Welcome!The Minnesota Zen Meditation Center welcomes all those who want to learn more about Zen Buddhist meditation. The Center works to maintain a vibrant community committed to Zen practice and teachings. We offer daily sitting meditation, weekly classes and lectures, and intensive meditation retreats. The Center is located on the eastern shore of Lake Calhoun in south Minneapolis. People from all over the region come to this center to hear talks by teachers, attend classes and workshops, participate in retreats, attend services, and, most importantly, to do sitting meditation (zazen). Are you new to Zen Buddhism or the Center?If you are new to Zen Buddhism or MZMC, our four-part introductory series of talks is the place to start. Each session includes meditation instruction and teaching on how meditation and Zen relate to daily life. Join us any Sunday and then return the next three Sundays to complete the four-week cycle. (For those months that have a fifth Sunday, a fifth talk is offered. It is considered an "optional" part of the cycle.) The four parts are not sequential, so you may attend them in any order. You are welcome to attend as many sessions as you like, but attend all four for the best overview. Sunday participants are invited to stay for tea and social time afterward. If you cannot attend on Sunday mornings, the same series is offered on Tuesday evenings. Start any first or third Tuesday and then return for the next three Tuesday sessions.These classes are open to all with no pre-registration necessary. Please arrive five minutes early. Donations are gratefully accepted. Class times are:
If you are visiting MZMC to fulfill a class requirement we invite you to attend our Sunday morning lecture at 10 am, or you may contact our office to set up a visit. Sunday Mornings at MZMCSunday mornings are a good time to become familiar with the MZMC community. You are invited to join us for any part of the morning schedule. The Sunday talks provide continued learning about Zen Buddhism and offer you a chance to know the teachers more fully. We hope to see you then! Sunday Morning Schedule 9:10 Sitting Meditation  Subscribe to our Sunday Talks podcast using iTunes.  To subscribe to our Sunday Talks podcast with another service, use this rss feed:http://mnzencenter.org/audio/rss.xml September Events Fall Morning Study Group: Zen Women Ancestors In this discussion group we will study the lives, practice, and teachings of inspiring women ancestors in our Zen lineage, from India through China and Japan. We will also explore the context in which their stories and teachings come to us. Together we will bring these extraordinary women's work into our lives and into Buddhist discourse. We will use Sally Tisdale's Women of the Way as our basic text as well as supplemental materials. Open to those who have previously participated in a morning study group or with permission from Tim Burkett. Zen Buddhism: The Basics This class provides foundational information about Zen Buddhism and is designed for those with little or no prior knowledge. We will discuss a wide range of topics, including the life of the Buddha, the Four Noble Truths, Buddhist ethics, the development of various Buddhist traditions, and Zen practice in daily life. Work Practice Afternoon Saturday, September 18 In the eighth century in China the Zen master Pai Chang began emphasizing manual labor as a means of focused awareness and service to the community. Since that time monasteries and temples generally have been well-maintained and aesthetically pleasing due to the care put into this practice. MZMC continues to value this tradition by holding work practice afternoons throughout the year. A vegetarian lunch is provided, so please e-mail or call the office in advance if you plan to participate. Dharma Family Sundays Retreat at Hokyoji Zen Practice Community The fall retreat at Hokyoji, in the bluff country of southeastern Minnesota, is an opportunity to practice surrounded by nature, far from the distractions of city life. We alternate sitting and walking meditation throughout the day, along with daily dharma talks, one-to-one meetings with the teacher, vegetarian meals, a work period, and outdoor group meditation walks. Bring camping gear or sleep in dorm-like accommodations. Fall Practice Period:The Dhammapada, The Sayings of the Buddha Important note: participants make a commitment to read and discuss the selected material; maintain a daily sitting practice; attend a minimum of two days of retreat; and attend at least one afternoon of work practice. This fall, we will explore the Buddha’s teaching as expressed in The Dhammapada, one of the most popular texts among Buddhists for understanding the Buddha’s teaching, and one of the great religious texts of the world. Organized into 26 themes including vigilance, awareness, the self, the wise, the immature, the path, and the mind, the Buddha’s teachings are presented in the form of short verses. The text for the course is Eknath Easwaran’s translation (Nilgiri Press, 2007), which includes an extensive introduction and chapter introductions that place individual verses into the context of the broader Buddhist canon, making this text particularly user-friendly. As the translator concludes in his introduction, “if [all other Buddhist scriptures] were lost, we would need nothing more than the Dhammapada to follow the way of the Buddha.” Practice Periods continue the 2500-year-old tradition started when Buddha and his students settled down for an extended period of practice during the monsoon season. Fall Guest Teacher: Genzo-e Sesshin at Dharma Field led by Shohaku Okumura
5:30 am, Wednesday, September 15 through11:30 am, Sunday, September 19 Sesshin is an extended meditation that includes zazen (sitting meditation), kinhin (walking meditation) oryoki meals, lectures, and mindful work. During this Genzo-e (study) sesshin, time will be allowed for reading and studying "Bussho" from Dogen Zenji's Shobogenzo. This genzo-e is the third in a series of three, all of which are on the topic of "Bussho." The early lectures on "Bussho" were be covered in 2006 and 2008. All registrations will be handled through Dharma Field Zen Center. There is an option for attending lectures only. |
Sponsoring centers: Dharma Field, Clouds in Water, Compassionate Ocean and Minnesota Zen Meditation CenterMZMC is a registered non-profit charitable organization in the state of Minnesota