Zen Peacemakers Seniors Family Gathering
This weekend was the annual Family Gathering of all seniors (anything from Steward of an active circle up to Zen Roshis), held at the Maezumi Institute in New England USA.
About 50 people came from all over the world, including Zang from our circle, and Barbara and Roland Wegmueller from the Swiss circles. The Maezmi Institute is in the beautiful House of One People, a large converted barn in the snowy countryside, and was conceived by Roshi Bernie Glassman and the late Lex Hixon. Banners representing each community in the Zen Peacemakers Community are hung around the room, and a big grand piano is played at times throughout the events- and each week there are events from many traditions- Buddhist, Islamic, Christian, Hindu.
The gathering focussed on what we can all learn from each others communities, with lots of small discussions. There was singing and partying for Roshi Bernie's 69th birthday, and a big cake baked by the Greyston Bakery in New York.
Many new things came out of the gathering, including ideas for new projects in the UK Circles!
We`ll probably be developing a regular sitting group under the guidance of a senior student of Roshi Bernie, and we have a curriculum now for beginning a Dharma study group for those who are interested. We will study the Mahaparinirvana Sutra from the Pali Cannon, the Lotus Sutra and the Vimalakirti Sutra from the Mahayana, and the classic Zen text The Platform Sutra of Hui Neng. Other Zen Peacemaker groups may be using the same curriculum, suggested to us by Professor Peter Gregory from Smith College in New Hampton.
About 50 people came from all over the world, including Zang from our circle, and Barbara and Roland Wegmueller from the Swiss circles. The Maezmi Institute is in the beautiful House of One People, a large converted barn in the snowy countryside, and was conceived by Roshi Bernie Glassman and the late Lex Hixon. Banners representing each community in the Zen Peacemakers Community are hung around the room, and a big grand piano is played at times throughout the events- and each week there are events from many traditions- Buddhist, Islamic, Christian, Hindu.
The gathering focussed on what we can all learn from each others communities, with lots of small discussions. There was singing and partying for Roshi Bernie's 69th birthday, and a big cake baked by the Greyston Bakery in New York.
Many new things came out of the gathering, including ideas for new projects in the UK Circles!
We`ll probably be developing a regular sitting group under the guidance of a senior student of Roshi Bernie, and we have a curriculum now for beginning a Dharma study group for those who are interested. We will study the Mahaparinirvana Sutra from the Pali Cannon, the Lotus Sutra and the Vimalakirti Sutra from the Mahayana, and the classic Zen text The Platform Sutra of Hui Neng. Other Zen Peacemaker groups may be using the same curriculum, suggested to us by Professor Peter Gregory from Smith College in New Hampton.
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