Victoria Vipassana Community Weekly Sunday Sit

The Victoria Vipassana Community meets for a community meditation every Sunday from 7:00-9:00 pm. at the Lynn Wylie Yoga Studio. This includes 45 min. of silent meditation followed by taped Dharma talks, discussion or occasional guest speakers. We welcome everyone whatever their faith gender, race, abilities, sexual orientation, age or ability to pay.

Our intention is to have a central place to gather and practice in order to support our growing community. We invite you to pass this announcement on to others who may be interested.

The Victoria Vipassana Community Sits will continue over the Summer.

Aug 15: The Sunday night sit will be facilitated by June Fukushima. After the 45 minute sit, there will be reflections on Metta practice. Participants of Heather Martin's Metta retreat weekend are welcome to share what they learned from the weekend.

Aug 22: This Sunday night sit will be facilitated by Isabelle House. Following the 45 min. sit she will play a recorded talk by Tara Brach. This Dharma talk is structured around the Inuit story of "Skeleton Woman". Untangling the bones helps us to focus our attention on what is in our life right now. We all face the inevitability of change and loss but with unconditional presence we discover deep wisdom.

Aug 29: The Sunday night sit will be facilitated by Margo McLoughlin and following the meditation, she will give the second in a series of talks on karma and rebirth, drawing on material in the Jataka tales and the Dhammapada to explore the role of perception in our lives: "How can we become conscious of our habitual ways of perceiving the world? What effect does the filter of our perception have on our experience?" The evening will include time for small group discussion.

Location: Lynn Wylie Yoga Studio, #202 – 1600 Bay Street (Shakespeare St. entrance) View Map

Day and Time: Sundays 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Format: We will start with a 45 minute sit followed by a taped talk or a speaker with time to share or reflect.

Cost: By donation (to cover rental of yoga studio and dana for the occasional guest speaker)

Additional Details: There are chairs, yoga mats, bolsters and blankets for our use, but feel free to bring your own sitting gear.

We invite sangha members to suggest talks or speakers.

Please contact Brock Brown at 250-472-6065 or brock1492@shaw.ca for more information.

Level I: The Art of Being Human
Through the practice of meditation, we glimpse unconditional goodness as the ground of our existence. Opening to ourselves with gentleness and appreciation, we begin to see our potential as genuine and compassionate human beings.
Shambhala Training Level I is an excellent introduction to the practice of meditation and the basic view underlying the entire Shambhala Buddhist teachings.
Steve Seely will lead the two day program, which begins on Friday evening, August 27 and continues on Saturday, August 28. Mr. Seely, who currently lives in Seattle with his wife and daughter, has practiced and taught in the Shambhala tradition for many years. Mr. Seely completed the three year retreat at Gampo Abbey in Nova Scotia, and is currently a student of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche and Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche.
The suggested fee for the program is $75.00. Under the Centre's generosity policy participants are encouraged to pay what they can afford, either more or less than the suggested fee.
August 27: 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm & August 28: 9:00 am – 5:30pm

To register go to the Web page of the Victoria Shambhala Centre http://victoria.shambhala.org/index.php
For More information contact Mark Hazel youthful_moon@hotmail.com

New Translation of Dogen's Complete Shobo Genzo Now Available

Dear Dharma Friends

As the Associate and Translation Editor of this new translation: Shobo Genzo: Zen Master Dogen's Treasury of the True Dharma Eye, edited by Kazuaki Tanahashi (Moon in a Dewdrop, etc.) I'm very pleased to let you know that it is now available for ordering at a pre-publication discount if you order before August 20,2010.

