Dear Sangha and friends,
The last messages were maybe a little on the long side. Here just a brief description of what practice period might be and an invitation to sign up online and/or come to the opening ceremony next Wednesday (Jan 18th).
Practice period is a time when you are in connection with a group of people putting more of their life energy into wakefulness. Into being present in their lives. Into exploring old patterns. Into letting go.
It probably involves some level of formal practice. We need that. The mind makes a lot up. Formal practice allows us to drop into the present moment in a direct, experiential way. It helps us with perspective and exploration in a way that just thinking about live can’t.
Practice period also involves the study of Buddhist teachings with an eye towards how they’re useful to us. I hope the Wednesday night Dharma Seminar based around the Heart Sutra will be helpful. You can come in person or listen to the talks via the website. If you go to the description of the seminar online you’ll see book recommendations as well. There will also be additional readings and information posted on this special page of the website.
Practice period always involves contact with others. This could include a “practice period partner” someone else involved in practice period you keep in touch with or reaching out to the kind of friend you already have who helps you work with things in life as they really are. This contact could also include connecting with me or one of the other teachers within Red Cedar Zen – if you ask us to in the practice period registration will connect you with a teacher. It’s a low pressure thing – they’ll reach out to you and ask how much contact and interaction you’d like. Or come to a private interview at the Hall.
Some contact is essential but also practice period often involves formal practice done with others. Coming to the opening or closing retreats or just making it to the Dharma Hall (or another zendo near you if you are further afield) for any of the sits on the calendar. Practice period can be a powerful time to experiment with this kind of practice. To look at those six weeks on the calendar and feel empowered to come and sit weekly or even daily with others.
One logistical note to close: the way we did this schedule the opening retreat is coming up fast. It’s on January 21st – a week from Saturday. If you’re able to make that retreat (part time or full time) please sign up soon so we can arrange food and jobs. (In a future schedule we might move the opening retreat back a little more to give us more time to get organized but it is what it is.)
Remember there are three things to formally register for and you can sign up online or on paper at the Hall.
The rest of the events you are warmly invited to show up for.
The new Events Calendar is a helpful visual way of seeing it all.
The six weeks will probably feel more real and transformational if you consider it as a whole and set some intentions and goals. You may or may not do all of what you plan but there’s a real power to just raising up an aspiration for awakening in this way.
Warmly yours,
Nomon Tim Burnett
Practice Period lead teacher this time around
