Zen Center is open for in-person zazen on Sunday mornings at 9 and 9:50 AM, on Tuesday evenings at 7 and 7:50 PM,
and
Monday through Friday mornings at 6 and 6:50 AM.
Orientation and Meditation Instruction
are offered at 9 AM on Sundays and 7 PM on Tuesdays. Please let us know before your first visit at info@chzc.org.
Zoom zazen is offered Monday through Friday mornings at 6 and 6:50 AM.
Sejiki Ceremony
Saturday evening October 26 at 7 PM
This year the Sejiki Ceremony will be held on October 26, at 7 PM. Children are welcome, and welcome to wear costumes. And we invite you to help decorate the entry garden and deck with your Jack-o-Lanterns!
Sejiki is a Japanese word meaning “feeding the hungry ghosts.” Hungry ghosts are depicted as beings with very large stomachs swollen from malnutrition, who have the tiniest of throats, and who are always hungry. They are symbolic of the state of mind which is never satisfied with who we are or what we have. In the ceremony we call forth hungry ghosts and beings who are stuck in intermediary states, as well the dark, unknown regions of our own psyches, bringing them into the light. We offer them the nourishment of Dharma with the hope of satisfying and releasing them.
The Sejiki Ceremony also has the feeling of a universal memorial service. In addition to releasing the spirits of the departed, the ceremony is intended to resolve our karmic relationships with the deceased. During the ceremony, the names of those for whom we have performed memorial services during the past year will be read.
If you would like the name of a friend or relative, or other being read during the service, please leave the name in the envelope on the zendo bulletin board, or send it to info@chzc.org no later than the day before the ceremony.
In the spirit of Sejiki, we invite you to bring a food offering for the Interfaith Council pantry of non-perishable goods, which will be collected in the entryway.
The General Meeting, our annual members’ business meeting, will be held on Sunday morning, November 3 after morning service. The nominees for the next Board of Directors will be introduced and the budget for 2025 will be presented. Everyone is encouraged to attend, but only Participating Members are eligible to vote. If you have agenda items, please contact the Board President, John Paredes at john@jollyoso.com.
A Class with David Guy
Six Monday nights, 7:30–9 PM
October 14–November18
The class meets at the Chapel Hill Zen Center on Monday nights. The cost is $60, payable the first night, and will be contributed to the Zen Center. Partial scholarships are available. For more information, or to sign up, please contact David at davidguy@mindspring.com or (919) 641-9277.
For more information, and to download
the class flyer for printing and sharing, visit the Beginning Zen Class Page
Eco-Dharma Update
The CHZC Eco-Dharma group began meeting in 2017 as a way for sangha members to express their concern for the more-than-human world. We now plan to fold all future activities into the main programming of CHZC. The greatest interest and momentum in the group revolves around tending to and ensuring the well-being of our shared Chapel Hill Zen Center environment, including care of the land at 5206 Hwy 86. These are some of our ongoing projects: Kris Garvin, as head of the flower-arranging team, continues to plant more native species at 5206, and garden volunteers are working to remove invasive species at the Zen Center. We have had work days focused on the trees we planted at 5206, and now regularly hold Half-day Outdoor Sittings as part of our general programming. Thanks to the efforts of Steve Magers and several volunteers, we have an outdoor pavilion to sit in if it rains. The efforts of the Eco-Dharma group have also influenced the CHZC Board which approved the purchase and installation of a new energy-efficient water heater, and continues to make a strong effort to consider environmental factors when making purchase decisions. As John Daido Loori said, “When you realize the whole universe as nothing but yourself, you have to take care of it.” Caring for the more-than-human world is a natural and logical extension of our practice of Zen Buddhism, so it will continue to manifest within our regular programming. Stay tuned for upcoming opportunities to participate.
Virtual Peer Group
Wednesday, October 9 at 7PM
Ananda knew that having good and encouraging friends was very important for the path. He even wondered whether having good friends is half the path.
"No, Ananda," the Buddha told him, "having good friends isn’t half of the Holy Life. Having good friends is the whole of the Holy Life." (Meghiya Sutta)
These online meetings give sangha members an opportunity to share their individual experiences, receive encouragement, and offer compassion in a safe, supportive environment. Our goal is to build a thriving virtual community based on Soto Zen principles and help one another deepen our practice in daily life.
