Victoria Zen Centre: Intensive Preparation course

Victoria Zen Centre: Intensive Preparation course

Saturday mornings, 9:00-11:30 AM
May 19 & 26, 2012
Victoria Zen Centre – Sooke, BC
Open to VZC Members and Associates who have completed the Orientation course

If you have successfully developed a stable daily practice of Zen meditation, 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.

For Full members of the VZC, the course fee is included as part of membership dues. For Basic members the course fee is $95 and for VZC Associates the fee is $195. Course fees includes a course manual and materials.


For further information about this course or to register: visit our website or email registrar@zenwest.ca

Seeing for Oneself

Victoria Insight Meditation Society

One Day Meditation Retreat

Sunday, April 29th, 2012

9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

With Brock Brown

at

Goward House

2495 Arbutus Road Victoria, BC

On this day of mindful awareness we will combine sitting and walking meditation practices with an investigation of the teachings of the Buddha with particular attention to the Kalama sutta. In this sutta, the Buddha encourages us to see for ourselves what thoughts, words and actions lead in the direction of liberation. Beginners and experienced meditators welcome.

Brock Brown has been practicing in the Theravada Buddhist tradition since 1989. He is completing the Spirit Rock Community Dharma Leader training program and is a graduate of their Dedicated Practitioner's Program. His teachers include Heather Martin and Guy Armstrong. He is also inspired by the Ajahn Chah lineage of the Thai Forest Tradition. Brock is a facilitator for the Victoria Insight Meditation Society Sunday Night Community sit, offers Beginner's Meditation courses, and is a co-facilitator of an Awakening Joy group in Victoria. Brock is also the chair of VictoriaIMS.

Cost: The Buddha's teachings are considered to be priceless. In keeping with the teachings and spirit of generosity or dana, we offer this retreat on a donation basis. The suggested donation for this retreat is $20 to cover the cost of facility rental, and other organizational expenses. A basket will be placed at the registration table for your donation. Any money collected above the costs of the retreat will go towards other VIMS programmes.

We will also set out another basket for you to offer dana for the teachings and the teacher who has shared them with us. We will speak about the practice of dana for the teachings during the retreat.

Soon after you have completed the registration form you will receive more detailed information about the retreat.

Thank you,

Joyce Elliott, Retreat Registrar

Victoria Insight Meditation Society

Web Site: http://victoriaims.org/

ANNUAL SPRING ZEN RETREAT ON SALT SPRING ISLAND WELCOMES EVERYONE

The Salt Spring Zen Circle, which practices in the Soto Zen lineage of Shunryu Suzuki, author of the classic, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, will be offering our annual Spring retreat, called sesshin.  The retreat is non-residential, beginning and experienced meditators are most welcome to attend, and free billeting for off islanders is offered.

 

This traditional retreat, held at the beautiful Gatehouse and gardens on Stowel Lake Farm, begins at 7 PM on Thursday April 19th, and ends at 3 PM on Sunday, April 22nd.

 

 

 

Cost is $120 for the entire sesshin, including all meals, plus dana (donation) for teachings by poet and founding teacher of the Salt Spring Zen Circle, Eihei Peter Levitt.  Peter is the author of fourteen books and has been practicing Zen since the nineteen sixties when he lived in San Francisco. As part of the Suzuki Roshi lineage, he is fully authorized to teach and is known for his gentle manner, his humour, and his understanding.

 

We encourage off-island visitors who may want billeting to register early since billeting will be on a first come first served basis.

 

For details and to receive a registration form, please contact Ann at acolburn@verizon.net or call our retreat manager, Rowan, at 250-537-2831.  Rowan may also be reached at rjpercy@shaw.ca

Four Kinds of Liberation:
Insight Meditation with Pascal Auclair
2-day Non Residential Weekend Retreat
Saturday & Sunday, March 24 & 25^th, 2012
9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Goward House, 2495 Arbutus Road Victoria, BC

Online Registrations Open: Click on Form (Scroll to bottom of the page on this link)

With the intention of fostering freedom and fluidity in our lives, we will investigate aspects of our lives where we get stuck, where rigidity occurs and clinging tends to rule. Pascal will help us explore how we can find more ease by releasing the holds the following have in our lives: pleasure & displeasure, views & opinions, conventions, and the ‘me-I-mine-moi’ sticky-part-of-life. Ehipassiko! Come and see for yourself! This retreat is suitable for beginners as well as those with more experience. Sitting and walking meditations will be alternated.