Shambhala Publications produced a beautiful two volume boxed set for this 1300 page text. Please take a look at:

http://www.shambhala.com/html/catalog/items/isbn/978-1-59030-474-7.cfm

Here is some of the material Shambhala is making available about this translation:


A vast, beautiful translation of the Shobo Genzo, the master work of the Japanese genius Dogen Zenji.”—Peter Matthiessen (Muryo Roshi)

Available August 20, 2010.
Pre-order now and save $35!
Use coupon code TTDE35 at checkout.
Offer expires 8/20/2010.
http://www.shambhala.com/html/catalog/items/isbn/978-1-59030-474-7.cfm
List price: $150
Price with code: $115

We’re delighted to announce the arrival of this milestone in American Zen: a complete translation of Dogen Zenji’s masterwork, Treasury of the True Dharma Eye. The translation was done by a team made up of some of the most prominent teachers of Zen in the West, under the leadership of Kazuaki Tanahashi, and is accompanied by maps, glossary, lineage charts, and other materials to enhance understanding. This beautifully produced, two-volume, boxed set will be a treasured addition to any Zen student's library. It is available only though our website—you won’t find it in bookstores.


Praise for the new translation

“At long last! A discerning, poetic, and, intimate rendering of Dogen’s true expression of the dharma. Dogen’s devotees have long awaited Tanahashi’s complete translation of the Shobo Genzo into a contemporary and deeply profound version. Those new to the wisdom of this great teacher as well as those who treasure him will delight in the extraordinary work by our foremost translator and interpreter of Dogen’s masterpiece.”—Pat Enkyo O’Hara, Abbot, Village Zendo, New York

“Kaz Tanahashi, a renowned translator of Dogen and noted artist, has put together an outstanding team of co-translators to create a complete rendering of Dogen's magnum opus, the Shobo Genzo. This publication, which will be in great demand by all scholars, students and practitioners of Zen Buddhism and Eastern thought more generally, is both accurate and accessible in following the original text literally while capturing the spirit of Dogen's poetic genius. Although there are numerous versions of the work available in English, this new edition is sure to be the one turned to and cited consistently by knowledgeable readers .”—Steven Heine, Professor of Religious Studies and Director of Asian Studies, Florida International University

“Reading over Treasury of the True Dharma Eye: Zen Master Dogen’s Shobo Genzo, I am astonished first by the incredible range and variety of Dogen's writings, and second by the immense task that has been done to translate this major text. With the possible exception of Hakuin's complete writings, there is nothing in Japanese Zen to equal the immense breadth and depth of Dogen's work, which ranges from direct instructions in simple language to the most complex and profound teachings that use words to go far beyond words. I am convinced that Zen students will find this text especially valuable to contemplate, study and absorb over the entire course of their lifetimes.”—Stephen Addiss, author of The Art of Zen

Dharma Entrustment Ceremony

The Salt Spring Zen Circle is pleased to announce that Eihei Peter Levitt received Dharma Entrustment from Zoketsu Norman Fischer, former Abbot of San Franscisco Zen Center and founder of Everyday Zen, on May 17, 2010. Dharma Entrustment, a lay form of Dharma Transmission, authorises Eihei as a lay Zen teacher in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki-roshi, founder of San Francisco Zen Center and author of the Zen classic, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind.

Salt Spring Zen Circle, on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia, was founded in 2001 by Eihei Peter Levitt after he emigrated to Canada and became a Canadian citizen. It is a continuation of the Topanga Zen Group of Topanga, California, which Eihei began in 1986.

The evening Entrustment Ceremony was attended by sangha members and friends in the Salt Spring community at The Gatehouse on Stowell Lake Farm on Salt Spring.

Great congratulations!

Write For Queenswood

Letters of support from the many friends of Queenswood are appreciated by Friday, August 6 and emailed to write4queenswood@gmail.com.

The Queenswood Centre has been recently sold to the University of Victoria and the Queenswood Centre will close October 3, 2010.

In the coming weeks, Sister Eileen Curteis intends to meet with pivotal figures in the university administration. At this time, she hopes to explore possibilities for partnership with UVic and would like to present letters of support from the many friends of Queenswood. Please write emails that speak to the centre's unique and transformative character. More specifically, the hope is that these letters will express (a) how important Queenswood is to you and (b) your inspiration to see an enhanced Queenswood continue in partnership with the University of Victoria

Letters can be addressed to:

David H. Turpin, CM, PhD, FRSC
President and Vice-Chancellor

Office of the President
University of Victoria
Administrative Services Building, A220
PO Box 1700 STN CSC
VICTORIA BC V8W 2Y2
CANADA

Two Day Spiritual Retreat in Duncan

Click on Poster to englarge

Sun Lotus Art House in Duncan has generously offered their beautiful facility for us to host a Two Day Spiritual Retreat with Seven Tibetan Buddhist Teachers and one Chanting Master. The event will include the program, meals, and camping facilities. We encourage you to come to relax, rejuvenate, and reflect on the nature of life during this amazing Spiritual Retreat with these authentic, experienced teachers from Tibet (and one from Bhutan).