The Peer Group meets monthly on the Second Wednesday of the month. For more information, please contact Al-Nisa Berry at alnisa.berry@gmail.com or Maura High at maurahigh@gmail.com.
Joining the Virtual Peer Group
Via computer: www.zoom.us/j/85185384652
Via phone: (301) 715-8592
Meeting ID: 85185384652
Sangha Net Is Looking for More Volunteers!
Sangha Net is a network of volunteers who offer short-term assistance to those in the sangha in need of help due to transitions in life such as illness, disability, or death of a loved one. Examples of tasks include shopping, arranging for meals, or transportation. If you are interested in volunteering or need help, please contact Kris Garvin at krisgarvin@gmail.com, Senmyo Jeff Sherman at jeffsherman3333@gmail.com, or Carol Klein at carollyklein53@gmail.com.
Dokusan & Practice Discussion
If you would like to make an appointment, please write to info@chzc.org.
Individual meetings are available to discuss your meditation practice, as well as your zazen posture, practice in daily life, and questions you may have about Buddhist teaching. These are usually given during zazen and sometimes by special appointment. To support trust and openness, discussions in these meetings should be kept confidential.
Dokusan is a formal meeting with the Abbess or Vice Abbess to talk about your practice. You may schedule Dokusan by speaking to Josho Roshi, or Zenki in person, or by contacting them at info@chzc.org. When it’s time for you to have Dokusan, someone may come to the zendo and get you, or the bell in the Dokusan Room or Zazen Instruction Room will signal when it is time for you to come back. When it is your turn, enter and close the door. Do one floor bow toward the altar ending with a standing bow, then sidestep and bow to and away from the cushion. Sit down and turn clockwise to face the teacher, settle and begin talking. When Dokusan is over, turn clockwise, fluff your cushion, and do a standing bow. Leave the door slightly open as you leave.
Practice Discussion is a meeting to discuss your practice with a priest. Jakuko Mo Ferrell is available to meet with people for Practice Discussion. The form is to do a standing bow in front of the altar and to bow to and away from your cushion before sitting down, turn clockwise and begin. You may contact Jakuko at the zendo or by email at mositwear@gmail.com.
Small Groups
The small groups at the Zen Center came out of Zoom discussions that we had at Practice Intensive teas during the pandemic. People were hungry for that kind of interaction, and wanted to continue it after the Practice Intensive was over. So we formed small groups of six members maximum where people could get together and informally discuss their practice. Since practice includes all of life, we found ourselves discussing everything. These really act as support groups for people who are trying to live their lives according to Buddhist principles.
We meet once a month, both in person and by Zoom. All members have an equal opportunity to share. We don’t try to fix or correct each other, just to sit and listen. It’s a wonderful feeling to be heard, and to talk about practice in an informal setting. If you’re interested in joining a small group, or would like more information, contact David Guy at davidguy@mindspring.com.
Living with Impermanence
by Zoom About Once a Month
Living with Impermanence is an informal discussion group that shares how we experience impermanence in our lives including life changes, illness, aging and death. We usually begin with participants sharing what they are currently thinking of or dealing with. Discussions then usually emerge spontaneously to raised concerns. Silence is frequently a response after someone shares and we trust in that silence. On occasion we’ve set an agenda in advance to study a topic of interest.
If you are interested in helping care for the altars of our temple, this would be a good time to begin, or return to, the practice of flower arranging or chidening. Traditionally, chidens are responsible for maintaining the altars of a temple which means cleaning the altars themselves, sifting and cleaning the incense burners, trimming candles, and replenishing needed items.
We also need volunteers to bring flowers and create flower arrangements for the altars.
Creating flower arrangements and chidening are wonderful ways of supporting the ongoing practice of our temple. A new schedule is being set up, and if you are interested in serving as a flower arranger about once a month, please contact Kris at krisgarvin@gmail.com. If you are interested in serving as a chiden about once a month, please contact John at john@jollyoso.com.
