BULLETIN
March 2025
Enkyo Roshi with Bernie Glassman
“The basic problem, actually, is how to get rid of the idea that we’re going to get rid of our problems. Only then can we relate directly with the real issues of our life.”
—Bernard Glassman, Instructions to the Cook
Dear Sangha,
The other day—a particularly long one—my wife said the words, “I’m cooked.” I got it. I was cooked, too. I have a feeling we’re all kind of cooked, these days. Done. Overdone, actually. Charred to a crisp.
How do we cook our lives when our lives seem to be cooking us?
One simple answer, perhaps, is to remember to be of service—to devote ourselves to something other than ourselves. With “me” at the center of it all, it’s too easy to believe that life is something that happens to me: piling up one problem on top of the next on “my” shoulders. But when you turn it around, and this “me” becomes an offering to something bigger—everything shifts.
This is what our own longtime tenzo, Seizan, who will be honored on March 9th, reminds us. All along, he has single-mindedly and wholeheartedly poured his efforts into serving our Sangha: delicious meals; scrubbed toilets; his simple, pure, shining presence.
How can you possibly get cooked when you are so wonderfully busy cooking?
With great appreciation,
Taylor Plimpton
Editor
MARCH CALENDAR
Sunday, March 2: Online: Practice and Inquiry Circle
with Joshin Roshi, 9:30 am
In-Person: Body, Breath and Mind; Intro to Zen,
with Howard, 9:30 am
Book Group, Online: On Tyranny, 5 pm
Thursday, March 6: Zazen and Dharma Talk by Kenko
Sunday, March 9: Zazen and Dharma Talk by Enkyo Roshi, 9:30 am
Gate of Sweet Nectar Ceremony, approx. 11:30 am
,
Tea with Seizan, approx. 12:30 pm
Music Improv, 4 pm
Wednesday, March 12 to Friday, March 14: Urban Sesshin, Playing Zen
Saturday, March 15: Zazenkai with Dharma Talk by Shinryu Roshi
Sunday, March 16: Shuso Hossen for Guy Ryugin Barash
Thursday, March 20: Zazen and Dharma Talk by Mukei
Newcomers Meeting, 6:40 pm
Saturday, March 22: Tangaryo
Sunday, March 23: Online Guest Speaker David Loy
Path Class begins
Thursday, March 27: Fusatsu with Precepts Talk by Bokushu Sensei
Sunday, March 30: Zazen and Dharma Talk by Jiryu
Ongoing Groups:
The Bolivian Sitting Group meets online Saturdays: 8 am
Starts at 7 am beginning November 9
Bolivia Zoom Meeting ID: 297 525 8394; Password: 1234
The People of Color Sitting Group meets online Saturdays: 10:30 am
How to Meditate meets Monday evenings online: 6:30 pm
Sorting Out Your Stuff meets online Tuesdays: 10 am
Liturgy Training: In-Person,
1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month: 6 pm
Grace and Grit meets online, first Thursday of each month at 3 pm
Sunday, March 2 at 5 pm
Online Only
Join the Village Zendo on March 2nd at 5 pm
for a discussion of Timothy Snyder’s provocative book.
Timothy Snyder offers us the valuable opportunity to see how Zen teaching can guide us over this rough terrain, helping us to use our beginner's mind to determine our response to the present political crisis.
On Tyranny is a compilation of twenty lessons learned from Hitler's Germany and Stalin's Russia in the twentieth century, offering individual responses to our current threats to democracy. The 126-page book is presented as a series of instructions on how to combat the rise of tyranny, such as "Defend institutions," "Remember professional ethics," and "Believe in truth.” It can be read in one sitting and is ripe for a thoughtful discussion.
At this moment, the Musk-Trump administration provides us with examples of political machinations from the past as they play on our culture’s fears and ignorance. The shared history gives us insights as to where their bold illegal actions could lead us in the future.
