat.
The seminar will be lead by JB MuSsang Jaeger. Mr. Jaeger is the first American to be licensed in Cheolryun Gwonbeop, a progressive Zen system of self-defense. He has lectured on Wonhyo's teachings of Mind-Body Oneness at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Shaolin Warriors in Baltimore!Date: Sunday, October 18th, 2009
Time: 130pm-8pm
Ticket Cost: $25
The Baltimore Zen Center traces its teaching lineage back to the fabled Shaolin Temple, origin of Zen, and home to some of the greatest martial artists to ever live. This center of spiritual development provided shelter to those oppressed by the government, and was the birthplace of teachings of peace, alongside of methods of protection. The Baltimore Zen Center is proud to trace not only our Zen practice, but our martial practice back to this inspirational group of warrior-monks. We believe that a true pacifist is not someone who cannot fight, but someone who can, but chooses not to.
"The internationally acclaimed Shaolin Warriors will present a fully-choreographed performance showcasing their discipline and skill as martial arts masters at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall on Sunday, October 18 at 3:00 p.m. The Shaolin Warriors-who train for several hours each day in kung fu and meditation-are disciples of the Shaolin schools in China, founded under the Buddhist philosophies of non-violence and non-aggression."
Tickets are $25. If you are joining us, please RSVP by October 5th by either clicking "Attending", emailing me at jaeger@baltimorezen.org, or calling me at 4103532387.
Updates will come as we close in on October 5th.
After the performance, we'll enjoy a dinner of Korean BBQ at Baltimore's famous Jong Gak restaurant, specializing in live-coal Korean BBQ.
Plan on meeting at the BZC by 130pm that afternoon!
October Half-Day Sit IIDate: October 31, 2009
Time: 9am-12pm
Suggested Donation: $20
Half-Day Sits are great times for beginners to really dig in to their practice with the rest of the sangha. It's also a great time for experienced practitioners to continue moving forward. It's a great way to kick off the weekend and move into the next week.
The retreat will begin with a short Dharma talk & instructional. Each sitting meditation session will be 30 minutes long and separated by 10 minutes of walking meditation. Before the final sitting session, we will perform the 108 prostrations, an incredible practice, useful for centering both body & mind. The sit will be followed up with a brief Dharma talk & discussion session over a light lunch & traditional tea.
Entering the StreamDate: October 31, 2009
Time: 1pm-3pm
Suggested Donation: $20
This class is a discussion on how to bring your Zen practice outside the walls & activities of the Baltimore Zen Center & into your daily life. We'll look at the importance of community, not just here at the BZC, but in every aspect of our lives, and how we relate to that community. We'll look at how the things we encounter in daily life; addiction, money, & sex, can have an impact on our practice. We'll look at how our Practice can revolutionize our interaction with those facets of our lives, and how we in turn, can affect the world around us for the better.
Hope to see you at the Baltimore Zen Center in October!
0 comments:
Post a Comment