Dana Dinner The Perfection of Giving with Ryushin Sensei and ZMM Staff
Материал из Buddha World.
December 16 - 18, 2011.
Giving is a natural human impulse. How then does it become so complicated? The Buddhist practice of selfless giving offers a way to transform the intense and often conflicting impulses that arise when we give. When we actually experience--rather than believe in an idea of--our oneness with others, we encounter intimacy, which is the root of true generosity. Zen practice offers us a path to experience this oneness. By abandoning all things to all people, we let down our barriers and allow ourselves to touch and be touched by everything.
Our study of giving during this retreat will be the Monastery's twenty-third Annual Holiday Community Dinner. Following weeks of preparation, soliciting donations of food, clothing, and other gifts from local merchants, we begin the retreat on Friday evening with a fireside mondo (question- and-answer period) with Ryushin Sensei, followed by tree-trimming and gift-wrapping festivities.
Then on Saturday we open the Monastery doors to children and adults from the local community--including some living in nearby shelters and retirement homes--for a traditional turkey dinner, live holiday music, and a visit from Santa Claus. Everyone takes turns at the day's many tasks: cooking, serving food, driving cars, checking coats, directing traffic, washing dishes, singing, and simply being present.
It's an extraordinary weekend of challenging work and joyous, unpredictable teachings. It has the potential to allow us to open ourselves to others and really touch our hearts.
Cost: $200 (MRO Students: $150)
Retreat Dates: December 16 - 18
Course: ZEN11B3
Located on 230 acres of forest preserve in New York’s beautiful Catskill Mountains, Zen Mountain Monastery (ZMM), the mainhouse of the Mountains and Rivers Order (MRO), is one of the West’s most respected Zen Buddhist monasteries and training centers. Since its inception in 1980, ZMM has offered spiritual practitioners innovative ways to engage the Buddhist teachings through a wide range of retreats and residential programs that take place within the context of authentic, full-time Zen monastic training. Throughout the year, our teachers, staff and special guests lead retreats that highlight each of the areas that form ZMM’s unique training matrix: the Eight Gates of Zen, a Western rendition of the Buddha’s Eightfold Path.
We’re Easy to Find
By Car: Take NY Thruway 87 to Exit 19 (Kingston.) At the traffic circle, take Route 28 West (Pine Hill) for about 20 miles. Turn right at the Mt Tremper exit. Follow the road until you reach a four way intersection. Turn left (onto Plank Rd), cross the bridge, and the entrance is a driveway on the right. It takes about 2.5 hours to drive from NYC.
By Bus: Mt. Tremper is serviced by Adirondack Trailways via Kingston (tel. 1-800-858-8555 for schedule from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City; ask ticket agent for gate number.) When you arrive in Mt. Tremper, cross the bridge and walk until you see the Monastery sign and gate. The bus trip from NYC is about 3 hours.
By Plane: Fly into any NYC area airport (Kennedy, LaGuardia, or Newark) and take the bus to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City. See bus instructions above.
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