Street Zen Training, 21st July

In our Zen Training circle on Sunday we studied a tool for including all aspects of our life in practice, called the Five Buddha Families. They're sometimes used in the Zen Peacemakers as a way of reflecting on our engagement with life - Spirituality, Study, Livelihood, Social Action, and Integration/Celebration. Originally they developed in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism, where they are used as a very rich model of how our psyche operates moment by moment.

As usual, a fantastic meal was shared together outdoors at the end!

Street Zen Training, 7th July

 

Here's a photo Eric sent me of the meal laid out in the last Street Zen Training.  By the way, it was a plaesure to be absent and know the circle was going on without me - this was the first time in five years of offering these circles that I've not been present!  I've invited other people to facilitate before, or lead different bits of an event.  But this was my first ever absence while I've been Circle Steward!  So thankyou very much to Eric...

Chris

Lots going on...

 

We've had several activities in the past few of weeks.  Eric hosted the Street Zen Training last Sunday, and he also led another couple of guided Mindfulness and Metta sessions on the Sundays in between.  He held these outdoors too, in the unexpected but very welcome sunshine we're having right now!  On Tuesday this week we held another Rumi Reflection Group meeting in Sally's Secret Garden, taking a poem by Rumi and using it as a starting point for reflecting on our own lives.  This week was our last one with the translation Love's Ripening by Helminski and Rizwani.  We'll be moving on to Rumi: Bridge to the Soul by Coleman Barks next time.  The plan is to wander through many different Rumi translations, hearing him in different voices, to encourage a variety in the way we reflect on our own life too.

From somewhere beyond myself

grace radiates into my heart.

Somewhere a Candle illumines this whole world.

Who am I? Just the candlestick holder.

Rumi

Rumi Reflection Group, 25th June

 

Here we are in this hidden corner, drunk.

O friend!  These companions merged

into a single soul, drunk,

detached from the self and the world,

with mouths closed like pistachios,

breathing lightly

with the secret You gave them.

Rumi

Street Zen Training, 23rd June

We met together on a windy sunday afternoon, and watched the Midsummer Watch parade go by with huge puppets of elephants and dragons and pirate ships and demons!  Then we sat by the big cross in Abbey Square outside the Cathedral and discussed the Norwegian ecological philosopher Arne Naess.  Jennie, who comes from Norway, spoke about how well known he is there, and how creatively crazy.  We explored the idea that humans are not any more important or valuable than other forms of life, only we have more responsibility because of our intelligence and self-awareness.  We spoke about interconnectedness and human action, and also a little about the idea of the Zen Peacemaker Circles themselves in an ecological light - that they are intended to embody the traditional role of a "Zen Teacher" in a more varied way, within the Circle itself rather than authority and wisdom being seen as resting in a single person.

Eric's First Mindfulness Session!

 

Eric today started fortnightly mindfulness and metta sessions, to be held the weeks in between the street training in Chester.  The venue is the Harvest Moon cafe, opposite the library.  Sunday was the first meeting, and lots of people turned up to be led gently by Eric in the traditional Buddhist meditation practice known as the MIndfulness of Breathing...

Rumi Reflection Group, 12th June

 

The work of love is to create

a window in the heart,

for the breast is illumined

by the beauty of the beloved

Rumi