Chong An Sunim first visited OZS on September 21, 22,23 2018. We had a wonderful Dharma Talk Friday evening September 21, 2018 and then continued Saturday and Sunday with a 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 were also opportunities for kong-an interviews with Chong An Sunim. CHONG AN SUNIM’S BIOGRAPHY Chong An Sunim started Zen practice […]
Category Archives: News
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 […]
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 […]
The American Zen College
My years at the American Zen Center – 1989-1999. — Abbot Will Rauschenberger
The Korean Buddhist Influence on my life
I subscribe to Everyday Zen Podcasts by Norman Fischer. Norman is a western Zen Buddhist teacher that I feel a kinship with and enjoy his Dharma talks. His podcast about his recent trip to Korea is timely, in many ways. It will also give you some insight into the great experiment of western zen practice that our Ordinary Zen Sangha is part of. Everything that has come before informs who we are now. Enjoy! Korean Buddhism and enlightenment fundamentalism Normal Fischer’s […]
Weekly Dharma Talk Theme
It is becoming apparent to me that over the last few weeks a theme was developing in my talks on Sunday night after our zazen practice. A couple of weeks ago, I talked about having a strong foundation for our meditation practice and how our physical posture and attitude are important. Last week I talked about diligence and how this further helps our meditation practice. I used the analogy of separating the chaff from the grain, the valuable from the worthless, […]
Style Magazine Health & Wellness – Interview
Interview with Su Byron I was interviewed for Style Magazine health/wellness column (Sarasota Herald-Tribune’s monthly magazine). Here is a transcript: