Dharma Teacher Weekend 2022
No Extended Practice this Weekend!
A reminder that there will be no Extended Practice this Saturday. We had our December retreat earlier this month, but also, with the impending storm, it is likely that the Center won’t be shoveled out in time for practice Saturday anyway. Please do note on your calendar the next one-day retreat is to take place on the last Saturday of February.
Enjoy your weekend!
Notes for Nov/Dev of 2021.
From our Abbott Bill Robitzek.
All, I hope you are well and had a peaceful Thanksgiving.
This is the season for various holidays and so I thought it best to summarize the month for the convenience of planning.
WEEKLY PRACTICE: We will continue all month with our Midday Zoom Meditation on Tuesdays at 12:30 as well as the longer practices on Wednesday evenings at 6:45.
TWO NOTES: First, the zoom link for both of the above will now appear in the text at the bottom of the email. Second, with the advent of the omicron variant of COVID, we will continue to evaluate throughout this and the following months whether to continue the live component of our Wednesday night hybrid practice. Currently, all who come live need to be vaccinated and masked for the protection of all and their families.
DECEMBER RETREAT: Because the last Saturday of the month is Christmas day, we are transforming this end-of-year retreat into a beginning of the year retreat to take place the second Saturday of the new year: January 8, 2022. Please mark your calendars and plan to join us. Again it will be hybrid unless the virus changes the live component by then.
In the meantime, please be well and practice moment to moment.
In the Dharma, Bill
We Had a Retreat on the 26th of June!
This was the first live in person retreat at Northern Light Zen Center since February of 2020! What a difference to meet everyone in 3 dimensions! The zoom was available but none chose to use it. Perhaps next time we will have Zoomers and Live in the Dharma room!
It was a beautiful day, strong practice, the birds were noisy and I still didn’t get my Kong-an. But the retreat was a wonderful success! Thanks to all who attended! We had eleven total!
49 Day Ceremony for Colin Fay.
Please join us on Saturday, February 6 at 11 a.m. EDT for the 49 Day Ceremony for Colin Fay, Abbot Emeritus of the Nothern Light Zen Center, who passed away on December 19th.
He knew and studied with Zen Master Seung Sahn at the Cambridge Zen Center. His passion for our practice led him to be a founding member of this sangha in 2002. His energy and generosity led to the creation of our dharma room in the basement of his Brunswick home, and later to the purchase and renovation of our center in Topsham. He encouraged many of us in our practice. His great Bodhisattva spirit, exemplified by his smile and joking around, will long be remembered by those he leaves behind.
The ceremony will take place on Zoom. If you wish to attend, please send us an email at northernlightzencenter@gmail.com so that we can send you the Zoom invite.
Northern Light Zen Center Halloween Retreat.
| October 31, One Day Retreat |
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| 202 Meadow Road Topsham Maine (207) 835-1480 northernlightzencenter@gmail.com  Halloween Day Retreat The Northern Light Zen Center is pleased to announce a one day hybrid (zoom and live) retreat on Saturday, October 31, 2020. The basic retreat is scheduled from 8:00 to noon, but there is an option for further practice that day. The practice will involve alternating periods of sitting and walking meditation. Kong-An interviews are available with the Guiding Teacher. LIVE PRACTICE In this time of COVID we are especially mindful of the health and well-being of our members. With this is mind, we are offering live participation at the zen center for a limited number of people so that social distancing can be maintained. IF YOU WISH TO PARTICIPATE LIVE, YOU MUST REGISTER IMMEDIATELY SO THAT WE CAN ASSESS THE SPACE IN THE DHARMA ROOM. All interviews will be conducted via zoom. If you have your own portable device (phone or laptop) and know how to use zoom, please bring it. If not, we will have an interview station set up so that you can have an interview with Terry. Let us know. EXTENDED PRACTICE The set time for the retreat is 8 to noon. Terry is willing to continue the retreat that day after a short lunch break if there are sufficient numbers of people who would like to practice an additional hour or two. LET US KNOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE THIS. RSVP required by the Wednesday before the retreat so we can plan accordingly. |
| Click here to ask questions or to register for the the retreat. Terry Cronin, JDPSN started practicing Zen and Christian contemplation in 1980 while a student at Yale Divinity School. Since 1986, he has trained in the Kwan Um School of Zen. He received inka from Zen Master Soeng Hyang in April, 2014 and is the Guiding Teacher at the Northern Light Zen Center. For the past 21 years he has worked in a variety of roles for hospice programs, currently serving as a hospice chaplain. He lives in Maine and has one adult son. |
June 27th Zoom Retreat at NLZC
Saturday on June 27th, Northern Light Zen Center held it’s bi-monthly retreat via zoom. We are joined by folks from the Cape Code Zen Center. Interviews and Strong Practice ensued! It was a good day. If you are interested in joining us on Wednesday nights for practice or for our next retreat, please send an email to northernlightzencenter@gmail.com. Stay well and stay healthy
Northern Light had a retreat on the 25th of April.
Even given the pandemic and stay at home order, modern technology provided us a why to hold a retreat on the 25th.
We began at 8am and completed at 11am, It was well attended and kept to a similar format as our regular retreats. We all had interviews even! It was good practice.
Our next retreat is scheduled for the 27th of June. Perhaps we will all be sitting in our Dharma room by then. Either way I am sure we will find a way to practice together.
Stay safe everyone, stay healthy. Yours in the Dharma.
Practice on Wednesday the 25th is cancelled.
Due to the Christmas Holiday Practice for this Wednesday is cancelled.
However! Please join us for a one day retreat on the 28th of December. Ring in the new year with a day of solid meditation! 🙂
Email northernlightzencenter@gmail.com or Abbot@nlzc.info for more information.
Extended Practice on Nov. 30 is cancelled.
Due to the holiday and conflicts – potential conflicts with travel and family, extended practice on Nov 30th is cancelled. Please come to our December one day retreat on Dec 28th!