Zen retreat with Jeff Shore December 8-10 December 8, 2006

We’re pleased to announce that Jeff Shore is returning to the Washington area Dec. 8-10 to give a public talk and lead a weekend Rohatsu retreat. Zen retreats are excellent opportunities to deepen and intensify daily practice for a brief period.

Jeff Shore, an American, is a lay Zen man and professor of International Zen at Hanazono University in Kyoto, Japan. Since 1982 has been training under Keidô Fukushima, head abbot of the Tôfukuji training monastery in Kyoto. Jeff leads annual retreats in Europe and North America. The focus of his work is accurately expressing and transmitting Zen Buddhism in the West. This includes critically evaluating that tradition. For more information and a collection of his talks (reading them is highly recommended for retreat participants), see this website: http://www.zenonderdedom.nl/pages/jeff_en.htm

A public talk, titled Religious Experience in the Light of Zen Buddhism/Zen Buddhism in the Light of Religious Experience, will take place on Friday night, Dec. 8 (the date Zen Buddhists observe Rohatsu, the Buddha's enlightenment) at the Friends Meeting House in Washington. The talk is open to the community at large and will explore the nature of “religious experiences” — which we all have. What do these experiences reveal about the world, and about our selves? How can they help us to understand — and do — genuine Zen Buddhist practice?

The retreat will take place at the zendo and run all day Saturday and a half day Sunday. It will include practice-centered talks and opportunities for discussion and one-on-one encounters. (If you sign up for the retreat, please plan on attending the Friday talk.)

As a special addition, we will also have optional sitting all night Saturday into Sunday morning, as Japanese Zen monasteries do during Rohatsu. Jeff will sit through the night, give a brief talk midway through and be available for one-on-one exchanges.

Requested donations: $50 (talk and retreat); $5 (talk only). To sign up, please respond to this message or to the zendo email, [email protected]. If you have any physical or mental concerns or questions, please let us know when signing up.

Tentative schedule

Talk

Religious Experience in the Light of Zen Buddhism/Zen Buddhism in the Light of Religious Experience

Friday, Dec. 8, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.,

Friends Meeting House, 2111 Florida Ave. NW, Washington, DC (near Dupont Circle). The talk is open to the public.

Retreat at KSZ

Saturday, Dec. 9

8 a.m. - noon.: Morning service, zazen, talk

Noon - 1:30 p.m.: Lunch, break

1:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.: Zazen, discussion, 1-on-1 encounters

5 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.: Dinner, break

6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.: Zazen, 1-on-1 encounters
Optional overnight Rohatsu sitting (9:45 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.): Zazen, talk, 1-on-1 encounters

Sunday, Dec. 10:

8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.: Zazen, talk/discussion, 1-on-1 encounters

12:30 p.m.-12:45 p.m.: Closing

Official Website: http://www.washingtonzen.org/