Study Group with our sister sangha Santa Barbara Zen Center

Thursday, October 19th, 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm

* On Zoom *

"Ending the pursuit of happiness" by Barry Magid

Zoom meeting (starts Zoom)

Dear Sangha,

During the month of October 2023, Jikoji Zen Center will be joining SBZC to study Barry Magid’s book “Ending the Pursuit of Happiness”, available at Amazon here: Amazon Link to Magid Book, or by order at your local bookseller some of whom can be found at this Bookshop.org webpage and ordered online: Store Locator. We extend a warm-hearted invitation to everyone from all sanghas to join us.

Mariko Braswell  (SYV Sangha and online, 6:30 p.m.)

The reading assignment: Chapter 10: It’s A Mystery To Me / Conclusio

Each session will begin with our regular periods of zazen and kinhin, followed by a facilitated discussion of the reading. We welcome your participation in this likely-to-be-engaging discussion of our practice.

Questions for the final book discussion

1. Through your practice, do you find yourself with an increasing need for more answers (‘I sit and the answers will come’) or an increased acceptance of ‘not knowing’ or a combination thereof?

2. Do you have a personal aphorism that recurs for you with respect to your practice, similar to Magid’s reference from ‘The Road Home’ of “Questions are mighty oaks; answers small hard acorns.”    

3. How do you feel your practice would benefit from a monastic setting versus practicing at home. Conversely, how do you feel like your home practice deepens your practice more meaningfully than a monastic setting?

4. How do you go about lightening yourself up from the occasional heaviness of your practice?

with a deep bow,

Chōbun Nenzen

Pamela Brown

ONLINE ZENDO ETIQUETTE

To help maintain as best we can the intimacy and integrity of an in-person gathering, we ask all who join us online to please observe the following practices.

1. Sign in using real name.
2. Keep microphone muted unless speaking during discussion periods.
3. Maintain zendo silence during meditation periods and while waiting for discussion period to begin.
4. Keep camera on and maintain facial visibility during discussion period.
5. Anonymous participation online will not be permitted, as it would not be permitted in person.