Category: Northern Light Zen Center General Interest

Greetings everyone!

It’s been a while since I have written.  This weekend was a great accomplishment though and I wanted to share it.  Every last Saturday of the month, barring holidays and such, we have an extended practice.  This run from 7 or 9 until noon.  During this time we Bow, Chant and Sit.  When our guiding teacher Terry Cronin, JDPSN can be with us we also have Kong-an interviews!  So this Saturday the 29th was already a good one with good practice and kong-an interviews.  But ….after practice there was more!

As you may be aware we are constructing a dharma room in what used to be the attached garage to the zen center.  We it is hardly an attached garage now.  And so much has been done that it was time to paint our walls.  So after practice we gathered  in the dharma room and we were joined by a few other members of our sangha and we made short work of the paint!  This was just the primer coat but in a couple weeks we are going to put the final coat on and then  badda bing it will be ready to finish the electricity and trim.  Excellent, excellent progress!  Check out these pictures.  The room will be beautiful when finished!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tim Buckley a Soto Zen Priest of the Great River Zendo in West Bath Maine, passed to nirvana on April 16th, 2015.  He was a student of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi.  He took precepts in 1969 and was ordained as a priest in this tradition in 2011.  He was a large presence in the Buddhist community in Maine and will be missed. I have posted several links that I thought were of interest below.  Ji Jang Bosal.

 

Tim Buckley – Lion’s Roar

Tim Buckley – Patheos

Interview with Tim Buckley

Tim Buckley Wiki entry

Great River Zendo

This cat knows how to relax.  One could consider this allegorical…..

This weekend, Mar 28-29, was Buddha’s Birthday ceremony at Providence Zen Center.  During this ceremony often people get Inka and take precepts and become Dharma Teachers or Senior Dharma Teachers.  When someone makes the step from being a Dharma Teacher in Training to a Dharma Teacher we call that, “getting your long robes”.   Today, Sunday the 29th, NLZC’s Bill Robitzek got his long robes! Congratulations to Bill!  He got a beautiful set of robes, (imported from Korea 😉 ) as well as a new set of bowls.  Northern Light Zen Center is very fortunate to have Bill as part of our Sangha.  Our Sangha is truly awesome!  Some of us went to Providence to see Bill get his Robes and to enjoy the sunny day there in the Zen Center.  It is always great to meet the other teachers and get a chance to see old friends again.  It was a great day!  Congratulations Bill!  You deserve it.

 

From left to right; Terry Cronin JDPSN, Bill Robitzek(New Dharma Teacher!) Sally Blauvelt, Jay Seiler, Jennifer Mancini.

 

 

 

 

 

This has been quite a winter so far huh folks?!  Between recovering from surgeries and (live) trapping mice AND work I have been quite busy.  And sleeping very well thank you.  I need a good place to release live mice during the winter. I have been going to a nlz1033112462036 lumber yard but I am not sure how good that is.  Oh well, as a cousin used to say, “Life is Such”.

So let’s think about spring coming since we know it invariably will.  With it will come warmer breezes and birds and grass…. but first will come our Spring/Summer schedule!

Check out our events page and see what’s coming up.  First is a two day retreat in March with Nancy Hedgpeth JDPSN.  Should be an ‘enlightening’ weekend!  Keep digging snow and we will see you around the Zen Center.

Peace.

Just wanting to let everyone know.  Since Wednesday practice falls on the 24th.  We are thinking most folks are going to want to spend that time with their respective families.  So Practice for that night has been canceled.

But….we are tentatively having an extended practice on New Years Eve!  Sitting, Chanting, followed by tea and who knows what?! For more info send Colin an email at nlzc@gwi.net

Greetings!

As I write this the snow is coming down hard and it is predicted to snow quite a bit. Remember that we here at NLZC want you to be safe and caution you against driving in adverse conditions. If the town of Topsham has a parking ban on you may consider that Practice for the night has been cancelled. Regardless, only drive in conditions that you feel comfortable in and always err on the side of safety. Be safe.

Peace,

jay

Greetings!

Due to vacations and such, extended practice this Saturday the 25th has been cancelled.

Sorry if this is an inconvenience.

Greetings!

 

In case anyone was planning to attend this Saturday the 27th please know that it has been canceled.  Sorry if this is an inconvenience.