Brooklyn Zen Center | A New York City Soto Zen Buddhist Temple
Practicing With the Precepts

Starting on September 29th, 2012, Laura O’Loughlin and Greg Snyder will be leading a discussion group on the Bodhisattva precepts. The class will be using Tenshin Reb Anderson's book, Being Upright, and Diane Eshin Rizetto's book, Waking Up to What You Do: A Zen Practice for Meeting Every Situation with Intelligence and Compassion, as texts for the group. 

Our Buddhist precepts are specific ethical guidelines meant to support the everyday actualization of the wisdom and compassion that is born of meditation practice. When viewed from the truth of interdependence, the precepts teach us, as Reb writes, “how to protect and bring the spirit of compassion to complete maturity [and allow] compassion to enter all aspects of our lives.” Participants will be asked to commit to an ongoing engagement with the precepts. Discussions will not be theoretical and will arise from direct, personal experience with this rich ethical practice.

The class will take place on Saturdays, from 1:30pm to 2:45pm through May 2013. The class will meet on eight Saturdays during the fall. The spring schedule for the second part of the class will be announced in December. Participants are expected to attend regularly and begin and end the class together. In order to support the group process, participants are required to miss no more than one class in the fall and one in the spring.

This class is designed for those who have had a regular meditation practice for at least a year and have already taken the mindfulness class or have formal experience with mindfulness practices. Participants are also strongly encouraged to sit at least twice per week with the sangha at Brooklyn Zen Center.

Brooklyn Zen Center is committed to trying to provide classes at no extra charge. We do encourage everyone to consider giving dana to BZC for any class.

If you are interested in signing up for this class or have any questions, please email Laura through the contact form linked here.