Starting Sunday, Aug. 19, 2018 we will be in our new location at 4690 Fruitville Rd. Sarasota, FL 34232. Please see our Calander for class and event schedules. We have also added Wednesday Evenings to our schedule.
Weekend Zen Meditation Workshop with Chong An Sunim, 9-21-18 to 9-23-18
CHONG AN SUNIM’S BIOGRAPHY Chong An Sunim started Zen practice in 1990, in his birthplace Budapest, Hungary. He became a monk in 1994 and spent the next six years training under the guidance of Zen Master Seung Sahn at the Seoul International Zen Center, Hwa Gye Sa, Korea. He was given the title ‘Dharma Master’ and thus became authorized to teach in August 1999, by his teacher, the late Zen Master Seung Sahn. Since 2000, his teaching activity has extended […]
Introducing Chong An Sunim
Good News! It has just been confirmed that Chong An Sunim will be at OZS September 21, 22,23. We will have a Dharma Talk Friday evening September 21 and a Saturday and Sunday workshop/retreat, starting with an “Eye Opening” & Buddha Hall Dedication Ceremony for our new Zendo space on Saturday and a Buddhist precepts ceremony at the end of the workshop Sunday. There will also be opportunities for kong-an interviews with Chong An Sunim. I am still working out the details, […]
Not Two
In our ordinary lives, we may struggle at times, are happy and content sometimes, distraught and hurt at others times. We are ensnared by all the constructs, narratives, and ideas we create about ourselves and the world. Thus we create discord, sometimes angry and disillusioned, sometimes righteous and right. Believing our discriminating mind, attached to being right. Thinking that this teaching is better than that one. Deludedly, chasing the finger pointing to the moon. This can be called self-attachment or self-referencing, clinging to […]
fixed or fluid
The difference between Delusion and Nirvana can be described in two words – fixed or fluid. When we have a fixed view, we are deluding ourselves. It is at the root of all our pain and suffering. The problem stems from a false premise, a belief that we are separate and independent from each other. “I am not him, he is not me.” This causes all kinds of alienation, fear, greed, and hatred. This belief is out of balance, the same way our body […]
Ordinary Zen Goes To Jail
In March of this year, I was offered a wonderful opportunity to share the benefits of Zen Meditation with the general population at the Sarasota County Jail. I originally asked Sangha Member Judy Rosemarin to join me and she generously donated her time each Thursday morning for an hour of sitting and sharing the Dharma with inmates. Unfortunately, Judy will be unavailable for three months this summer. In order to give the inmates continuity of experience, as much as possible given the situation, I have asked […]
New Zendo Opening Scheduled For August 2018
I am pleased to report that OZS will be moving into our new Zendo on Fruitville Road in August. As of this writing, it looks like we will continue with our regular Sunday evening schedule and add a Wednesday evening class. In addition, we will offer the occasional half-day or day-long Saturday Sesshin (Zen meditation retreat held in silence). I will keep you informed about the move-in date, times for zazen, classes, and retreats. Please check our calendar for updates. We have […]
Newsletter Archive
Subscribe to our Newsletter here… July 28, 2018 : Ordinary Zen Sangha – Special Announcement July 19, 2018 : Ordinary Zen Sangha – Newsletter April 28, 2018 : Ordinary Zen Sangha – Newsletter January 13, 2018 : Ordinary Zen Sangha – Dharma Newsletter #1 December 15, 2017 : Ordinary Zen Sangha – Holiday Newsletter October 3, 2017 : Ordinary Zen Sangha – Newsletter July 30, 2017 : Ordinary Zen Sangha – Special Opportunity May 26, 2017 : Ordinary Zen Sangha – Newsletter May 7, 2017 : Ordinary Zen Sangha […]
OZS Buddha Sculpture
I found the perfect Buddha for our new Zendo! This beautiful bronze Buddha was for sale at Personalized Estate Liquidations Benefitting Youth, Inc. aka PEL. (They have been helping youth-at-risk in our community since 2000.) The person who placed the Buddha sculpture on consignment lived in Korea for a number of years and brought it with him upon his return to the U.S. This Buddha is 28 inches tall and fits perfectly in our new Altar (a beautifully hand-carved mahogany cabinet made in […]
Greeting Equanimity
It is common in Zen Buddhist and other traditions to greet one another by joining our hands together and bowing. Done with diligence and vigilance, embracing equanimity, it is practice. It is Zen. It is the doorway to awakening. Diligence, in this case, means letting go of self-referentiality and approaching with a joyful and open mind. Vigilance means embracing the equanimity of this moment. Without any judgment or labeling, we are at one with the essence of being. This is truly greeting reality.