Special Events

Mountain Rain Zen Community
2009 10th Annual Practice Period

In the rainy season the Buddha and his disciples gathered in one place to practice and study together. In Zen monasteries intensive practice periods traditionally lasted for three months. Our six-week non-residential practice period is designed to support participants to intensify and strengthen their practice while living in the midst of family and work responsibilities.

Each person chooses his or her own level of involvement, which may include home sitting, zendo sitting, retreats, study, taking up a particular practice theme, or some appropriate personal restrictions in lifestyle. Some may also choose to include an element of community service or action for peace and justice in the world. Please make use of the suggestions below and the events schedule to shape your practice period. Take into consideration your family and work commitments and decide what will best nourish your practice.

Our shuso or “head monk” this year will be Ninen Susan Elbe, under the guidance of Zoketsu Norman Fischer. Susan is has been practicing with Mountain Rain (formerly Karuna Meditation Society) since 1988. She works as a city planner and has become a wonderful sewing teacher, helping people in our own and other sanghas to sew the Buddha’s robe in the form of rakusu and okesa. We’re happy to welcome Susan as this shuso this year.

The relationship between the shuso and the sangha is one of mutual support, and each shuso brings particular gifts to a practice period. The shuso supports the sangha through giving talks and a study group, and meeting each participant for tea and informal practice discussion. The sangha supports the shuso by their commitment to the practice period, and by their participation in the shuso entering ceremony and the dharma inquiry ceremony at the closing sesshin.

May the practice period be strengthening and nourishing to your practice.

Ways to Participate in the Practice Period

1. Sit with Mountain Rain or your local sangha at least once a week.
2. Sit regularly at home.
3. Attend the shuso's study group, or participate from home.
4. Make a commitment to participate in engaged Buddhist practice, community service or activism.
5. Choose a theme for your personal practice and study.
6. Have practice discussion with one or both of the Mountain Rain resident priests.
7. Have tea and informal practice discussion with the shuso.
8. Attend a retreat or retreats during the practice period.
9. Make a commitment to simplify or restrict some aspect of your personal life-style with mindful attention.

Mountain Rain Zen Community
2009 Practice Period Activities and Events

Regular Zendo sittings
Wednesday evenings 7:00-9:00
Sunday mornings 10:00-12:00
Dharma talks by Michael and Kate TBA

Early Morning Sittings
TBA 6:30-8:30 AM
These are informal sittings. You are welcome to enter and leave quietly during the sittings, as your schedule permits.

Tea with the shuso
A tradition we've adopted from San Francisco Zen Center is for practice period participants to have tea and informal practice discussion with the shuso. To schedule your tea, please contact Susan at selbe@shaw.ca or (604-375-2744).

Dharma Study Group: Karma, Self and Other
with Ninen Susan Elbe
Sundays, 1:00-2:30
October 4, 18, 25, November 8

At each full moon, we hold the Fusatsu Ceremony. The first verse chanted in that ceremony is the Verse of Atonement, which lays the groundwork for the vows which follow. The concepts of self, karma, delusion and avowal weave through this chant and open the heart-mind to a different, more conscious way of living. This chant has provided an opening for me to forgive, to understand fellow beings as something deeper and more essential than their outward actions and led to a greater sense of connection with the world.
I am proposing a study group that looks at these concepts more closely. Questions I would like to explore are:
- how do we understand ideas about the self, karma and delusion?
- how do they relate to each other?
- what does this mean for how we live our lives?
By looking more deeply into these questions, I hope we can learn more about our choice to follow the Bodhisattva path, and how this might be rooted in a sense of common cause and unity.

Sessions will include readings and discussion.
To register contact Susan at selbe@shaw.ca or (604-375-2744).

Day Retreat at Blue Mountain Zendo, Mission
Saturday October 3 (9:00-5:00)
Blue Mountain Zendo, Mission (about 1 hr. east of Vancouver)
Zazen, kinhin (indoor and outdoor), dhama talk by Onshin Michael Newton, and introductory talk to practice period by shuso Ninen Susan Elbe
Please bring a lunch.
An informal dinner will be served at 5:00.
By donation.
To register e-mail (onshin@shaw.ca) or call Kate or Michael (604) 462-0604.
Please indicate if you need a ride or can offer one.

Zazen and Fusatutsu Ceremony (Bodhisattva Precepts Ceremony)
October 04, Sunday
First Shusho study class (see above)

Shuso Entering Ceremony for Ninen Susan Elbe
October 8, 7:00-9:00, Thursday, at the Mountain Rain zendo
zazen, shuso entering ceremony, statement of practice period intentions by participants, followed by refreshments
Zoketsu Norman Fischer will join us to do the ceremony before going to Bellingham for the weekend retreat there. Everyone welcome.

Non-residential study retreat with Zoketsu Norman Fischer
Text: Dogen's Genjo Koan
October 10-11
Red Cedar Zen Community, Bellingham, WA
To register see www.bellinghamzen.org.

Shuso's Way-seeking Mind talk
Wednesday, October 21, 7:00-9:00
Zazen followed by talk and tea circle.

Non-residential Zen retreat with Hogen Bays of Great Vow Monastery
October 30-November 1
Sponsored by North Shore Zendo
Vancouver School of Theology, UBC, Vancouver
To register contact Michael Winther at winther.michael@gmail.com or (604) 871-0321.

Residential Sesshin at Loon Lake Camp, Maple Ridge
Sunday, November 15-Saturday November, 21
Led by Zoketsu Norman Fischer with Ninen Susan Elbe as shuso
Concluding with a dharma inquiry ceremony in which participants bring their dharma questions to the shuso.
Registration form on the MRZC website- Please register early!
To register contact Hugh Brock at registrar@mountainrainzen.ca or call (604) 734-2619

Practice Period Closing Ceremony
Mountain Rain Zendo
Sunday, November 22
During regular meeting time.