This meeting will focus on the twenty lessons, further understanding how they fit with our practice. First published in 2017, the updated audio version on Audible—read by the author—is called On Tyranny, expanded audiobook edition, Updated with 20 new lessons from Russia's war on Ukraine.
Once a New York Times Best Seller, it is widely available in public libraries for reading and listening. It is for sale in private book stores including McNally Jackson Books in Soho (http://mcnallyjackson.com/)
You can get the free GETCHO APP teaching you how to get your book delivered the same day from almost any bookstore in NYC. You can find Timothy Snyder at Substack where he posts almost daily at
<https://substack.com/@snyder>
Please join us for a lively discussion. All are welcome, having read the book or not.
This is an online discussion and will not be recorded.
For questions, contact: Zesho or Doshin
JOIN ONLINE
Sunday, March 9—In Person and Online
The Gate of Sweet Nectar
Feeding the Hungry Spirits
Kyoto National Museum, Heian period, late 12th century
The Gate of Sweet Nectar is an ancient and beautiful Buddhist ceremony in which we invite all suffering spirits into the field of our practice. We then we offer them food and sustenance in order to satisfy them and bring them peace. We also invoke the Five Great Buddha families to be present as we open ourselves to the reality of suffering, within and without. It is an opportunity for us to fulfill our vows to serve all beings, rather than turn away from our personal and collective suffering rooted in greed, anger, and ignorance.
This ritual of feeding the hungry spirits is appropriate in our Ango period while we are studying Dogen’s classic "Instructions to the Cook” and Roshi Bernie Glassman’s contemporary text of the same name. Indeed it was Bernie Roshi who introduced the Village Zendo to this traditional liturgical practice that addresses the issues of suffering in our own time. The Ceremony Will Follow the Sunday Morning Service (approx. 11:30 am).
The Ceremony Will Follow
the Sunday Morning Service (apprx. 11:30 am)
followed by
A Celebration of Dedicated Sangha Practice
Tea for Bill Seizan Ewing
For two decades, Bill Seizan Ewing has been a pillar of our community and embodied the spirit of community service. This Ango (intensive practice) period, we are studying Dogen’s text that holds up the Zen cook as the epitome of practice and service. It is fitting that as a community, we now express our appreciation for Seizan who ran our kitchen and nourished us during so many retreats, Zazenkai, and ordinary sangha events. Seizan also served for many years in the role of Village Zendo Steward, the one who oversees our maintenance operations and the orderliness of our practice space. As a Senior Student, he has also shared the Dharma with us through his talks, poetry, and care for other sangha members, new and old.
We will gather at the Zendo and online to honor Seizan on Sunday, March 9 following the regular Sunday program and the Gate of Sweet Nectar Ceremony at approximately 12:30 pm.
Please join Abbot Shinryu Roshi and Abbot Emerita Enkyo Roshi on this special occasion!
Photo by A.J. Jiryu Davis
March 12–14, 2025
Urban Sesshin
Playing Zen:
Exploring Spontaneity and Creative Expression
Vasily Kandinsky, Improvisation 27 (Garden of Love II)
Improv, like play, is spontaneous expression that is governed by a set of loose rules. The rules support us, help us embrace unpredictability, and offer the freedom to respond. During this Urban Sesshin, led by Shuso Guy Ryugin Barash, participants are invited to encounter themselves through the lens of improv. We will go on an outdoor expedition, allow ordinary things to inspire us, and use all the ingredients available to us to cook creative works of poetry, music, and dance.
Mornings will follow a traditional schedule of sitting, walking and service. Afternoons will be dedicated to workshops. Evenings will return to our traditional schedule.
Workshops will be offered in person only. Online participants will receive prompts for independent inquiry in parallel to the in-person workshops.
Learn More and Register Here
Saturday, March 14, 8:30 am — 12:45 pm
Honshu Gyocha (Tea) 12:45 pm — 1:10 pm
ZAZENKAI
We invite you to participate in Village Zendo’s Zazenkai, a half-day retreat that will be held both online and in person. It will include ample periods of meditation, service, a Dharma Talk, and conclude with open sozan.
