Dear Friends and Members,
Below are some reminders about stuff happening over the Christmas Holidays. In the New Year I'll be working on a new format for the newsletter that goes to Friends and Members and would be interested to hear your suggestions about what you'd like to see in it.
On New Year’s Eve from 8 p.m. to about 12:30 a.m., we will bring in the New Year together. The evening begins with zazen, includes chanting, ceremonies and more zazen, and concludes with festive food and drink after midnight.
The last acts of the old year are a Repentance Ceremony (to lay to rest any defiling deeds from the past year that weigh heavily, and make a fresh start for the upcoming year) and a circumambulation of the Centre to chase out negative energies.
The first act of the New Year, held at the stroke of midnight, is an abbreviated Jukai (Taking the Precepts) Ceremony, followed by a special invocation for the well-being of the world. The precepts are a description of how a fully enlightened person behaves, and are taken with the understanding that although we will break them, the sincere aspiration to lead a life that not only does no harm but actually benefits others is essential to the process of actualizing Awakening in ourselves and in the world.
People are welcome to come for all or part of the evening. Please bring some festive food to share.
A word about New Year’s resolutions: keep them reasonably modest and then make an effort to stick to them. There will be two ways to make resolutions, verbally, as part of the Repentance Ceremony, or in written form, offered at the altar.
The Centre will reopen on Tuesday 16 January with zazen and dokusan at 7:00 p.m. Sesshin teishos, 6-12 January, will as usual be open to all. Be at the front door of the Friary, 50 Hillsborough Road
Would you like to participate in the Oxfam Trailwalker event without having to walk 100k? The two AZC teams are looking for sponsors, and also for help with raising sponsorship. Please contact Ralph Behrens raewulf@yahoo.com if you’d like be involved as a fundraiser or sponsor. More information to follow in the New Year.
May all beings be peaceful.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be safe.
May all beings awaken to the light of their True Nature.
May all beings be free.
Sensei
Ven. Amala Wrightson, Sensei
Auckland Zen Center
100 Pah Road
Royal Oak
P.O. Box 109 729
Newmarket, Auckland, 1149
aucklandzen@yahoo.com.au
09 520 0531
027 314 9440
For information on workshops, sittings and other activities, see www.aucklandzen.org.nz
Subscribe to
0 Responses to “ACZ E-News #9”
Post a Comment