TEACHERS

• Tsengdok Rinpoche, Gelug lineage, will present Buddha’s first teaching on the nature of existence (Denpa Shi).
• Lama Tenzin Tsondue, Rime lineage, will teach about the art and symbolism of Mandalas (kyilkor).
• Lama Jampa Tenzin, Sakya lineage, will teach on immeasurable love, compassion, joy, and equanimity (Tsadme Shi).
• Lobpon Sang Ngak Yeshi, Duk-Nyingma lineage, will lead ceremonial purification offerings (bSangSol).
• Lama Rabten, Kagyu lineage, will teach the four ways to change the mind (Lodok Nampashi)
• Ngakpa Kalzang Dorje, Nyingma lineage, will teach the eight verses on training the mind (Lojong Tsiggyad).
• Geshe Yongdong, Bon lineage, will teach about the spiritual and elemental threads of prayer flags (rungta)
• U-dzad Sopa Gyatso, Gelug lineage, is an authentic chant master and will lead us in prayers.

WHEN
August 28th 11:30 am to 29th 5:00 p.m.

WHERE
Sun Lotus Art House 5070 Culverton Rd Duncan, B.C. V9L 6H4

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?
Anyone interested in joining the spiritual retreat!

PROGRAM
Retreat program

COST
$125 per person includes the full program, meals, and camping facilities.
Each participant will also have a 1 in 10 chance to win a limited edition Coco Jones print worth $200

REGISTRATION
contact Pema at pemaw.chen@yahoo.ca to register. You can also register at any of our teachers’ centres. Register early as space is limited.

MORE INFO
To find out more about this retreat email Pema
Wangchen .

Hosted by the Tibet Cultural Society of Vancouver Island

Victoria Vipassana Community Weekly Sit

The Victoria Vipassana Community meets for a community meditation every Sunday from 7:00-9:00 pm. at the Lynn Wylie Yoga Studio. This includes 45 min. of silent meditation followed by taped Dharma talks, discussion or occasional guest speakers. We welcome everyone whatever their faith gender, race, abilities, sexual orientation, age or ability to pay.

Our intention is to have a central place to gather and practice in order to support our growing community. We invite you to pass this announcement on to others who may be interested.

The Victoria Vipassana Community Sits will continue over the Summer.

Location: Lynn Wylie Yoga Studio, #202 – 1600 Bay Street (Shakespeare St. entrance)

Day and Time: Sundays 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Format: We will start with a 45 minute sit followed by a taped talk or a speaker with time to share or reflect.

Cost: By donation (to cover rental of yoga studio and dana for the occasional guest speaker)

Additional Details: There are chairs, yoga mats, bolsters and blankets for our use, but feel free to bring your own sitting gear.


Please contact Brock Brown brock1492@shaw.ca for more information.

Metta Retreat for New and Experienced Meditators

Victoria Vipassana Community
2-day Non Residential Weekend
Metta Retreat for New and Experienced Meditators
August 14 and 15, 2010
with Heather Martin
at Queenswood, 2494 Arbutus Rd., Victoria, BC

Registration form for the retreat


This non-residential weekend retreat is being offered for those new to and to those familiar with meditation practice. The focus will be on Metta or “loving kindness”. Metta practice cultivates interpersonal harmony and opens the heart unconditionally.

We will meet from 9:00 am until 4:30 pm each day at Queenswood, 2494 Arbutus Rd., Victoria, B.C., on Saturday, August 14 and Sunday, August 15, 2010.

