No zazen 6 April

Hi all - just a quick note that there will be no meeting on Weds 6 April - I'll be away at the Crosby sesshin for the week. We'll pick up again on Weds 13th.

A visit to the UoN's Meditation Society

A big thank you to the organisers of the University of Northampton's Meditation Society who invited me to visit yesterday. There was a great turnout - 20 if you include the photographer (and as he also sat with us, you can definitely include him!), and the session seemed appreciated.

The members of Meditation Society are probably not Buddhist (though some are), and definitely not Zennistas, so I used the forms of Zen as an example of how meditation can be practised in a ritualised context. We bowed, we sat in straight lines with straight postures (and a good strong sitting it was too), and then afterwards we chanted the Identity of Relative and Absolute, then ended with a few more bows!

Chatting afterwards it seems the chanting was considered the 'oddest' element, but that the ritual context helped people get into a good frame of mind for meditation. I asked people to consider what rituals they already use or might develop in their own practice and left them to chew on that for a while.

Thanks especially to Chetack Nangare and Charmaine Sonnex, Pres & Sec of Meditation Society, for the invitation and help setting up & breaking down... as well as permission to share these photos...

A very appropriate fundraiser...!

My friend and sangha sister Miranda Forward is taking tokudo this spring - becoming a monk. As you know, part of the ritual is the shaving of the head, and Miranda is using this opportunity to raise funds for the charity Alopecia UK.

If you'd like to contribute, please go to her JustGiving.com page (remember GiftAid if you're a UK taxpayer).

Zen at UoN

The chair of the UoN Meditation Society, Chetak Nangare (and it must be said in the interests of full disclosure, one of my PhD students!) has put a flyer and Facebook event up for this week's session at the uni:

Event link: www.facebook.com/events/767647123379579/

Upcoming visits

Just to keep everyone posted (and show that I'm keeping busy!), thought I'd drop a note here to say that I'll be doing two visits in the next couple of weeks.

First I'll be attending Eastfield Academy to run a full-school assembly there. I'll be trying to remember not to embarrass my son too much, who's in Year 4 at Eastfield! I've done a few primary school visits before, and always enjoy the kids' curiosity and occasionally odd questions.

The following week I'll also be visiting the University of Northampton's Meditation Society to give them a bit of a taste of formal zazen practice - curious to find what they make of it.

Should anyone else happen to need a visit from a Zen monk, drop me a line!

Fiiiilll me!

Come & warm the zafus!

Upcoming retreats

StoneWater Zen UK have announced two upcoming retreats. From 20-23 January will be a "Retreat to the City", involving a stay at the Liverpool zendo using the normal Retreat to the City schedule. Full cost £90*, contact John Suigen Kenworthy at suigen@blueyonder.co.uk for more information or to book.

Also, the Spring Sesshin dates have been finalised and announced: the sesshin will run from 3 to 9 April at Crosby Hall, just north of Liverpool. This is one of the two main retreats held each year, lead by Keizan Sensei, and follows a traditional sesshin schedule. A flyer can be downloaded, please feel free to distribute this to anyone who may be interested. Full cost £250*, contact Jez Lovekin at jezlovekin@btinternet.com for more information or to book.

* Concessionary rates available at both events.