BUDDHIST
and
CHRISTIAN
includes
Communion and Tea Ceremony
Presented
by members of the Buddhist Meditation Society of
SCHEDULE AND READING PACKAGE
Schedule
Time page
8:45 assistance with seating and posture 3
Judith Johnson, Mary Cosman, Edward Dobrowolski, Don Hagreen
practice
Peter Zimmer
John DeGrace
John DeGrace
Mary Cosman
Judith Johnson, Mary Cosman, Edward Dobrowolski, Don Hagreen
Taize
Judith Johnson, Mary Cosman, Edward Dobrowolski, Don Hagreen
For extended periods of meditation it is important to sit
correctly. In most western chairs we sit
with the knees above the hips. This is
hard on the back. If you are going to
sit in a chair use a cushion to get the hips above the knees. The feet should sit flat on the ground and
the hips should tilt forward a little so the back falls in a natural
comfortable curve. Tuck your chin in so your head is inclined forward a little
and the gaze is easily directed downward.
All meditators can benefit from
making the following correction about every 5-10 minutes. Pretend your head is being pulled upward and
slightly forward so the chin is tucked in – not jutting forward.
For
those that wish to sit Buddhist style on a zafu or
bench there are a variety of positions that may work for you and we would be
happy to work with you to find a stable and comfortable posture. This is something where the right choices can
make your practice more comfortable and more meaningful.
In most Buddhist traditions it is important to be as
still as possible while meditating. (Washroom
breaks should be taken during walking meditation, or when a break is
announced.)
This is for your benefit as
part of practice and also avoids disturbing others. Buddhist renunciation includes and is learned
by renouncing the urge to move during a sit.
If you absolutely have to move it is considered polite to make a small
bow with the hands pressed together (prayer position or gassho)
then move, bow again and return to stillness.
Small corrections like straightening your back or correcting a hand
position may be made without bowing. Experienced
meditators find that the best way to straighten the
back is to rock forward from the hips – you may see people make this adjustment
while meditating.
Sitting still for extended periods eventually becomes
painful. As a teacher said during a
dharma talk “One has to learn to accept pain rather than resist it. … A challenging posture demands that we breath completely. One does not have a choice to pay
attention or not; even daydreaming is a luxury that one cannot afford. Change
happens when we are fully tested to our limits; our training helps us become
free in all kinds of situations, not just when we are in the "clutch of
agreeable circumstances." What individuals tend to do is simply become
superficially comfortable, persist in shallow breathing, and get lost in
thought. If a student moves any time he/she is in discomfort, there is no
opportunity to get in touch with the pervasive restlessness that is the basis
of the "I am" self. Staying stuck in choosing comfort or convenience
in all situations leads to a type of comfort that is a mere shadow of the
profound peace and clarity that Shakyamuni Buddha
enjoyed.”
Few western Buddhists can sit in the traditional full
lotus position, but we benefit from finding a stable upright posture as close
to it as we can manage. When discomfort
is experienced simply allow it to register, don’t deny it, but don’t react to
it. This applies to all forms of
discomfort experienced during meditation: physical, intellectual, and
emotional. When pain is accepted you
feel it – but do not suffer. Of course
everyone has limits – you must decide for yourself when you really need to move
and when it is a desire to be renounced.
Beginners usually need to move more than experienced meditators.
9:00 Communion
led by Peter Zimmer
The Eucharist
For many Christians, the Eucharist
is the central act of worship. It is a commemoration – a calling to memory – of
Christ’s sacrifice for us, and a re-enactment of Christ’s words and actions in
the scriptural account of the Passover supper at which he gave his disciples
this ritual, the enactment of which would be one way for them to affirm their
beliefs. The Anglican Church’s enactment of the Eucharist is deeply meditative,
and this quality is enhanced in various ways. First, the words of the service
are the same each time. Second, the actions are also the same each time, and
are actions specific only to this service. Third, the actions of both priest
and people take place in silence, except for the words of the ritual. In
addition, in the more formal observances, all the senses are involved, creating
a heightened awareness of the body and spirit, rather than of the mind. The use
of incense, the ritual objects of chalice and patten,
the seasonal colours of burse and veil, the familiar taste of wine and wafer,
and the familiar words and actions that are reserved for this observance alone,
along with the surrounding silence, create an atmosphere which gives space for
the contemplation of the heart, unconnected to intellectual effort.