Grounds and Buildings Volunteers Needed
Would you like to help take care of the Chapel Hill Zen Center's grounds and buildings? We're updating our contact list of people who could come for organized work sessions or take on particular responsibilities on their own schedule.
Tasks would include such things as assisting with construction projects, yard work, windfall and brush removal, trail maintenance, hauling items to the Orange County landfill, tool cleaning and maintenance, and repair and maintenance work on siding and interior surfaces. Experience and equipment, such as power tools, pickup truck, or trailer, are useful but by no means necessary. This contact list complements the quarterly sign-up sheet for temple tasks, in the entryway in the main Zen Center building.
For more information, or to sign on to the contact list, please email Maura High (work leader) at maurahigh@gmail.com.
Daily Dogen
Daily Dogen is a Google Group that sends a short passage from Dogen every day by email. Over the course of 2023-2024, the plan is to email the entire Shobogenzo. If you would like to join, go to https://groups.google.com/g/daily-dogen and click: Ask to Join Group. Your email will not be shared or used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Inter-faith Council Community
A group of Zen Center volunteers prepare and serve lunch at the Inter-faith Council Community Kitchen on the fourth Saturday of each month from 10 AM to 1 PM. More volunteers are needed, including a core group of committed people, so we can continue our presence. The IFC Community Kitchen is the only soup kitchen in Orange Country and is located in Chapel Hill. If you are interested in volunteering or would like more information, please contact Shawn at (919) 619-2243 or chzencooks@gmail.com.
Members of the CHZC also continue to collect items for the IFC Community Market which provides approximately 1,300 bags of groceries to those in need every month. Both produce and non-perishable food and items such as dish washing soap, shampoo, toilet paper are needed, as well as gently used brown paper bags used to send groceries home. Please leave items on the front deck of the ZC in the large plastic containers. They are picked up about once a week.
Inter-Faith Council for Social Services
The IFC is looking for volunteers including receptionists and Community Market (formerly known as the Food Pantry) staff (a 3-hour shift, flexible schedule), and volunteers to assist staff with linking people to options such as social services ("Community Navigation"). It is also hiring kitchen staff. More details on their website: www.ifcweb.org.
We also have an updated list of current needs since the IFC has seen quite an increase in numbers recently at both lunch and dinner times, 60-70 for lunch and up to 40 for dinner.
The Community Market most needed items are baked beans, dry or canned pinto beans, pork and beans, peanut and other nut butters, canned chicken, ramen, spaghetti, Mac and Cheese, other pastas, hearty soups such as Progresso, canned vegetables (except corn and green beans, which are in good supply), spaghetti sauce, canned tomato sauce & paste, canned diced & whole tomatoes, canned fruit, cooking oils & fats, butter, grits, oats—including instant packets, baking & cake mixes, cereals, juice both bottles & boxes, coffee, tea, canned milk, powdered milk packets, jelly and other condiments. Personal hygiene items are also need including soap, small tissue packs, toothpaste, toilet paper, shampoo, lotion and moisturizing creams, deodorant, razors, size 4 and 5 children’s diapers. For questions, please contact Tim West at Tim West at tmwst01@gmail.com or Maura High at maurahigh@gmail.com.
2024 Board of Directors
We are pleased to announce that the Chapel Hill Zen Center Board of Directors for 2024 are: John Paredes, president; Chris Censullo, vice president; Mike McKillip, treasurer; Danielle Bouchard, secretary; Al-Nisa Berry and Lance Ashdown, members-at-large; and Josho Pat Phelan, ex officio.
We offer deep gratitude to Ken Wilson who has served as president, vice president and, most recently, treasurer.
Dharma Talks
Zenki Kathleen Batson
Sunday morning, October 20 at 10:30 AM
Zenki’s Dharma Talk will follow two periods of zazen at 9 and 9:50 AM. Everyone is warmly welcome to all or any part of the Sunday morning program.
All-Day Sitting
Sunday, October 20, 6 AM to 5 PM
The day includes zazen, a Dharma Talk, Dokusan, and a work period, as well as breakfast and lunch. Orientations will be on the Saturday night prior at 7:30 PM, and includes instruction in the meal form.
