Zazen Instruction (Ongoing) – Zazen (Zen meditation) instruction is given on Saturdays at 9:00 am before zazen. We welcome all to come and learn about Zen meditation. A donation of $10.00 is appreciated. All donations go toward covering the daily operations of Brooklyn Zen Center.
Taught by the Buddha as the basis for the practice of relieving one’s suffering, the four foundations are mindfulness of the body, feeling, mind, and objects of mind. We will be studying the first two foundations this winter and spring. The discussion is not meant to be philosophical. Rather, it is an exploration of the application of these mindfulness practices in our daily lives. Since zazen helps to underpin mindfulness practice, we ask that all participants have a regular meditation practice and sit with community in our zendo at least twice per week. All are welcome.
More than merely ethical guidelines, the precepts are the living manifestation of Buddhist practice as it meets the world. The precepts group is therefore primarily practice-based and not a theoretical or scholarly endeavor. Using the awareness that is cultivated in a regular meditation practice, the group works at engaging with the precepts in daily life, and the members of the group support each other in this practice.
This class is for anyone interested in writing and who wishes to develop their skills in a mindful way; or for those curious about mindfulness and who would like to develop that through writing. Each class will include a period of zazen, time for writing, and space to share. The focus of the creative pieces may change week-to-week, but will always be about the present moment. As Thich Nhat Hanh refers to the term ‘mindfulness’, students will write to keep “one’s consciousness alive to the present reality.” Please click here for more information on the class.