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.
In remembrance of the events of 9/11, a special ceremony called The Gate of Sweet Nectar will be held.
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.
The ritual of feeding the hungry ghosts is appropriate for us now as we remember the violence and anguish of Sept. 11, 2001. Twenty-five years since that world-changing moment, which we witnessed in our own neighborhood, repercussions of the suffering continue. It is our vow to attend to the hungry spirits through our practice and compassionate action.
Donations — Feeding the Hungry Spirits
In accordance with the guiding principle of the ceremony, the sangha is invited to bring donations of food to be distributed to hungry New Yorkers. Contributions of professionally prepared and packaged foods will be donated to the Bowery Mission Tribeca Campus. Due to food safety guidelines, the Mission cannot accept home cooked/prepared foods.
Donations accepted by the Bowery Mission/Tribeca include grab and go meals; pre-packaged salads, sandwiches, snacks; canned and non-perishable prepared foods (fresh and sealed); please check expiration dates. All foods must be professionally packaged; no home cooked/prepared foods. Fine more information here.
Zazenkai will be held in a hybrid format, in which both virtual and in-person participants will practice together.
For those that are attending in person, you can learn more about practicing with us in person at this link.
For those that will be practicing with us virtually, we recommend that you review the Village Zendo’s guidelines for online sitting.
Schedule:
All times are Eastern Time
8:30am – 8:50am Zazen
8:50 – 9:05 Verse of the Kesa and Kinhin/stretching
9:05 – 9:30 Zazen
9:30 – 9:40 Kinhin/stretching
9:40 – 10:25 Service: Gate of Sweet Nectar
10:25 – 10:50 Zazen
10:50 – 11:00 Kinhin/stretching
11:00 – 11:35 Dharma talk by Shinryu Roshi
11:35 – 11:45 Kinhin/stretching
11:45 – 12:10 Zazen
12:10 – 12:20 Kinhin/stretching
12:20 – 12:45 Open Sozan
12:45 Four vows