It is alright to sit half of the day, but please sign up in advance, and please speak to Josho Roshi or Zenki if this is your first All-day Sitting.
The suggested donation is $15 for members and $25 for others; however, if you are inclined to offer more, that would be very helpful in maintaining the Zen Center. Oryoki sets are available for use by those who do not have their own, and a $5 donation is appreciated. Please sign up by the Wednesday before at info@chzc.org or on the clipboard in the entryway. For more information on the oryoki meal form see: www.kannondo.org.
December Sesshin
Led by Josho Pat Phelan Roshi
Friday night, December 6 through
Friday, December 13
Sesshin is an intimate way to practice with ourselves
and others. We begin sesshin together, sit zazen together, walk together, eat together, and work together.
Our practice is supported by the entire universe
and each of us is supporting everyone else.
We will begin Friday evening at 7 PM with orientation and job assignments. In order to help everyone settle into the schedule, please arrive on time for orientation on Friday night. Following orientation, we will observe silence. The zendo will be open by 5 PM on Friday. The sesshin day will include zazen beginning at 6 AM, kinhin, a Dharma talk, work period, and oryoki meals. Dokusan with Josho Roshi will also be available.
Fees are $50 per day for Participating Members, and $60 per day for others. However if you are able to offer more, it would be very helpful; the additional funds can be considered a tax-exempt donation. There will also be an opportunity to offer a donation to the teacher. It is our intention that no one be turned away for financial reasons, and scholarships are available. If you would like to request a scholarship, please contact John at john@jollyoso.com and let him know how much you are able to contribute. Contributions received for scholarships are very helpful in allowing people to attend sesshin here and at the San Francisco Zen Center. Please return your registration form with a $50 deposit by Wednesday, November 27.
You are welcome to sleep at the Zen Center, and there may be some space available in members’ homes nearby. Please bring a portable bed or pad for the floor, a sleeping bag, pillow, towel and wash cloth, slip-on shoes, work clothes, and layered clothing. Camping on the Zen Center grounds is also available. Opportunities for bathing are limited. Masks are available at the Zen Center if you would like to wear one.
For more information, please contact Zenki at info@chzc.org.
Friday evening, November 1 at the Hayti Center and Saturday, November 2 at Eno River Unitarian Church
Lama Rod will speak at the Hayti Heritage Center on Friday, November 1 at 7 PM, and lead a one-day retreat, open to all, on Saturday, November 2 from 9 AM to 4 PM, at Eno River Unitarian Church in Durham. For more information, contact Karen Ziegler at ziegl001@gmail.com.
Study Groups via Zoom
Monday Evening Study Group
Monday Evenings from 5:30 to 6:30 PM
The Monday evening Study Group will continue studying the Yogacara sutra, the Samdhinirmocana Sutra, primarily the translation of John Powers, titled the Wisdom of Buddha, and Reb Anderson’s book, The Third Turning of the Wheel. We will begin with Chapter 6 in Wisdom of Buddha and Chapter 5 in The Third Turning of the Wheel.
Waking Up to What You Do can be purchased at the Zen Center book store, or online from Bookshop.org. Used copies are available at Alibris.org.
Contact Jakuko Mo Ferrell at MoSitWear@gmail.com for questions and updates.
* The Precepts Study Group will not meet the second Wednesday of each month when the Virtual Peer Group meets.
Thursday Evening Study Group
Master Dogen’s Zazen Meditation Handbook
The CHZC continues to offer zazen via Zoom. You are welcome to join both periods of zazen or either one. All times EST.
We have discontinued the Monday and Friday 1 PM Zoom zazen sessions. Thank you to everyone who participated.
Before joining the online zendo we ask that you please read the CHZC Online Zendo Guidelines to help create a settled and peaceful online space for our shared zazen experience.
Joining Zoom zazen Via computer:www.zoom.us/j/85659804526 Via phone: (646) 558-8656 Meeting ID: 85659804526
Dress Guidelines for Zoom Zazen
Before joining the online zendo we ask that you please read the CHZC Online Zendo Guidelines to help create a settled and peaceful online space for our shared zazen experience.
