Zen Buddhism

We gather as a community to meditate in silence then listen to a brief talk on Zen teachings. There will be time for questions and discussion and we will close with a transfer of merit. We will explore how to apply Zen in our everyday activities and cultivate our awakened mind in modern daily life. We study how to transform our suffering and see the world with a compassionate heart, while realizing the true oneness of one’s life. The Sixth Ancestor Hui-Neng (638-718), described seated zazen as follows: Externally, to be free of all hindrances and undisturbed in mind regarding any circumstances whether good or bad is called “sitting” (za); internally, to contemplate the immutability of your own Original Nature is called “meditation” (Zen). “The idea of Zen is to catch life as it flows. There is nothing extraordinary or mysterious about Zen. I raise my hand; I take a book from the other side of the desk; I hear the children playing ball outside my window; I see the clouds blown away beyo