From there, to here
Awaken Your Sunday
With Zen Meditation, Wisdom & Connection.
Upcoming Programming
Council is an age-old tribal practice of sitting around the fire and sharing within a circle. The Way of Council is a core practice of the Zen Peacemaker Order and has had significant impact on how many sanghas in the White Plum are organized and practice Zen. Council can be an integral aspect of Zen training and practice. Council hones our capacity to bear witness to our many selves, listen deeply, speak from the heart, and plunge into our shared experience of life. It can foster relationships, perspective-taking, and strengthen community.
This 2-day training will be in the form of a retreat. It is organized in three parts.
Part 1 introduces and orients participants to the spirit of Council.
Part 2 explores the basics of Council, facilitation, and ways of keeping Council alive.
Part 3 explores the Gate of Sweet Nectar, 6 realms, 5 wisdom energies, council within meditation; and Fishbowl Council.
Part 4 explores Council Limitations, Effective Modes of Decision-making, Nonviolent and Cross-Cultural Communication.
Each participant will receive a White Plum Council Handbook, an incentive to facilitate Council certificate, and Council’s Facilitator’s Quick Sheet as part of the curriculum. A draft of a schedule and outline of the training sessions is listed below.
Council Learnings:
Understand the history, purpose, ritual aspects, spirit, and gathering of group wisdom.
Explore the basics of Council (e.g. history, purpose, ritual, set-up, styles, guidelines, Three Tenets, facilitation, and aliveness.)
Learn how to read the field, address shadows, work with power & cultural dynamics.
See the limitations of Council (e.g. it’s not for direct communication, grievance processes, group therapy, decision-making, etc.)
Retreat Prices – Nonmembers: $225, Members: $199. Maximum: 16 people.
Retreat is In-person Only
Facilitator: Sensei Jitsujo T. Gauthier
Training Schedule:
Schedule: begins Friday, July 24 @ 7:00 PM; Ends Sun. July 26 @ 4 PM
FRIDAY
7-9 PM. Introduction to Council + Welcome
SATURDAY
7-7:50 AM. Morning Meditation
8:00 Breakfast
9-12 PM. Training Session 1
12:15. Lunch + Rest
2-5 Training Session 2
4-6 Exercise, Walk, Stretch, Rest
6:00 Dinner
7:30-9 Evening Council
10 Sleep
SUNDAY
7-7:50 AM Morning Meditation
8:00 Breakfast
9-12 PM Training Session 3
12:15 Lunch + Rest
1:30-3:30 Training Session 4
3:30-4 Clean-up & End
Introduction to Council:
• History & Purpose of Council
• Council as Ritual
• Spirit of Council
• Allowing the Wisdom of the Group
Training Session 1: The Basics
• Council Set-up, Guidelines, and Styles
• Council Facilitation
• Keeping Council Alive
Training Session 2: Intimacy and Playfulness
• Council Games
• The Three Tenet in Council
• Deepening in Council
Training Session 3: Working with Shadows
• Reading the Field
• Addressing the Shadow and Turning into the Skid
• Working with Power & Cultural Dynamics
Training Session 4: Limitations
• Limitations of Council (e.g., NOT direct communication, grievance process, group therapy, an effective
form of decision making, etc.)
• Other Effective modes of Decision-making, Nonviolent & Cross-cultural Communication
You’re invited to our Day of Remembrance/Mini O-Bon Festival!
Join us on Sunday, Aug. 2nd from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon at Zen Life & Meditation Center for a morning of prayer, story, movement, and shared food — honoring those who came before us.
Our program includes a Buddhist Memorial Service, a Circle of Remembrance where you can share a story of your loved one, a Mini Bon Dance with three traditional O-Bon folk dances, and a Community Feast of Japanese and Hawaiian style food.
Honor your loved one by having their name inscribed on our Memorial Wall. We ask a minimum donation of $200. Contact Roshi June at June.tanoue@zlmc.org or 708-297-6321,
Community Feast: $10 adults • $5 children
All are welcome.
Five Dharma leaders and artists will gather for a 5-day working creative residency at Zen Life & Meditation Center to explore Buddha Dharma through movement, voice, creative expression and not-knowing. Together they will bring a broader view of Buddhist practice by embracing the embodied and social nature of human existence.
The residency integrates traditional Buddhist practices of Shamatha, Zen, and Vipassana meditation chanting, ritual, and Dharma sharing, with other forms honoring the many ways different communities access and express the Dharma, such as vocal song, spoken word, art, listening circles, and the indigenous art form of Hula.
The work of the week will be shared with the public in two Dharma offerings open to all. We’d love for you to be involved! Join us:
Sat., Aug. 8th, 7-8:30 pm (CST) - Hybrid: at ZLMC
(Please register for this with the button below so we know you’re coming)Sun., Aug 9th, 10-11:00 am - offered as part of ZLMC Sunday Morning Zen program - Zoom Link
We invite you to the practice of dana/generosity, whether with in-person help or through monetary contribution. Suggested Dana of $15 - 30 for Saturday night and Sunday’s presentation.
We invite your Dana Contribution to cultivate an open heart
and nurture our mutual interconnections.
Questions? Contact Roshi June Tanoue.
The living mandala is composed of:
Venerable Clear Grace Dayananda,
Roshi/Kumu June Kaililani Ryushin Tanoue,
We are able to hold this experimental residency with these five wonderful dharma teachers due,
in part, to the generosity of a grant from the Frederick Lenz Foundation
About
Cultivating mindful awareness through our practice
Zen meditation and the cultivation of mindful awareness form the core of our practice, offering profound benefits such as stress management, deeper relationships, and a richer life experience.
The center is like a breath of fresh air in this chaotic and ungrounded time in history. It has given me an insightful perspective on what is essential in this life we all share.
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