Zazenkai will be held in a hybrid format, in which both virtual and in-person participants will practice together.
Registration is required.
Register HERE
Sunday, March 15, 9:30 am
Please arrive by 9:15 am
Shuso Hossen Ceremony
Guy Ryugin Barash
Shuso Hossen is a joyous celebration recognizing our practice leader and new Senior Student. It takes place at the conclusion of the intensive training period of Ango, during which the student serves as a model and practice leader. Ryugin will give his first Dharma Talk and will take questions from the community in a ceremonial conversation known as Dharma Dialogue. As such, it is a participatory and deeply moving experience for all.
Guy Ryugin Barash joined the Village Zendo sangha in 2016. He coordinates the liturgy services and training at the Zendo twice a month. Ryugin is a member of the Zen Peacemakers Order, and a musician whose works have been performed internationally. He is a husband and father, living with the challenges and joys of combining everyday life and spiritual practice.
This event will be in-person and online.
To attend online, go to our Online Zendo HERE. No registration is required.
The in-person ceremony is at the Village Zendo, 260 West Broadway, in New York City. Please note that although our address is on West Broadway, the entrance to the Zendo is in the back of the building on St. John’s Lane. If you plan to attend in-person, please rsvp using the button below.
Please consider a $20 voluntary donation to cover event costs. Donate HERE
Questions? info@villagezendo.org
JOIN ONLINE HERE
RSVP TO ATTEND IN PERSON HERE
Friday, March 21, 7:00 pm — 8:30 pm
Online Only
Jukai
Receiving the Buddhist Precepts
Vast is the robe of liberation
A formless field of benefaction;
I wear the Tathagata teaching
Saving all sentient beings.
Are you curious about the precepts and taking Jukai?
Shinryu Roshi will be leading a discussion on taking Jukai, Friday, March 21 from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. He will be joined by Tokuyu and Fusho Senseis who will direct the sewing and precepts study during the summer.
In the Jukai ceremony, we vow to lead our lives in accord with the precepts. The study of the precepts has no beginning or end, but it is the basis of our practice and our relations with others. This will be a wonderful opportunity for anyone considering taking Jukai this summer to ask questions and to get an in-depth introduction into what is involved with taking this important step.
If you would like to attend or have any questions,
please contact Tokuyu Sensei HERE
Saturday, March 22, 7:30 am — 5:30 pm
Tangaryo
One of the requirements for becoming a Formal Student of Shinryu Roshi and the VZ teaching staff is “Tangaryo,” or all-day sitting. This custom dates to the earliest days of Zen when those wishing to enter into training would sit for long periods of time in order to demonstrate the sincerity of their aspiration. Tanga is a Japanese term meaning “staying until the morning.” It refers to the overnight stay in a Zen monastery of a wandering monk on pilgrimage. The room set aside for this purpose was known as the tangaryo.
At the Village Zendo we have continued this tradition. After discussing their wish to become a student with Shinryu Roshi, student candidates devote a day to Tangaryo. The day begins with zazen that continues until mid-afternoon. The zazen is unstructured — no bells ring to mark the end of the period and there is no kinhin. Candidates may take short breaks, if needed, to go to the bathroom or refresh themselves for further sitting.
In the middle of the afternoon, Tangaryo ends and, shortly afterwards, the new students exchange bows and sit down to tea with Roshi who greets them on behalf of the Village Zendo teaching staff.
It is customary at this time to present Roshi with a small monetary donation in lieu of other gifts. There is no minimum or maximum amount required.
With the conclusion of this ceremony, student initiation is complete, and the new student is invited to participate in a short Student Entry ceremony on the day following Tangaryo.
Tangaryo will be held both in person and online. Sangha members are encouraged to join the Tangaryo for part or all of the day to encourage new Formal Students and practice with them.
If you have questions, or wish to become a formal student, please contact info@villagezendo.org.
