Next meeting: Monday 12 September

Please note that there will be no Zen for the next two weeks - this coming Monday (29 August) is a Bank Holiday, and I will unfortunately not able to be in Northampton for the next week either (5 September), as the next day is my son's first day at 'Big School', and not something I can miss!

Hopefully as the group becomes more established - and, more practically, if we are able to find storage for all the equipment - we won't need to cancel if I'm not able to be in town, but for now there doesn't seem to be any other option.

October sesshin

Details are now finalist for the October sesshin with Tenshin Roshi and Keizan Sensei, and a flyer with all the relevant info has just been sent round (click the image to download the flyer, PDF format). This is sesshin is arguably the highlight of the calendar for the StoneWater year and is a wonderful opportunity to practice with like-minded people and have the guidance of two excellent teachers.

If you would like to attend, please email Jez Lovekin (jezlovekin@btinternet.com), early booking really helps with the organisation of these events.

Retreats, etc...

I thought I'd post here a list of the upcoming sesshin (retreats) organised for/by the StoneWater Zen Sangha. The two main retreats each year are in Crosby, one in the Spring and one in the Autumn, and people come from around the UK to sit, eat and work together in a fairly traditional Zen format. Aside from these two main events, there are many other smaller events during the year that anyone is able to attend - though it's perhaps not as easy when you factor in travel time from the middle of the UK!

I've summarised below some details for most of the upcoming retreats (more will probably be organised and details sent out on the mailing list in due course). First, though, I'd like to point to two article on the StoneWater Notes blog:

• First, Andy Tanzan Scott has a great article called About Retreats, in which he looks at some of the reasons for going on sesshin.
• Also, Ron Anzan Bell has prepared some more practical instructions that will be of use to anyone going on their first retreat.

Remember that details of all the retreats will be kept on the SWZ website at www.stonewaterzen.org/sangha/events, and if you want to ensure that you're kept up-to-date with the latest updates, ensure that you're on the national mailing list (there's also a Northampton one...).

Dates for upcoming events

A Day of Mindfulness - Liverpool

13 August 2011
A one-day mindfulness workshop in Liverpool - flyer available for download.

StoneWater Lakes Retreat with Keizan Sensei - Lake District

4-8 September 2011
The zendo at Keizan Sensei's house in the Lake District only sits about ten people, so these retreats tend to be quite intimate. Time off in the afternoon for hill walking, usually!

Autumn Sesshin with Tenshin Roshi and Keizan Sensei - Crosby Hall

23-29 October 2011
The 13th century barn at Crosby Hall Education Trust that serves as the zendo on these retreats (loads of photos from these and other retreats on the StoneWater website by the way) usually holds 50-55 people, so these are the main events of the year, and people come from all over the UK and from Europe (Sweden, Estonia and Germany recently!) to attend. Highly recommended, if you want a chance to develop your practice.

Lakes or Liverpool? TBC

21-25 November 2011
Details need to be confirmed on this retreat...

Rohatsu Retreat - Lake District

7-11 December 2011
Rohatsu is the main calendar event of the year for Western zennies... it's the annual remembrance of the Buddha's enlightenment, and is usually observed by holding an intensive meditation retreat in order to actualise the Buddha's great determination to attain enlightenment. Last year, we also had a weekend retreat in Liverpool that included a through-the-night sit, which was very well received and I hope to be able to repeat that this year.

The barn at Crosby Hall during service with Tenshin Roshi