In brief, to support our practice together during zazen and Dharma Talks, please wear respectful clothing. Pants and skirts that come below the knee are appropriate. If you are wearing Buddha’s robe, the rakusu, please wear long pants or skirts, rather than shorts. Please do not wear pajamas, bath robes, hoods, or bring refreshments, especially to Dharma Talks — please treat Zoom practice events with respect as you would in the Zendo.
Your presence and bearing in this way can support all of us in feeling connected and not slipping into a casual attitude toward our practice or the teaching efforts of others.
Practicing at Home: Ryaku Fusatsu —
The Bodhisattva Ceremony
Five Minute Talks
The Facebook page for Soto Zen Buddhism North America has a number of Five Minute Talks by Soto Zen Teachers from all over America. See: www.facebook.com/SotoZenBuddhismNorthAmerica. Look under the "Videos" section to find them.
Organizing Against Racism
The local organization Organizing Against Racism is holding virtual workshops with Racial Equity Institute instructors. For more information, see www.oaralliance.org, and for workshop schedules see www.racialequityinstitute.com. Over several years, some of us have taken this two-day workshop and have found it very informative and beneficial.
Scholarships for Racial Equity Workshops
The Chapel Hill Zen Center has a scholarship fund to help those who would like to take this workshop and other workshops on race who can’t afford the full fee. For more information or to request a partial scholarship, please contact John Paredes at john@jollyoso.com. Donations to this fund are also welcome!
Richmond Zen Group
Richmond Zen is affiliated with the Chapel Hill Zen Center, and Josho Roshi visits regularly. For information, contact Stan at (804) 833-1009 or visit www.richmondzen.org.
If you prefer receiving an email with a link to the PDF file of the CHZC Newsletter which is mailed every two months in printed form, please send your request to info@chzc.org. The PDF version is always linked to at the top of the Events page.
To get the latest version of Adobe’s free PDF viewer, Acrobat Reader, click here.
Shopping Online?
The Chapel Hill Zen Center is now registered with the online company iGive.com. iGive.com is set up so that when you register with them to make a purchase, a percentage (about 2%-15%) will be given to the non-profit of your choice. iGive.com has 238 merchants registered with them, including LandsEnd, L.L. Bean, and Amazon.com. After logging on to iGive.com, to make a purchase, choose the merchant, place the order, and then designate the Chapel Hill Zen Center to receive a portion of the proceeds from the sale. We are not advocating that you buy something you wouldn’t ordinarily, or that you buy online, but, if you already shop online, consider going through iGive.com to make your purchase.
Facebook and Instagram
The Chapel Hill Zen Center is on Facebook and Instagram! Please follow or like our official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ChapelHillZenCenter/ for announcements and invitations to events and special programs at the center. We also invite you to join our affiliated group, Chapel Hill Zen Center Members and Friends at www.facebook.com/groups/CHZCGroup/ to share news, articles, and other resources, ask questions, and interact with sangha members in a more informal way.
The Chapel Hill Zen Center now has a blog with photographs from recent ceremonies and events. See: www.chapelhillzen.wordpress.com.
Prison Outreach
Members of the Chapel Hill Zen Center volunteer in both state prisons in North Carolina and the federal prison at Butner. We can always use more volunteers, and having volunteers present is usually a requirement in order for inmates to meet for religious services or to sit zazen. We are looking for people who have been sitting zazen at the Zen Center for a year or more. Orientation is required by each institution. If you would like more information, please contact Josho Roshi at (919) 967-0861 or info@chzc.org.
Prison Book Donation Program
The Prison Book Donation Program is grateful for the generous support of the Sangha. Donations of Buddhist books, particularly on Zen, are appreciated, and only paperbacks are accepted by the prison. Please leave prison book donations at the Zendo.
Adverse Weather Policy
The general rule about coming to the zendo is, if driving may be risky, don’t do it. For example, when it is snowing or sleeting, or if snow or sleet are predicted to occur before or during zazen, you can assume that the zendo will be closed. This is particularly true for 6 AM zazen. The highway where the zendo is located is often not as well traveled or as well treated for snow as other highways in the area, and the temperature in the county is often a couple of degrees colder than in more populated areas.
