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Meditation Groups at FUSN
FUSN sponsors two meditation groups, both in Buddhist traditions. Both groups are open to the public. Dana, traditional free-will offerings for support of the groups are not expected but are accepted.
Henry David Thoreau Zen Sangha
The Henry David Thoreau Zen Sangha, often simply called “Hank,” is a Zen meditation group in the combined Harada/Yasutani and Soto Zen lineages. The Practice Leader is Jan Seymour-Ford and the Teacher is James Ford. James is the first Unitarian Universalist to be named a Zen master. Hank is a member group of the Boundless Way Zen network (http://www.boundlesswayzen.org) which has sitting groups in Massachusetts and Connecticut. It may be a good idea to visit the website before coming to the group.
Hank meets on Monday evenings throughout the year. It is not a class, although meditation instruction is provided. It is an ongoing Zen meditation group supporting those who wish to practice meditation in the Zen style. People are welcome to join at any time.
There is a monthly rhythm. Every meeting begins at seven thirty with a brief Buddhist liturgy. On the first Monday of the month this is followed by a single twenty-five minute sitting period which is followed by a Dharma talk, usually given by James, but may be from another senior member of the Boundless Way Zen community. On the second and fourth Mondays, following the liturgy there are continuing rounds of zazen, sitting meditation (twenty-five minutes) and kinhin, walking meditation (five or six minutes). During this time there is also an opportunity to have an interview (dokusan) with the teacher. These are brief encounters focused on practice and the spiritual path. There are usually four periods of sitting meditation on these Mondays. People feel free to leave during any kinhin period. On third and fifth Mondays, following the liturgy there are two sitting periods, after which those who can stay, stay for cookies and tea.
Within the Zen universe, Hank is considered very informal. But those who are not used to Zen groups may find it very structured. If you’ve not sat with a Zen group before you are requested to come to the meeting by seven fifteen, when a brief introduction will be given. If you arrive later, you are still welcome, but to receive instruction you’ll have to return the next Monday. Once the meeting begins there are no opportunities for questions.
We meet in the Sanctuary. Wear loose fitting clothing. Dark clothing without patterns are the height of Zen fashion, but are not required. People are asked to refrain from wearing perfumes or other strong scents. (Incense is burned.) Meditation pillows (zafus and zabutons) are provided. A number of people prefer to sit in the pews.
The Boundless Way Zen network also offers meditation retreats of three to seven days length several times a year.
If you have any questions please contact Jan at boundlesswayzen@hotmail.com or call 617.916.5294.
Empty Sky Vipassana Sangha
We practice meditation in the Vipassana, or Insight tradition on Thursday evenings at 7:30. (We do not meet during the Summer) We meet in the Children’s Chapel.
You will find our approach to practice to be simple and straightforward. A typical evening practice group involves a sitting period of about 40 minutes, followed by 15-20 minutes of walking meditation, followed by another sitting of about 30-40 minutes. There is usually some instruction each evening, a talk of about 30-40 minutes twice a month and time for a discussion period of 15-30minutes most evenings. There are occasional opportunities for individual meetings with the teacher, who is always available upon request, though most formal interviews occur during retreats.
Retreats follow the same format as evening practice groups with alternate periods of sitting and walking throughout the day, communal meals, a daily work period, individual meetings and yoga sessions at least once a day. Retreats are conducted in strict silence.
Our teacher is Douglas Phillips. Doug has practiced Vipassana and Zen for over 30 years. His primary teachers have been Maureen Stuart, Roshi, Zen Master George Bowman (with whom he took Jukai) James Ford, Roshi and Larry Rosenberg. Doug began his work in Vipassana with Larry in 1990, received permission to teach in 1995 and Dharma Transmission in 2003. He is also a licensed clinical psychologist and maintains a private psychotherapy practice in Newton, Massachusetts.
You can learn more about us at our website: http://www.emptyskysangha.org/index.htm
References
Reading List
Martine Batchelor Thorsons Principles of Zen (Arguably the best short introduction to Zen in the English language)
James Ishmael Ford This Very Moment (A concise introduction to Zen and Buddhism aimed particularly at Unitarian Universalists and other religious liberals.)
Stephen Batchelor Buddhism Without Beliefs (A reflection on Buddhist practice from an engaged agnostic approach. Highly recommended)
David Brazier The Feeling Buddha (A contemporary exploration of Buddhist psychology)
Bernie Glassman Bearing Witness (Zen reflections on social action and social justice)
Stephanie Kaza & Kenneth Kraft Dharma Rain (Explorations in ecological consciousness from a Buddhist perspective)
The Shambhala Dictionary of Buddhism and Zen (A highly useful reference work for Buddhist and Zen terminology)
Tricycle: The Buddhist Review (A glossy Buddhist oriented quarterly magazine. http://tricycle.com or 1 (800) 873-9871
Web Sites
Zen Buddhism WWW Virtual Library
http://www.ciolek.com/WWWVL-Zen.html
(An exhaustive Internet guide to Zen online resources. Of particular interest might be the Harada-Yasutani School of Zen Buddhism, which situates the historical connections of the Henry Thoreau Zen Sangha)
Boundless Way Zen
http://www.boundlesswayzen.org
Pacific Zen Institute
http://www.pacificzen.org
(HTZS is affiliated with this experimental Zen community. Our teacher, James Ford, is a member of the Pacific Zen Institute teacher’s Collegium)
Unitarian Universalist Buddhist Fellowship
http://www.uua.org/uubf
(Networking Unitarian Universalist Buddhists and friends)
Spring Hill Zen
http://www.springhillzen.org
(A Zen community at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Medford, MA, affiliated with the Henry Thoreau Zen Sangha)
Ralph Waldo Emerson Zen Sangha
http://www.bostonzen.org
(A Zen community at First Church of Boston, MA, affiliated with the Henry Thoreau Zen Sangha)