led by John DeGrace
Vipassana (translated as “insight” or “wisdom”) is perhaps the oldest meditation practice in the Buddhist traditions. Although there is a wealth of teaching surrounding the practice, it is taught in the spirit of inquiry rather than as a doctrine to be accepted or rejected. That is, the practitioner is invited to try the practice and “see for yourself” whether the description of experience generally is borne out in one’s own experience.
Briefly, the practice is first to settle and concentrate the mind by resting the attention on a single object - in this case the sensation of the breath entering and leaving the body. The mind’s tendency is to wander, drawn away from the object by the near-infinite variety of desires and aversions that fill our lives. Noticing that the mind has wandered, the meditative exercise is simply to note and let go the distraction and – with compassion for oneself rather than self-judgment – gently to return the attention to the object. The exercise it repeated many, many times.
Once the mind is stable in its attention, the breath is let go and the attention is allowed to rest on whatever presents itself most strongly – perhaps a sound, or a pain, or a train of thought. This phase of the meditation is without agenda. When the mind wanders the attention is gently brought back – first to the breath and then, when stable again, to whatever presents itself most strongly.
Over time, it becomes apparent that our everyday experience is inherently unsatisfactory. Even the pleasant experiences that we would like to stay around ultimately do not satisfy because they do not last. Whatever presents itself to awareness comes into being through its own causes, exists in experience for a time, and then changes and passes away. With time one gradually comes to see that there truly is no resting place in consciousness, that we have our existence more as processes than as things.
Vipassana is founded in a non-harming lifestyle and the formal meditation described above is supplemented by “conditioning” meditations that better prepare the mind for the work of investigation. In these meditations the attention is placed on specific phrases generated in the mind, relating to loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. When the mind wanders, attention is returned to the phrases.
On March 27th, participants will spend their “Vipassana hour” in personal silence, with a 15-minute
guided meditation on the breath, ten minutes of walking meditation (instruction
will be provided) followed by 20 minutes of
broad-focus meditation, also guided.
The remaining 15 minutes will be for question-and-answer, and discussion. The start and end of each meditation session
will be signaled by the chime of a bell.
The sitting posture is not rigidly defined; one can sit on a cushion,
bench or chair, the only basic instruction being that the back should be
upright and the attitude of the posture one of dignity.
Led by John DeGrace
Christian meditation in one form or another goes back to the very earliest days of the Church, the earliest clear record being the practice of the Desert Fathers. Indeed, it is easy to interpret Jesus’ own forty days in the wilderness as a retreat for the purpose of meditation. By the middle ages, Christian meditation practice was a highly-refined spiritual discipline. The 14th century English Author of the Cloud of Unknowing and the Book of Privy Counseling wrote:
When you go apart to be alone for prayer, put from your mind everything that you have been doing or plan to do. Reject all thoughts, be they good or evil. … See that nothing remains in your conscious mind save a naked intent stretching out toward God. .. Let that quiet darkness be your whole mind and like a mirror to you. For I want your whole thought of self to be as naked and simple as your thought of God, so that you may be spiritually united to him without any fragmentation and scattering of mind.
This formal practice was largely abandoned in later
centuries, lost in the turmoil of the reformation and counter-reformation. Jesuit monks working in
On March 27th, the “Christian meditation hour”
will begin with selected readings from “The Book of Privy Counseling” and the
writings of Fr. John Main. This will be
followed by 20 minutes of silent meditation, leaving time for question-and-answer,
and discussion. The start and end of the
meditation period will be indicated by the chime of a bell.