Pascal Auclair has been immersed in Buddhist practice and study since 1997, studying with revered Asian monastic and lay Western teachers. Pascal is co-founder of True North Insight Meditation Centre (Quebec and Ontario) and teaches in Canada, the USA and Europe. With his warmth and humour, Pascal is a much appreciated teacher.

“Pascal Auclair is a wonderful teacher. His depth of insight, classical training, and creative expression all combine in a wise and compassionate presence. I’m delighted that he is now sharing his dharma understanding.”
Joseph Goldstein, meditation teacher and author, co-founder of IMS, Mass.

Cost: The Buddha’s teachings are considered to be priceless. In keeping with the teachings and spirit of generosity or dana, we offer this retreat on a donation basis. The suggested donation for this retreat is $40 to cover the cost of facility rental, and other organizational expenses. A basket will be placed at the registration table for your donation. Any money collected above the costs of the retreat will go towards other Victoria IMS programmes.

We will also set out another basket for you to offer dana for the teachings and the teacher who has shared them with us.

Please fill in the form at http://victoriaims.org/?p=2923 (Scroll down) Within 2 – 3 days of completing the registration form you will receive more detailed information about the retreat.

Thank you,

Brock Brown, Retreat Registrar
vims1retreat@gmail.com

Orientation to Zen Buddhist Practice

"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

Saturday mornings, 9:00-11:30 AM
March 3-24, 2012
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 $395 ($295 for Victoria Zen Centre Associates) 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 registrar@zenwest.ca.

1 day Metta retreat with Margo McLoughlin

REGISTRATIONS OPEN

Resting the Heart, Freeing the Mind:
The Liberating Practice of Loving-Kindness

1-day Retreat

Sunday, February 26, 2012
9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

With Margo McLoughlin
at
Goward House
2495 Arbutus Road Victoria, BC

In the text of the Metta Sutta, or the Discourse on Loving-Kindness, the Buddha systematically lays out the practice of extending goodwill to several categories of beings. What the discourse also reveals is the potential for freeing the mind by cultivating unconditional care for all beings. In this one-day retreat, Margo will draw on the Metta Sutta to present the practice of Metta in the context of daily life. Margo will give instructions in practicing metta in all the postures, from sitting to standing, to walking and lying down. There will also be time for questions. This retreat is suitable for beginners as well as those with more experience

Margo McLoughlin has been practicing in the Insight tradition of Theravada Buddhism since 1986. She is currently training to be a Community Dharma Leader through Spirit Rock Meditation Center in California. As a storyteller and writer, Margo brings a deep appreciation of the role of metaphor, in the form of stories and poetry, to enlivening and inspiring our practice.

Cost: The Buddha’s teachings are considered to be priceless. In keeping with the teachings and spirit of generosity or dana, we offer this retreat on a donation basis. The suggested donation for this retreat is $20 to cover the cost of facility rental, and other organizational expenses. A basket will be placed at the registration table for your donation. Any money collected above the costs of the retreat will go towards other Victoria IMS programmes.

We will also set out another basket for you to offer dana for the teachings and the teacher who has shared them with us. We will speak about the practice of dana for the teachings during the retreat.

Within two to three days after you have completed the registration form you will receive more detailed information about the retreat. If you have difficulty with the online form, please email me at vims1retreat@gmail.com.

Thank you,

Eric Bedard, Retreat Registrar

Victoria Insight Meditation Retreat Registration

Victoria Zen Centre: Intensive Preparation course

Saturday mornings, 9:00-11:30 AM
February 18 & 25, 2012
Victoria Zen Centre – Sooke, BC
Open to VZC Members and Associates who have completed the Orientation course

If you have successfully developed a stable daily practice of Zen meditation, 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.

