AUTUMN ZEN RETREAT ON SALT SPRING ISLAND

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Zen practice helps us to become intimate with ourselves, and through this, with the world at large. Few joys are greater than practicing this with others.

-->—Peter Levitt                                                    

Salt Spring Zen Circle, which practices in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, author of the classic Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, will be offering our annual Autumn Retreat, called sesshin, at the beautiful Gatehouse and gardens of Stowel Lake Farm on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia. The retreat begins at 7:00 PM on Thursday, October 31st, and ends at 3:00 PM on Sunday, November 3rd.

Beginning and experienced meditators are most welcome to attend. We encourage participants to maximize the benefits of this sesshin by making this a residential retreat at Stowel Lake Farm. In addition, a limited number of free billets are available for off island participants who would like to stay with sangha members.

Known for his warmth, humour, clarity and the depth of his teachings, poet and founding teacher of Salt Spring Zen Circle, Eihei Peter Levitt, will guide this traditional Zen retreat. Author of fourteen books of poetry and prose, he also served as Associate Editor of the Zen classic, The Treasury of the True Dharma Eye: Zen Master Dogen's Shobo Genzo (Shambhala, 2010), and coeditor, with Kazuaki Tanahashi, of The Essential Dogen: Writings of the Great Zen Master.

  

In keeping with our tradition of offering authentic practice for the least possible fee, the cost of the retreat is $130 - $170 (sliding scale) for the entire sesshin, including all eight meals, plus voluntary dana (donation) for the practice and teachings Peter will provide. The cost of accommodation at the farm is separate. More information about this sesshin, accommodations at the farm, or billeting can be obtained by contacting our Registrar. Please see below.  

 

 

We encourage those who want to make this a residential retreat, and off-island visitors who may want billeting, to register early since such accommodations are provided on a first come first served basis.

For details and to receive a registration form, please contact the Registrar, Ann Colburn at acolburn@verizon.net or call our Retreat Steward, Judith Daylen, at 250-537-2061. Judith may also be reached at jdaylen@gmail.com. You may also fill out the registration form online here or by going to http://saltspringzencircle.org/

Special Open House - 'Natural Mind: Healing from the Inside Out'

with James Sacamano

January 30th

Date details +

Room: Meditation Hall

We welcome everyone to join us for this special Open House. James Sacamano will speak on a topic from his new book, Getting Back to Wholeness: The Treasury of Inner Health and the Power of a Meaningful Life.
This book offers an empowering vision of healing to help those working with illness or problems in ordinary life. The book will be available for purchase in the Victoria Shambhala Centre’s bookstore.
Please note that our usual Open House format will vary slightly for this evening:

• 6:45 PM: Welcome. Meet people and get your bearings.
• 7:00 PM: Meditation instruction and practice. Abbreviated introductory instruction will be available at 7:00 PM. (To learn about meditation instruction see our Meditation page.)
• 7:30 PM: Talk and discussion. “Natural Mind: Healing from the Inside Out,” with James Sacamano
• 9:00 PM: Tea. Mingle with others who share your curiosity and interest.

We suggest a donation of $5.00 – $10.00.
About James Sacamano: A student of The Venerable Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche since 1971, Jim served as Trungpa Rinpoche’s representative to the Shambhala communities of Berkeley, California and Halifax, Nova Scotia from 1977 to 1983. He has also worked in landscaping, driving taxi, serving two years in the US Navy, as a nurse, and in a forty-three year career in emergency medicine, psychiatry and mental health.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at victoria.shambhala@gmail.com.