Welcome to MZMC

 

MZMC offers many different kinds of practice opportunities, many of which are free and open to the public.

These include:

Many of these are free and open to the public. Everyone is welcome.

Where noted, fees are charged or donations requested for events. Financially supporting members of MZMC are eligible for discounts on fees for sesshins and other selected events.

We are excited that we are now ready to offer people the opportunity to do work and meditation practice at Hokyoji Retreat Center nestled in the rolling hills of southern Minnesota. This practice is being led by Dokai Georgesen. Browse here more information, or contact the office.

Holidays and Schedule Changes

Holidays

MZMC will be closed:

Retreat days

The regular schedule of classes and meditation sessions are cancelled during retreats on the following days. Sunday talks will still take place as usual at 10 a.m.

Daily Practice Schedule

Monday through Thursday a.m.

Monday through Wednesday p.m.

Saturday a.m. Meetings with the teacher available

Sunday a.m.

Regular Monday through Saturday zazen periods are cancelled during sesshins and mindfulness retreats. Sunday morning zazen and lectures will still be held and remain open to the public.

Saint Paul: Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings

Two thirty minute sittings: 6:00 a.m. and 6:30 a.m.

Same format as weekday mornings in Minneapolis, except no chanting or cleaning. Enter at 165 North Dunlap Street. (maps: Google Maps • Yahoo Maps • Mapquest)

Services at MZMC

Services are held Monday through Thursday mornings and Saturday mornings.

Three forms of liturgy are offered at MZMC:

Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at 7 a.m.:

Full bows and Heart Sutra with short dedication.

Tuesday at 7 a.m. and Saturday at 10:20 a.m.:

Full bows, Acknowledgement of Karma, Four Bodhisattva Vows, Heart Sutra and longer dedication.

Please note: Beginning 20 November 2005, the Saturday liturgy will expand. The order of service will be full bows, Acknowledgement of Karma, Four Bodhisattva Vows, Heart Sutra, longer dedication, Harmony of Difference and Sameness, Names of Ancestors (in Sanskrit/Pali, Chinese and Japanese), and a dedication to our female ancestors.

Practice Meetings with Teachers

Practice Meetings on Saturday Mornings

Practice meetings offer new students at MZMC an opportunity to meet with a teacher who can answer questions and provide guidance in establishing a meditation practice.

Practice meetings are offered each Saturday morning with one of MZMC’s teachers. Teachers are: Guy Gibbon, Lee Lewis, Susan Hagler, Susan Nelson, Rosemary Taylor, David Teschler, and Ted Tuel. They will rotate Saturdays, so we will not always be able to post in advance the teacher who will be here on a given Saturday. For a special request please contact Kimberly in the office.

Please sign up on the white sheet at MZMC or call the office to make an appointment. While there is no set charge for a practice meeting, please consider supporting Zen Center with a donation, or better yet, become a member. Thank you!

One-to-one meeting (dokusan) with Head Teacher, Tim Burkett

Head teacher Tim Burkett is eager to see members who want help in developing or maintaining a meditation practice. If you are a member, and would like to meet with Tim, please sign up on the blue sheet at MZMC or call the office for an appointment.

Sunday Talks

Lectures (Dharma talks) are held every Sunday at 10 a.m. at the Minnesota Zen Meditation Center, and are free and open to the public.

Classes and Lectures

Please note that most classes at MZMC begin at 7:15 p.m., following regular public zazen. Participants are strongly encouraged to attend one or both periods before class.

Mindfulness and Depression

with Cyndie DeRidder, LICSW
Six sessions August 9, 16, 23, 30; September 11 and 25, 7:15 - 8:45 p.m.
Cost: $60 for members, $75 for non-members (does not include cost of book.)

This workshop is designed for people who have recurring periods of clinical depression and are interested in mindfully integrating lifestyle changes into their treatment regimen. There will be a period of meditation each evening and a discussion designed to underscore the combined wisdom of participants. This is not a therapy group and is not meant to replace any other treatments. Rather, it is a forum to cultivate courage, compassion, and intentionality. Participants will be asked to purchase the book The Chemistry of Joy by Henry Emmons, MD. Additional readings will be provided. Class size is limited to 8. Cyndie DeRidder is a licensed clinical social worker with fourteen years of experience in community mental health and private practice settings. She is currently working as a therapist at La Familia Guidance Center in Minneapolis and is a member of MZMC and has practiced zazen for 6 years.

Wake Up!: Discovering the Buddhist Path of Attention

with Guy Gibbon
Five sessions: Wednesdays in September, 7:15 - 8:45 pm
One additional session to be determined
Cost: $75 for members; $90 for non-members

Wake Up! provides an introduction to the path of attention taught in Ken McLeod’s book, Wake Up To Your Life. Five meditations ­ cultivating attention and the four immeasurables (equanimity, loving-kindness, compassion, and joy) ­ are introduced and practiced during the course. No meditation experience is necessary. Emphasis is on awakening a kind heart and the practice of insight, in which we learn to see directly into the nature of experience. The course will include introductory overviews by the facilitator, guided meditations, and discussion. Suitable for all levels. Reading: parts of chapters 3 and 7 in Wake Up To Your Life.

Morning Study Group: Hua-yen Buddhism

with Tim Burkett
Every other Thursday, September 7–November 16
7:30–9a.m.
Cost: $90 for members; $110 for non-members

Join us to explore the "all in one; one in all" teaching with its primary metaphor "The Jewel Net of Indra." This teaching developed in China in the 6th and 7th centuries and has its basis the Avatamsaka or Flower Garland Sutra. This is the fourth unit we have focused on in our historical progression from the birth of Mahayana Buddhism in India. It serves as a primary underpinning for the development of Zen Buddhism in China. We will use the book Hua-yen Buddhism by Francis Cook. Open to those who have participated in previous study groups or by permission from Head Teacher, Tim Burkett.

Zen Buddhism: The Basics

with Ted Tuel
Five Monday evenings in October, 7:15 - 8:45 pm
Cost: $75 for members; $90 for non–members

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.

Ongoing Groups and Offerings

Introduction to Zazen (Sitting Meditation)

Sundays at 8:30–10 a.m. (except during retreats)
The first & third Tuesdays of the month at 5:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m.
Cost: donation

If you are new to Zen Buddhism or the Center, this is the place to start. Learn the basics of zazen, or sitting meditation, which is the foundation of Zen practice. No pre-registration is required; just arrive a few minutes before the class. Sunday participants are welcome to stay for the public lecture at 10 a.m., and tea and social time following; Tuesday participants are welcome to stay for the Beginner’s Mind Zen Practice discussion group which follows. These are good opportunities to meet others and get to know the community.

Beginner’s Mind Zen Practice 

with Ted Tuel
1st, 3rd, and 5th Tuesdays of each month, 7:15 p.m.–8:30 p.m.
Drop-in group
Cost: Donation

This group is designed for people who are trying to establish a meditation practice and are interested in meeting and talking with others about their practice. Discussion will include sharing stories about meditation, discussion of mindfulness in everyday life, as well as the relationship between people’s personal experience and Zen meditation.

Buddhism and the 12 Steps of Recovery

with Byakuren Judith Ragir and guest speakers
Thursdays, 7:00 p.m.–8:15 p.m.
Cost: Donation
Ongoing, drop–in

The group explores some of the basic teachings of Buddhism and their reflection in the twelve steps. We will begin each session with a period of meditation and follow with a brief presentation and discussion. Anyone who wants to support a 12-step program with a deepened understanding of meditation and Buddhism is welcome.

Retreats and Sesshins

MZMC offers both traditional formal sesshins, led by Tim Burkett, and more relaxed mindfulness retreats led by Tim and others.

Meals are vegetarian; please provide information about any food restrictions upon registration.

Cost: $45 per full day for MZMC members; $60 per full day for non–members. Scholarships are available in exchange for work.

Sesshins

At Ganshoji Living in Vow Temple, Minnesota Zen Center’s City Practice Center:

A sesshin is an intensive meditation retreat which includes zazen, oryoki meals, services, mindful work and lectures. It provides opportunities for formal practice. Oryoki instruction will be offered as part of the sesshin orientation.