Sunday, March 23, 9:30 am
In-Person and Online (talk will be given online)
Special Guest Speaker
David R. Loy
The New Bodhisattva Path
David Robert Loy is a professor, writer, and Zen teacher in the Sanbo Zen tradition of Japanese Zen Buddhism.
He is a prolific author, whose essays and books have been translated into many languages. His articles appear regularly in the pages of major journals such as Tikkun and Buddhist magazines including Tricycle, Lion’s Roar, and Buddhadharma, as well as in a variety of scholarly journals. Many of his writings, as well as audio and video talks and interviews, are available on the web. He is on the advisory boards of Buddhist Global Relief, the Clear View Project, Zen Peacemakers, and the Ernest Becker Foundation.
David lectures nationally and internationally on various topics, focusing primarily on the encounter between Buddhism and modernity: what each can learn from the other. He is especially concerned about social and ecological issues. A popular recent lecture is “Healing Ecology: A Buddhist Perspective on the Eco-crisis”, which argues that there is an important parallel between what Buddhism says about our personal predicament and our collective predicament today in relation to the rest of the biosphere. You can hear David's podcast interview with Wisdom Publications here. Presently he is offering talks and workshops on Ecodharma: Buddhist Teachings for the Ecological Crisis, his latest book published in 2019. He also leads meditation retreats. (To find out about forthcoming lectures, workshops and retreats, please see the Schedule page.)
Beginning Sunday, March 23
Online Only
The Path of Expression
Writing as Practice
With Sal Gessho Randolph
and Marco Seiryu Wilkinson
Select Sundays, 1:30 pm — 4:00 pm, Online
Mar 23, Apr 27, May 11, Jun 22, Aug 24, Sep 28, Oct 26, Nov 23
For many years, the Village Zendo has offered an annual, year-long workshop affectionately called “Path Class.” Initially created by Enkyo Roshi and Joshin Roshi, these classes offer an opportunity to broaden individual study and practice while deepening connection with others in our community.
The Village Zendo’s Japanese name, Dotokuji, means True Expression Temple. Expression and expressive forms are central to Zen practice—they bridge the contemplative wisdom of zazen with its functioning in the world as responsive action.
This year’s Path class, the Path of Expression: Writing as Practice, will be led by senior students Gessho and Seiryu. Working with Lynda Barry’s playful graphic writing guide, What It Is, the class will explore fundamental questions of self, memory, and imagination. What is an experience? What is memory? What are thoughts? What is a story made of? The focus will be on writing as meditation, a study of the self complementary to zazen.
Meeting monthly over eight Sunday afternoon sessions, the Path of Expression will combine council-style dialogues and exercises with expressive practice. Everyone is welcome. No previous writing experience is needed.
MORE INFORMATION – REGISTER HERE
REFLECTIONS
An excerpt from Refuge in Small Things, by Mike Travisano,
which can be purchased here.
The Supreme Meal
Wondering what to make for dinner?
This recipe is the only one you’ll ever need! Kids, adults, and the whole family just LOVE the Supreme Meal! Made with locally sourced fresh ingredients, this recipe for a LIFE LIVED FULLY requires zero effort but delivers BIG on flavor!
 1 review  1 comment
Prep Time Cook Time Serves
0 minutes 0 minutes All beings across space and time
Ingredients:
1 exactly what you already have.
1 exactly who you already are.
Directions:
-
Mix 1 of exactly what you already have with 1 of exactly who you already are.
-
Awaken to the reality that all things are connected and depend on each other.
-
Live from this experience.
Reviews:
I take refuge in knowing that all the ingredients I need for a life lived fully are exactly what I already have, and exactly who I already am.
We communicate in three places online:
our email list, a Facebook page, and a Groups.io list
where we share events and information among the whole
Sangha. Explore these various ways of staying connected and
up to date here: https://villagezendo.org/connect-with-us/
Editor: Taylor Plimpton
Editor Emerita: Nina Shuka Klippel
Managing Editor/ Design & Production: Howard Thoresen
DONATE HERE
In these trying times, the Village Zendo still relies on your support.
If you are able, please make a donation.
|