For Full members of the VZC, the course fee is included as part of membership dues. For Basic members the course fee is $95 and for VZC Associates the fee is $195. Course fees includes a course manual and materials.


For further information about this course or to register: visit our website or email registrar@zenwest.ca

Introduction to Meditation

Victoria Insight Meditation Society

2-day Non Residential Weekend Retreat

January 28 & 29^th, 2012

with Heather Martin

at Goward House, 2495 Arbutus Rd. Victoria, BC

This non-residential weekend retreat is primarily aimed at those who are new to meditation. “New to meditation” is defined as anyone who has only taken up to 1 weekend retreat to date. Forty five of the 60 retreat spots will be reserved for those new to meditation practise for the first 2 weeks of registration. That means 15 spots will immediately be available to anyone with more meditation experience. For the last 2 weeks of registration, as space allows, more spots will be available to anyone who wishes to register. Preference will be given to those who can attend both days of the retreat. We will meet from 9:00 am until 4:30 pm each day.

Heather Martin will lead this retreat using a workshop format. She will teach Mindfulness Meditation (also known as insight or vipassana meditation). The weekend will include shorter periods of instruction and practice, with ample opportunity for questions and clarification.

Heather Martin has been meditating since 1972 and has been practicing Vipassana since 1981. She teaches up and down the West Coast of the US and Canada and is the guiding teacher for the Victoria Vipassana Community. Her approach is encouraging, accessible and practical. Heather lives on Salt Spring Island. Prior to being a dharma teacher, she was a midwife for 20 years.

Cost: The Buddha's teachings are considered to be priceless. In keeping with the teachings and spirit of generosity or dana, we offer this retreat on a donation basis. The suggested donation for this retreat is $40 to cover the retreat costs and other organizational expenses. A basket will be placed at the registration table for your donation. Any money collected above the costs of the retreat will go towards other VIMS programmes.

No one will be refused for lack of funds; please give whatever is affordable given your means.

We will also set out another basket for you to offer dana for the teachings and the teacher who has shared them with us. We will speak about the practice of dana for the teachings during the retreat.

Two to three days after you have completed the registration form you will receive more detailed information by email about the retreat.

Thank you,

Brian Chapel, Retreat Registrar

Link to Retreat Information and Registration Form: http://victoriaims.org/?p=2450

Living Wisely, Loving Well: The Refuges and Precepts as a Path to Freedom

6 Monday nights, starting January 16, 2012

(Jan. 16, 23, 30 and Feb. 6, 13, 20)

7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Oak Bay United Church

1355 Mitchell Street, Victoria, BC

The Victoria Insight Meditation Society is pleased to have Margo McLoughlin offer an evening class on the Buddhist refuges and precepts. The class is suitable for beginning meditators as well as those with more experience.

The three refuges and the five precepts offer a rich field of exploration for the lay practitioner. Whether or not we consider ourselves to be a “Buddhist”, the notion of refuge is a valuable one to explore. What does it mean to take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha? What is the difference between a false refuge and a true one? How do we find our way in a culture where opportunities for distraction are available to us at any moment?

Both the refuges and the five precepts are traditionally introduced at the beginning of a silent retreat as a way of creating a safe container. This sense of safety and mutual trust allows retreat participants to deepen their practice. But how do the training precepts, such as non-harming and right speech, apply in daily life, especially when we are inundated with various forms of media that represent different value systems?

Over the six weeks of this evening class, we will have an opportunity to consider each one of the five precepts as a particular way of paying attention. Gradually, through reflection and discussion, we will uncover for ourselves the value of nurturing a deeper awareness of role of the precepts on our path to freedom.

This class will combine short talks, drawing on particular discourses of the Buddha, with time for sharing our reflections and experiences. There will be suggestions for participants to practice during their daily lives.