Retreat Details: Please visit: http://victoriavipassana.org/?page_id=14

Intensive Preparation (Members Course)-Victoria Zen Centre

Saturdays 9-11:30am June 5 & 12, 2010
Victoria Zen Centre - 4970 Nagle Road
Sooke, BC

If you have successfully developed a stable daily practice of Zen meditation as a member of the Victoria Zen Centre, and are wondering how to go further with our Sangha, this course is your next step. Participants will be introduced to the subtleties and differences involved in intensive training, and will receive an orientation to, and experience of, practices that are specific to intensive training in the Zen tradition. The Intensive Preparation course is the gateway to deepening your practice.

The fee for this course is $195 which includes course manual and materials.

For program information and to register, please visit our website.

Or email office@zenwest.ca

Orientation to Zen Buddhist Practice - Victoria Zen Centre

"For over twenty years I had read book after book on the subjects of Zen and Buddhism, but somewhere in the back of my mind I knew all that reading was not enough. I was not DOING. The 'Orientation to Zen Buddhist Practice' course was that huge nudge I needed to get myself truly participating and practicing." - Elder Seishin Susanne Ledingham

Mondays 7:00-9:30pm June 7-28, 2010
Queenswood Centre - 2494 Arbutus Road
Victoria, BC

Discover the impact that consistent practice can have on and in your life! This course was designed by our abbot Ven. Eshu Martin, and is aimed at providing the support necessary for you to put an end to excuses, and to begin a stable and life long transformative practice through Zen Buddhism.

The fee for this four-week course is $295 and includes:

* Four weekly Sessions for a total of ten hours of class time.
* Small class size (max.8).
* A meditation cushion for each participant to keep.
* Course manual and supplementary materials.
* Teachings and group discussions on core aspects of Zen Practice.
* Peer Support.
* Chanting practice CD and Chant Sheet.
* The opportunity to become a member of the Victoria Zen Centre.

For program information and to register:

Visit our website.

or email office@zenwest.ca

Ajahn Sona Public Talk

Victoria Vipassana Community Welcomes:

Ajahn Sona

Friday, May 7th 7 – 9 p.m.

Public Talk:

The Relationship of Concentration to the Development of Wisdom.

Note: The location has been changed to accommodate more people.

Please go to Queenswood Retreat Center, 2494 Arbutus Road, Victoria, BC. May 7th 7-9 p.m. We will be in the Chapel. Chairs will be available. Floor-sitters, please bring your own cushion.

No registration is required for the Friday night talk, however we would appreciate an email to brockbrown108@gmail.com if you are planning to attend.

Ajahn Sona – Abbot of Birken Forest Monastery

Born in Canada, Ajahn (”teacher”) Sona’s background as a layperson is in classical guitar performance. His encounter with Buddhist wisdom as a young man initiated a spiritual journey that led him to become a lay hermit for several years. He subsequently ordained as a Theravada monk under Venerable Gunaratana, at the Bhavana Society in West Virginia. Ajahn Sona further trained at monasteries in the Ajahn Chah lineage in northeast Thailand, especially Wat Pah Nanachat. Upon his return to Canada in 1994 he helped establish Birken Forest Monastery which is now located south of Kamloops BC.

Ajahn Sona has been in robes for over 20 years. He has ample experience leading meditation retreats and lecturing on Buddhist meditation and practice, both in Canada and abroad. His teachings combine tried-and-true Buddhist wisdom with modern commonsense.

Shambhala Level I The Art of Being Human

At the Victoria Shambhala-Buddhist Meditation Centre

An introduction to the path of meditation in which we learn to experience the world as sacred and see basic goodness as our birthright. More

Through the practice of meditation, we glimpse unconditional goodness as the ground of our existence. Opening to ourselves with gentleness and appreciation, we begin to see our potential as genuine and compassionate human beings.
This first weekend of the Shambhala Training Heart of Warriorship series introduces participants to the practice of sitting meditation and to the basic principles of the Shambhala path of warriorship. There is a fundamental, good energy present in all of our experience, and this basic goodness, innate to the way things are, is our own inborn, unconditional nature as well.
The program includes meditation instruction, talks by the Director, group discussions, guided contemplative practice, and individual interviews with instructors.
Shambhala Training Level One is a pre-requisite for Level Two and is the first step in The Way of Shambhala curriculum.