Tibetan Buddhist Practice
Led by Mary Cosman
Vajrayana Buddhism
The traditional Buddhist practices of the Tibetan people
include a vast collection of liturgies. These practices are comprised of a
meditative stream of text recitation, chanting mantra, visualization and clear
meditation.
To sample this, we will go through the format of a typical
practice, directing our meditative attention toward the
Tibetan Buddhism is considered an offshoot of Mahayana
Buddhism and known as Vajrayana, or Tantra. Vajrayana took on aspects
of the traditional shamanistic Bon religion of the region when Buddhism was
introduced to
A principal aspect of Vajrayana
which distinguishes it from other Buddhist traditions is the grounding in bodhicitta, or the dedication of one's energies
toward relieving the suffering of all sentient beings. You will notice how this
universal theme of helping others is repeated in the practices.
Cultivating Generosity
Another theme which we will explore is presenting
offerings. In daily life, the mentality of offering can enrich the most
ordinary actions and we can look at the ritual offerings performed as a way of
cultivating feelings of generosity.
The mentality of limitless generosity antidotes envy and a
sense of impoverishment, and instills contentment. Furthermore, the merit of
such an attitude brings forth wealth, in terms of mental well-being and
ultimately in terms of actual material abundance in this or future lives.
Visualizing the recipient is the vehicle used for
developing this attitude of generosity, and is a foundation of Vajrayana meditational practice. As we move through this short practice, we
use visualizations and offering in a variety of ways.
Water Offering
This short practice can become a meaningful part of one's
daily ritual at home, and as in any offering, visualization of the recipient is
the choice of the practitioner. The verse recited here is dedicated to
"the transcendent accomplished conquerors", which is to say, simply,
the great teachers of the past.
The beauty of the water offering ceremony is that one can
visualize all the glorious riches of our earth, simply represented by water. We
do not have to own riches to envision them as boundless offerings to sentient
beings everywhere. In this way, the seven bowls of water represent:
1. Pure
drinking water, gathered from throughout the universe
2. Washing
water, as a symbol for cleansing and purification
3. Flowers,
including medicinal plants, fruits and grains
4. Incense,
including all natural or manufactured fragrances
5. Scented water,
including all perfumes and unguents
6. Food, including
all that is delicious to taste
7. Music,
including all naturally occurring or artificially produced sounds that are
pleasant to hear
As a daily practice, the offering is made using fresh
clean water at the beginning of the day, and at the end of the day the bowls
are emptied, wiped dry and placed upside down for the night.
Refuge and Bodhicitta
The Refuge and Bodhicitta prayer
is found in one form or another in all Buddhist traditions. Interpreted
esoterically on many levels, the outer manifestation of taking refuge is that
the practitioner is affirming the foundational importance of the teacher, the
teachings, and the community of practitioners. Bodhicitta
arises from expressing compassion for and a wish to help all beings attain
enlightenment.
Visualization of the Preceptor, Prayer and Mantra
Here we will be exploring some elements of the Guru Yoga
practice. In the Nyingma school, all practices begin
with the invocation of
Padmasambhava in the Seven-Line
Prayer. You are inviting Guru Rinpoche to be
present through your visualization of his form. Imagine the meditational
deity in the space in front of you as a form of transparent, living light and
use this form as a focus for your meditation.
For a devoted practitioner, repeating the Vajra
Guru mantra actually manifests his presence, as the resonance of the
mantra represents Guru Rinpoche in the form of sound.
The beautiful prayer to Guru Rinpoche,
adapted from a longer text by His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, can be
addressed with heartfelt meaning to whomever you recognize as the beloved,
Blessed One.
We will have short periods of meditation in the
midst of this prayer, and after chanting the Vajra
Guru mantra.
Dissolution of Visualization
A few moments of silence, during which you end the
visualization of your meditational deity. Imagine the
deity dissolving into a clear light, which comes to rest in your heart-mind.
Through visualization of a deity you are providing yourself with a personage to
whom you can make offerings and from whom you can receive blessings. As you
draw this visualization back into your heart you realize that the deity is
clearly an emanation of your own mind and that, indeed, is simply the
expression of your buddha-nature.
