Zen Group
Location

Tuesday Night: Formal practice starts promptly at 7:15 p.m. and ends at 9, we have informal tea and welcome practice related discussion afterwards.

Friday Morning: Doors open at 5:45 a.m. Formal practice starts promptly at 6 a.m. with tea ceremony, and ends at 7:30 a.m..

Sunday Morning: Every 4 weeks the Zen group holds a Sunday morning zazen-kai from 8 a.m. to noon. This includes a formal lunch.

General Notes for all Zen meetings:
Doors are unlocked at least 15 minutes before practice starts. Please arrive a little early so you are ready to sit on time. If you are attending for the first time please come at least 15 minutes early and request an orientation, call or email ahead of time if possible. Clean up, watering plants etc. is often done before practice starts, help is welcome.

We practice in the Japanese Rinzai Zen tradition as taught by Eshin (Abbot of the Zen Center of Vancouver.) Learning the form is part of Zen practice. Participants are expected to do their best to follow the form: bowing, walking, sitting, chanting and taking tea with the group. This maintains an environment suitable for practice. Most people start with minimal instruction and learn the rest by following along with the group. This takes time. Once new members feel confident with the basics they are welcome to learn the more complex leadership roles.

We sit zazen for 20-25 minute intervals, alternating with 5-10 minutes of kinhin (walking).

 

Vipassana Group
Location

Monday night: Meeting starts promptly at 7:15 p.m.

Vipassana means insight, something encountered on all Buddhist paths. It is also used as the name of a meditation method, and as the name of a new westernized version of Theravadin Buddhist practice, coordinated by the Insight Meditation Society. Vipassana as practiced on Monday nights differs from older Theravadin traditions in making minimal use of traditional rituals like bowing and chanting. Seated and walking meditation are the core of formal practice, and there are also dharma talks and discussion of written material.

The start and end of each sit is signalled by bells and it is customary (but not mandatory) to bow before sitting and following each sit. There are two 30 minute sits separated by about 15 minutes of kinhin. Meditation is sometimes guided if new meditators are present or if someone requests it. The second sit is usually followed by a reading, tape, or dharma talk and discussion. Sometimes tea is served.