To register go to the Victoria Shambhala Website front page, find the program on the left and register.
http://victoria.shambhala.org/index.php

Spring Workshops with Ngakpa Kalzang Dorje

Explore the potential of mind this spring in Victoria and Nanaimo workshops. Ngakpa Kalzang will teach about the mind's role in our experience of life. He will discuss mind training from the Buddhist perspective, and how to ultimately cultivate compassion, wisdom, and freedom from suffering.

Workshop details:

Victoria: May 8th, 2010 from 1 to 4 pm at Queenswood Centre, 2494 Arbutus Rd, Victoria.

Nanaimo: May 15th, 2010 from 1 to 4 pm at Solace Wellness Centre, 719 Fitzwilliam St, Nanaimo.

To register please call 250-748-6028 or email info@thubtencholing.com. For more information visit http://www.thubtencholing.com/.

Thursday evening teaching series at the Sakya Centre

The Victoria Buddhist Dharma Centre's resident teacher, Lama Jhampa Tenzin, is currently giving teachings Thursday evenings at 7:00 with translator Lama Jhampa Shaneman. The initial teachings, which began on March 11, are based on Nagarjuna's Letter to a Friend. The series will then continue with teaching based on The 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva and with further topics until mid May 2010.

These teachings are relevant for laypeople wishing to be happier, calmer, and more in control in their daily lives. They do not teach specific meditation techniques and are open to all regardless of previous experience.

A donation of $12 per session is requested from those able to do so to cover costs.

Out of consideration for the neighbors, please do not park on the street next to their homes. The best place other than the Centre's parking spaces is across Maplewood on the park side of Camrose.

Centre Address:
3371 Maplewood Road
Victoria, BC
V8P 3N1
(250) 385-4828
sakyacentre@gmail.com
http://www.island.net/~sakya/

Orientation to Zen Buddhist Practice - Victoria Zen Centre

"For over twenty years I had read book after book on the subjects of Zen and Buddhism, but somewhere in the back of my mind I knew all that reading was not enough. I was not DOING. The 'Orientation to Zen Buddhist Practice' course was that huge nudge I needed to get myself truly participating and practicing." - Susanne Ledingham

Saturdays 9:00-11:30am April 3-24, 2010
Victoria Zen Centre - Sooke, BC

Discover the impact that consistent practice can have on and in your life! This course was designed by our abbot Ven. Eshu Martin, and is aimed at providing the support necessary for you to put an end to excuses, and to begin a stable and life long transformative practice through Zen Buddhism.

The fee for this four-week course is $295 and includes:

* Four weekly Sessions for a total of ten hours of class time.
* Small class size (max.8).
* A meditation cushion for each participant to keep.
* Course manual and supplementary materials.
* Teachings and group discussions on core aspects of Zen Practice.
* Peer Support.
* Chanting practice CD and Chant Sheet.
* The opportunity to become a member of the Victoria Zen Centre.

For program information and to register:

Visit our website.

or email office@zenwest.ca

Regular Online Morning Zen Meditation - Victoria Zen Centre

The Victoria Zen Centre would like to invite you to join Ven. Eshu ONLINE for morning meditation practice EVERY MONDAY AND THURSDAY from 6-6:45am(PST).

Using a fantastic web conferencing application from Adobe, all you have to do is click the link, and you are in the Zendo! Ven. Eshu will ring the bells, and all you have to do is sit, and enjoy the support of the online sangha.

Don't worry if you sleep in, or if you have to leave early to get ready for work, your comings and goings won't disturb anyone.

Be sure that you disable your screensaver, and shut off power saving options.

If you have any questions about connecting, please contact the Victoria Zen Centre office@zenwest.ca .

For added effect of being in the zendo, at the Victoria Zen Centre we use gozan incense, by Shoyeido and you can too! It is available at fine stores in Victoria like Instinct on View Street, and Whirled Arts in Fantan Alley.

Just click this link, and join in the sitting!

LINK

Spring Three-day Sesshin - Salt Spring Zen Circle

SPRING SESSHIN:

The Salt Spring Zen Circle, which practices in the Soto Zen lineage of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, will be offering our annual spring three-day sesshin. The retreat is non-residential and everyone is welcome to attend at the Gatehouse, Stowel Lake Farm.