Dedication
All practices end with dedication of the merit that is
accumulated by practice to all sentient beings. The verse we'll be reciting is
my favorite, and is taken from the English version of the devotional practice
to Red Tara, a feminine buddha
whose qualities include heartfelt compassion and protection.
Food Offering and Grace
led by Mary Cosman
In homes of Vajrayana
practitioners, every meal provides the opportunity to make a tsog (feast) offering, so we will be offering a
small portion of our luncheon with a "grace" recited in Sanskrit,
as well as a short English text.
Lunch
Judith Johnson, Mary Cosman, Edward Dobrowolski, Don Hagreen
If you have been uncomfortable or unsure, or you would like to try something new, now is the time to get some help.
Taize
Led by: Catholic Clergy
The Taize Community was founded by Brother Roger in 1940, as a
protestant monastic community dedicated to world peace and reconciliation. Since then the community has grown and
evolved into a worldwide movement. The
form of worship that has evolved in the community at Taize
takes account of the variety of faith experiences and religious traditions of
those called to pray with them. Those
gathered may sit in the posture most comfortable for each. Silence is central.
During Saturday’s worship there will be two periods of silent meditation, each
approximately ten to fifteen minutes long. The music is composed of simple
melodies and short passages based on Scripture.
The words are sung in a variety of languages from around the world. Each
chant is repeated many times to allow it to become settled into the heart.
Zen
Buddhist Practice
Led by the Zen group of the
Buddhist Meditation Society
We will open the Zen practice session by sitting while the jikijitsu offers
incense, chanting "Affirming Faith Mind" together, then bowing to the
ground 3 times.
Affirming faith mind is essentially a series of koans – that
is problems that are solved intuitively and nonverbally – they don’t have a
solution as such. You are not meant to
understand it immediately – to do so would be very unusual. Allow the words to pass like rain sinking
into the ground – over time (years) you may notice that these words describe
and guide your maturing meditation practice. Meantime, this long chant
demands that you are physically and mentally present – if attention lapses you
will get lost. Don’t worry – just join
in again as soon as you can. The
important thing is to make a sincere effort in each moment. Each individual fades in and out because we
all have to breath – but with a large enough group
there is no pause in the chant. The
chant rhythm is provided by the shoji on the mokugyo - a wooden drum like
instrument - there is one beat per syllable.
Bowing will be followed by a brief walking meditation, a
20-minute sitting meditation, a 5-10 minute walking meditation, tea ceremony,
and a final homage consisting of sitting while the leader (jikijitsu)
offers incense, chanting the 4 bodisattva vows, and bowing three times (prostrations).
During sitting, eyes should be softly focused on the ground
ahead of you. That is - look down your
nose at nothing in particular on the ground about 3 feet on front of you. Concentration should be focused lightly on
the breath. When thoughts and feelings arise simply observe them, do not pursue
a line of thought or wallow in a feeling.
This is harder than it sounds.
When you find yourself thinking, fantasizing or indulging feelings just return
to the breath – again and again – don’t give up. During walking meditation, concentration
should be focused on body movements and the unity of the group walking in step
– return to this every time you notice yourself thinking or looking around.
The simple tea ceremony used here is an exercise in
fellowship and non verbal communication. A hand signal indicates when you
have enough tea. Hold the cup in one hand with the other hand palm up –
when you have enough tea raise your palm.
On the first serving you wait until the leader (the jikijitsu) drinks -
then all drink together. On the second serving you may drink when the
person after you has been served. For the shoji serving the tea it is an
exercise in serving others, for everyone else it is an exercise in gracious
receiving.
Offering incense and bowing is done in the spirit of humility and
willingness to learn, and also in acknowledgement of the Buddha nature in all
present, including you. Christians may
like to acknowledge the presence of Christ in all present. To many Buddhists,
Christ was a Buddha.
Now you can talk and move all you want!
Help will be appreciated.