Photo courtesy of Contemplative Studies Centre

Overview
Zen Buddhism is famously described as a tradition that does not rely on words or letters. Instead, it encourages a direct and unfiltered experience of reality. Seated meditation (zazen) is an invitation to dissolve the gap between self and another. Zen practitioners practise zazen to cultivate a natural and unforced compassion that inspires a life of service. This is the bodhisattva ideal, a way of being in the world for the benefit of all beings. All of us have something unique to offer, and Zen is the ongoing commitment to discovering what that is.

What attendees can expect
This four week course will explore the teachings of Zen as they relate to everyday life. The emphasis will be on zazen (seated meditation), not-knowing, the experience and practice of the bodhisattva ideal, and Zen’s affinity with Indigenous wisdom. Each week will take up a different theme and examine it in depth in zazen. The focus will be on cultivating a personal experience of the dharma (teachings) to reveal how Zen relates to compassion and love of the many beings of the world.

Schedule
This guided meditation will run online via Zoom every week from Wednesday 5 March – Wednesday 26 March 2025. Please register once to indicate your attendance throughout the series, or register for the individual sessions you plan to attend. If the registration button does not appear, please click on View other times for this event.