Cost: The cost of the class is a sliding scale of $60.00 to $90.00. (Scholarships are available). Registration and pre-payment are required to secure your spot. To register and to receive more information about the class or how to apply for a scholarship, go to www.victoriaims.org. http://victoriaims.org/?p=2430

About the Teacher:

Margo McLoughlin has been practicing in the Insight tradition of Theravada Buddhism since 1986. She served on staff at Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts and later completed a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies and Comparative Religion at the Harvard Divinity School. Margo is currently in training as a Community Dharma Leader through Spirit Rock Meditation Center. She is also the Artist-in-Residence at the Centre for Studies in Religion and Society at the University of Victoria. As a writer and storyteller, Margo is particularly interested in the role of narrative and metaphor as tools for awakening perception and renewing one's engagement with spiritual practice. For more about Margo, please visit her website: margostoryteller.net.

The Victoria Insight Meditation Society
is pleased to invite Arinna Weisman
to give a talk on:

The Power Of Thought

Thurs. Nov. 24, 2011 7-9 pm

at the Wilna Thomas Room at Camosun College,

3100 Foul Bay Rd, Victoria BC

The first stanza in the Dhammapada, the earlier recorded teachings of the Buddha, begin with “Mind precedes all things” and Kalu Rinpoche the great Tibetan Master said “We are living in a prison created by our thoughts”. How do we relate to our thoughts, do they have real power? Do they precede all things? How are they transformed? We will explore the practice of Right Thought and how this contributes to our freedom and the opening of our hearts.

Arinna Weisman has studied Vipassana Meditation since 1979 and has been teaching since 1988. Her root teacher, Ruth Denison, was empowered by the great Burmese master U Bha Khin. She is the founding teacher of Insight Meditation Center of the Pioneer Valley, and is the co-author of A Beginner’s Guide to Insight Meditation. She has also taught throughout the United States for 11 years.

Orientation to Zen Buddhist Practice

"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

Monday evenings, 7:00-9:30 PM
November 7 - 28, 2011
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 $395 ($295 for Victoria Zen Centre Associates) 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 registrar@zenwest.ca.

Victoria Insight Meditation Society Presents:

Two Day Non-Residential Retreat with Joanne Broatch

What Were You Thinking!

Working with Thoughts and

Transforming Afflictive Patterns

Saturday & Sunday,

November 12 & 13, 2011

9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Goward House

2495 Arbutus Road, Victoria, BC

To Register - Click here

About Joanne:

With Jack Kornfield as her guiding teacher, Joanne Broatch has been practising Buddhist meditation in the Theravadan tradition since 1980, and teaching since 1994. Her spiritual journey has included inner work with humanistic psychologists, Diamond Heart, Process Painting, Spiritism, and etheric healing in Brazil. Retired from work as a business writing consultant, writer and editor, Joanne has focused on supporting the growth of sangha in Western Canada.

Dana:
The Buddha's teachings are considered to be priceless. In keeping with the teachings and spirit of generosity or dana, we offer this retreat on a donation basis. The suggested donation for this retreat is $40 to cover the cost of facility rental, and other organizational expenses. A basket will be placed at the registration table for your donation. Any money collected above the costs of the retreat will go towards other VVC programmes.

No one will be refused for lack of funds; please give whatever is affordable given your means.

We will also set out another basket for you to offer dana for the teachings and the teacher who has shared them with us. We will speak about the practice of dana for the teachings during the retreat.

To Register - Click here

Two to three days after you have completed the online registration form you will receive more detailed information by email about the retreat. If you have difficulty with the form or have questions, please email us at here.

Thank you,
Joyce Elliott, Retreat Registrar

"We are what we think.

All that we are arises with our thoughts.

With our thoughts we make the world...

...Speak or act with a pure mind

And happiness will follow you as your shadow, unshakable.

...Your worst enemy cannot harm you

As much as your own thoughts, unguarded."

Excerpt from the Dhammapada

Orientation to Zen Buddhist Practice

"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

Saturday mornings, 9:00-11:30 AM
October 15 - November 5, 2011
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 $395 ($295 for Victoria Zen Centre Associates) 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 registrar@zenwest.ca.