Friday evening, June 5
to Wednesday afternoon, June 10
Sesshin is an intimate way to practice with ourselves and others. We begin sesshin together, we sit together, walk together, eat together, and work together. Our practice is supported by the entire universe and each of us is supporting everyone else.
Sesshin will begin at 7 PM on Friday evening with orientation and job assignments. In order to help all of us settle into the schedule and our zazen practice, please arrive on time for orientation on Friday night. The zendo will be open by 5 PM on Friday. Following orientation, silence will be observed.
It is possible to sit part of the sesshin, but priority will be given to those sitting the whole sesshin. Please come to orientation on Friday night, and commit to sitting for at least two consecutive days. When registering, clearly explain what part of sesshin you would like to attend. The sesshin day will include zazen, beginning at 6 am, kinhin, a Dharma talk, work period, formal oryoki meals in the zendo, and dokusan, an individual meeting with Josho Roshi, will be available. The day will end around 9:30 PM.
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 Danielle at Danielle.Bouchard@gmail.com. In the past, contributions received for scholarships were very helpful in allowing people to attend sesshin here and at the San Francisco Zen Center.
Please return your registration form
by Wednesday, May 27, with a $50 deposit.
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, a towel and washcloth, slip-on shoes, work clothes, and layered clothing. Opportunities for bathing are limited. Please contact Zenki at info@chzc.org for more information.
The Chapel Hill Zen Center emergency phone is
(919) 933-0776
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.
Holiday Closures
The Zen Center will be closed on Monday, May 25 and on Friday, July 3.
Dharma Talks
Talks follow two perdiods of zazen at 9 and 9:50 AM. Everyone is warmly invited to join us for all or any part of the morning program.
Rev. Choro Carla Antonaccio
Sunday morning, May 17 at 10:30 AM
Choro Sensei is the Guiding Teacher at Austin Zen Center.
Josho Pat Phelan Roshi
Sunday morning, June 7 at 10:30 AM
Sesshin Dharma Talks
Josho Roshi will be giving Dharma Talks during sesshin, Saturday, June 6 through Wednesday, June 11 at 10:30 am. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Study Hall
Monday mornings at 7:45 AM
during Practice Intensive
During the Spring Practice Intensive, we will have a Study Hall on Monday mornings after service, 7:45 until 8:30 or 9 AM, except on Monday, May 25. Everyone is welcome to attend. During Study Hall, it is appropriate to study Buddhist teach-ings, copy sutras or sew Buddha’s robe.
Practice Intensive Teas
Our last two Practice intensive teas for those who signed up for the Practice Intensive in April will be Sunday, May 24 and 31 after temple cleaning.
Monday Evening Zazen
As part of the Spring Practice Intensive we will continue to have one period of in-person zazen on Monday evenings at 6 pm, except for Monday, May 25.
Silent Outdoor Half-day Sitting
Saturday, June 27 from 6 am to 12:15 PM
Please bring a bag breakfast which you can either keep at your place or store in the annex fridge. Coffee and tea will be available on the back deck. For more information or to sign up, please email info@chzc.org. If you would like to join us for only a portion of the morning, please let us know when signing up. There is no charge, but donations are appreciated.
Children’s Program
Sundays from 8:50 to 10:30 AM
The Zen Center’s Children’s Program offers children three years and older a place in the Zen Center sangha through a variety of activities, including meditation, story, craft, song, and movement, as well as participation in Zen Center events and celebrations throughout the year. In each meeting, the children have the space and time to practice living mindfully and learn about Buddhist teachings and contexts while giving their guardians an opportunity to meditate in the concurrent adult program.
The Children’s Program now meets weekly on Sunday mornings from 8:50 until 10:30 AM except when there is an All-Day Sitting, Sesshin, or other large gathering at the Center. For more information, please contact Will Savery or Edward Markus, the program coordinators, at chzckidsprogram@gmail.com.
Sunday Mornings at 9 and 9:50 AM
Tuesday Evenings at 7 and 7:50 PM
Monday through Friday Mornings at 6 and 6:50 AM
You are welcome to join both periods of zazen or either one. Masks are now optional at Zen Center.
Zoom Zazen
Monday through Friday Mornings at 6 and 6:50 AM
The CHZC continues to offer zazen via Zoom. You are welcome to join both periods of zazen or either one. All times EST.
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.
Orientation & Meditation Instruction
Sundays at 9 AM and Tuesdays at 7 PM
Orientation and Zen 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.
Instrucciones disponibles en español. Envíe un correo electrónico a info@chzc.org para obtener información.
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.
There is no separation between you and the environment.
You and the environment are perfectly continuous.