Sesshin begins at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 26, 2010 and ends at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 28.

The cost is $80 for the entire sesshin, including all meals. Separate donations (dana) for teachings by Nanfū Peter Levitt are gratefully accepted.

We do our best to arrange billeting for off-island visitors on a first come first served basis, so please register early.

To register please contact our Registrar, Ann Colburn at acolburn@verizon.net For further questions or information call or write Rowan Percy, Co-ordinator, at 250-537-2831 or rjpercy@shaw.ca

Sundays with Pema

Sundays With Pema
at the Victoria Shambhala Meditation Centre

4 Sunday afternoons from 1:30 - 4:00 pm

Feb 21, Feb 28, (then a 2 week break) Mar 21, Mar 28

Pema Chödrön is one of the shining lights of
Shambhala known for her warmth, wisdom and wit.

Please join us for this 4-part video series – Sundays in February and March. There is an evening introduction – a talk given by Ani Pema shown after the 7 pm practice on Wednesday, Feb 17. There is no charge for the introduction.

Smile at Fear - Awakening the True Heart of Bravery
This DVD series is from a retreat led by Ani Pema Chödrön at Omega Institute, based on the book by Chögyam Trungpa and edited by Carolyn Gimian (Shambhala Publications 2009.)
Meditation instruction and group practice are included in our meetings.
“The teachings presented in this book are transformational—and especially relevant today, when so many of us are facing uncertainty and anxiety. Chögyam Trungpa shows us how to uncover our innate strength, confidence, and joy under any circumstances.” Pema Chödrön
Cost for non-members is $50. or $15. per session (cheques to Victoria Shambhala Centre)
This program is complimentary for dues paying members. You need to register.
Register soon to reserve your place - Contact Tatiana at

The Victoria Shambhala Meditation Centre
2033 Belmont Avenue (at Pembroke)
www.victoria.shambhala.org

Introduction to Zen Meditation - Victoria Zen Centre

Now held in VICTORIA at Queenswood Centre 2494 Arbutus Road!

Mondays 7:00-9:30pm February 1-22, 2010

If you are interested in learning how to meditate, this is the course for you. For people that are seeking to reduce stress, clarify a busy mind, improve focus and awareness, boost immune function, improve sleeping patterns, or gain insight into the mental, physical, and emotional habits that are preventing you from living life fully, this course offers a gradual combination of study and practice, individual and group interaction, and personal guidance that will provide a strong foundation to experience the profound change that Zen meditation practice offers.

The fee for this four-week course is $295 and includes:

* Four weekly Sessions for a total of ten hours of class time.
* Small class size (max.8).
* A meditation cushion for each participant to keep.
* Course manual and supplementary materials.
* Teachings and group discussions on core aspects of Zen Practice.
* Peer Support.
* Chanting practice CD and Chant Sheet.
* The opportunity to become a member of the Victoria Zen Centre.


For program information and to register:

Visit our website.

or email office@zenwest.ca

Meditation Retreat for New Meditators

Victoria Vipassana Community 2-day Non Residential Weekend Retreat For New Meditators
with Heather Martin on January 30 & 31, 2010 at Queenswood, 2494 Arbutus Rd., Victoria, BC

This special non-residential weekend retreat is being offered for those new to or unfamiliar with meditation practice. We will meet from 9:00 am until 4:30 pm each day at Queenswood, 2494 Arbutus Rd., Victoria, B.C., on Saturday, January 30 and Sunday, January 31, 2010.

Heather Martin will lead this non-residential weekend meditation retreat. Using a workshop format, she will provide a basic introduction to Mindfulness Meditation (also known as insight or vipassana meditation). The weekend will include periods of instruction, explanation, and practice, with ample opportunity for questions and clarification. Heather will describe both the ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ of this profound yet simple practice, which benefits us in many immediate ways. You will learn how to reduce the stress and anxiety in which we so often find ourselves, while increasing your well-being and inner calm, and ability to respond appropriately and kindly to each other. This retreat is offered particularly for those new to or unfamiliar with meditation, and for those who have some understanding of the practice, but would like a more thorough foundation.

For details on this retreat please visit: http://victoriavipassana.org