Genzo-e Sesshin led by Shohaku Okumura
at Dharma Field Zen Center

Dharma Field Zen Center, 3118 West 49th Street Minnepolis MN 55410 (directions and map)

7:15 p.m., Tuesday, September 12 through 11:30 a.m., Sunday, September 17, 2006
Sesshin Fees: $300 ($60 per day) for nonmembers, $225 ($45 per day) for members

$15 fee per lecture for anyone not participating in Genzo-e
$15 suggested donation for Sunday (final) Dharma talk

Registration and further detail on the Dharma Field website.

This fall, MZMC will again co-host a Genzo-e Sesshin led by Shohaku Okumura at Dharma Field Zen Center. The topic of study will be Dogen Zenji’s Bussho (Buddha Nature) fascicle from the Shobogenzo. Each day’s schedule will include a 90-minute lecture to cover a portion of Bussho, with the remaining portions to be covered by Shohaku Okumura in September 2008 and September 2010.

Rohatsu Sesshin

Seven-day: Friday, December 1, at 7 pm, through Friday, December 8, at 5 pm
Five-day: begins Friday, December 1, at 7 pm, through Wednesday, December 6, at 5 pm
Two-day: Friday, December 1, at 7 pm, through Sunday, December 3, at 5 pm
Cost: $45 per full day for members; $60 per full day for non-members

Rohatsu sesshin is arguably the most important event of the year for practitioners of Zen Buddhism. We sit in meditation for from 5 to 7 days, much as we imagine Shakyamuni Buddha did. On the last day of this retreat we celebrate Buddha's awakening to an intimacy with all of life as our own awakening to this intimacy. This formal, intensive meditation retreat includes zazen, vegetarian meals using oryoki (traditional bowls), liturgy, dokusan, mindful work, and dharma talks. Instruction in the use of oryoki will be offered as part of the sesshin orientation.

Retreats

Mindfulness Days

Saturdays, July 22, October 21, November 11
Saturday, July 22 with David Teschler
(Morning only option on October 21, see below.)
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Cost: $45 per full day for members; $60 per full day for non–members

This contemporary day of retreat includes walking and sitting meditation, dharma talk, and work practice. Lunch is vegetarian, served buffet–style.

Mindfulness Morning
Saturday, October 21
8 am - 12 pm
Cost: $15 members; $20 non-members

This contemporary morning of retreat practice includes walking and sitting meditation, and a short dharma talk.

Fall Retreat at Hokyoji

with Dokai Georgesen
October 5 - 8
Three-day: Thursday, 7 pm to Sunday noon
Two-Day: Friday, 7 pm to Sunday noon
Cost: $45 per day for members; $60 per day for non-members

This intensive meditation retreat alternates sitting and walking meditation throughout the day without traditional ritual. There will be daily dharma talks, one-to-one meetings with the teacher, and a short work period. Meals will be vegetarian, served buffet-style.

Practice Periods

Fall Practice Period: Dogen's Commentary on Chinese Koans

with Tim Burkett
Eight sessions: Wednesdays, October 4 ­ November 15 and Monday, November 20, 7:15–8:45 pm
Cost: $120 for members, $145 for non-members

This practice period will focus on a number of recorded interchanges between Zen teachers and students in 9th and 10th century China as well as Dogen's commentary on the koans. Following the ancient tradition of seasonal concentrated periods of intensive Zen practice, each participant will make a commitment to a daily sitting schedule, attendance at either a retreat or sesshin, help at one of the work practice days as well as participation in a weekly class.

Community Events

We’re recording most dharma talks and special events and then creating CDs for the MZMC library, where they are available for borrowing. We’re also creating an archive CD copy to preserve these talks for future listeners. Cassette tapes will be available in the library, too, but not as quickly as CDs. CDs will be available for borrowing a week or so after the talk. You can request copies of talks on tape or CD through the MZMC office, for a nominal fee to recover costs.

Work Practice

Work Practice Days

Sunday, Sept. 24, 11:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 29, 11:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

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 days throughout the year. A vegetarian lunch will be provided, so please call the office in advance if you plan to participate.