It isn’t possible for you to be separate from it.
From the beginning, you have always been able to move
while being one with it. We are all made this way.
This is the first of a four-volume commentary by Gien Inoue Roshi, Harada Sekkei’s teacher, on Keizan Zenji’s Transmission of the Light, a primary Soto Zen texts. In this work, Keizan Zenji (1264–1325 CE) expounds on the the Buddha's enlightenment and its transmission through the fifty-two generations of ancestors that we chant in The Names of Buddhas and Ancestors for service. Inoue Roshi explores how each of their stories is intimately connected to the practice of Zen.
The Baika Group is now meeting on Sunday after temple cleaning. Bring a bag lunch or a snack to enjoy before gathering with others to learn Soto Zen Buddhist Hymns with bell accompaniment. Contact Chris Censullo at ccensullo@yahoo.com for more information.
For more information about Baikaryu Eisanka, see www.sotozen.com
Living with Impermanence
By Zoom About Once a Month
This is an informal discussion group in which we share 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 from 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.
Please contact Carol Klein at carollyklein53@gmail.com, or Neil Bolick at nebolick@gmail.com if you would like more information. Everyone is welcome, regardless of age.
Building and Grounds Crew
When you realize the whole universe
as nothing but yourself,
you have to take care of it.
— John Daido Loori
Caring for the more-than-human world is a natural and logical extension of our practice of Zen Buddhism. If you would like to be on the Building and Grounds Crew email list to hear about opportunities to help with building and grounds upkeep and maintenance projects please let us know at info@chzc.org.
Zen Parenting Peer Group
Once a Month via Zoom
CHZC members Allison Lipscomb and Josh Jones invite other active Sangha members to meet on Zoom for a monthly parenting peer conversation group. We share our personal experiences of parenting and Zen Buddhist practice. We use mindful listening in group discussions.
Parents and/or caregivers of kids of all ages are welcome. All discussions will be kept confidential and will be mutually supportive. Let us know of your interest or contact Allison Lipscomb with questions at allisonlipscomb@gmail.com, and please include the age(s) of your children.
Virtual Peer Group
Wednesday, May 13 and June 10 from 7 to 8 PM
via Zoom
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.
All-day Sittings begin Saturday night at 7:30 PM, continuing on Sunday, 6 AM until 5 PM. Orientation on Saturday includes instruction in the oryoki meal form and assignments. The day will include zazen, a Dharma Talk, Dokusan and a work period, as well as breakfast and lunch.
It is alright to sit half of the day, but please sign up in advance, and please speak to Josho 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 at info@chzc.org by the Wednesday before. For more information on the oryoki meal form see www.kannondo.org/i-am-new/oryoki.
Harmonious Practice:
What to do when in the Zendo
Saturday, July 18
In this workshop, open to both new and more experienced practitioners, we will go over various forms of practice such as when and how to bow, which direction to face at various times in the zendo, how to hold and care for sutra books, and how to move and carry objects. We will also take a short tour of the Center and have a question and answer period. We will end the morning with a period of zazen and a short service.
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 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 Carol carollyklein53@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.
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.
Inter-Faith Council Community Kitchen
A group of Zen Center volunteers prepare and serve lunch at the Inter-Faith Council (IFC) 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 Carrboro. 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.
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!
We would like to express our deep gratitude to Chris Censullo and Lance Ashdown for their years of service as Vice President and Member-at Large, respectively.
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.
Library Acquisitions
Recent additions to the Chapel Hill Zen Center’s Member’s Library include:
The Formless Record of the Transmission of Illumination, Giun Inoue
The Other Shore: A New Translation of the Heart Sutra with Commentaries, Thich Nhat Hahn
Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet: Harnessing the Power of Mindfulness for a Regenerative World, Personal Growth, and Inner Peace, Thich Nhat Hanh
Only What We Could Carry: The Japanese American Internment Experience, Lawson Fusao, Inada, Patricia Wakida, et al.
Open Reality: Meeting the Polycrisis Together with all Beings, Shodo Spring
Spreading Indra’s Net: the Columbia Lectures of D.T. Suzuki, Richard Jaffe, editor
Tale of a Zendo Teapot, PJ Mooney
Painting Peace: Art in a Time of Global Crisis, Kazuzaki Tanahashi
In Praise of Shadows, Junichiro Tanizaki
Lotus Girl: My Life at the Crossroads of Buddhism and America, Helen Tworkov
The Golden Age of Zen, John C.H. Wu
The Zen Monkey and the Lotus Flower, Tenpa Yeshe
The Sounds that Perceives the World, Kosho Uchiyama
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.
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.
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.
