LIVING WITH PRECEPTS: AN INTRODUCTION AND GUIDE
January 24-March 28
Eight Sundays, 4-6pm, EST
(1/24, 1/31, 2/7, 2/21, 2/28, 3/7, 3/21, 3/28)
On Zoom
Led by Suzanne Shunryo Webber and Tom Daijo Redden
The Buddhist precepts are the traditional ethical guidelines taught by the Buddha. They are understood historically to be the process by which one formally becomes a Buddhist. and in today's time they provide a reliable footing for all paths and expressions of ethical life. The Green River Zen Center is offering this precepts class for new or long practitioners from any background. Course limit: 16. Fee: $50 - $240. Financial aid is available.
The 16 Precepts of Shakyamuni Buddha guide us to realize that we live in absolute interconnectedness with all life in the here and now, and that we are responsible for all aspects of our life. We have the power to transform suffering and to work effectively to lessen greed, anger and delusion. Our body, mouth and thoughts are the actual tools of our practice. The life we have right now is the kindling of our Enlightenment. By plunging into the precepts, we experience ourselves as the Buddha, the Awakened One, just as we are right now, embracing our life just as it is.
We will engage in a number of practices to raise awareness of the precepts in our daily activities. These include zazen meditation, journaling, sharing our challenges and growth with other members of the class, and engaging in personal, one-on-one conversations with the facilitators. We seek to encounter and remove obstacles, identify and befriend shadows, and embody a compassionate relationship with ourselves. Practicing the precepts does not mean we are perfect or special, or even good. It is simply living with the intention to free ourselves and others from suffering.
This course could lead to the ceremony of Jukai, Taking Refuge in the Precepts, for anyone who wishes to take this additional step.
To register, please contact Shunryo at [email protected]
January 24-March 28
Eight Sundays, 4-6pm, EST
(1/24, 1/31, 2/7, 2/21, 2/28, 3/7, 3/21, 3/28)
On Zoom
Led by Suzanne Shunryo Webber and Tom Daijo Redden
The Buddhist precepts are the traditional ethical guidelines taught by the Buddha. They are understood historically to be the process by which one formally becomes a Buddhist. and in today's time they provide a reliable footing for all paths and expressions of ethical life. The Green River Zen Center is offering this precepts class for new or long practitioners from any background. Course limit: 16. Fee: $50 - $240. Financial aid is available.
The 16 Precepts of Shakyamuni Buddha guide us to realize that we live in absolute interconnectedness with all life in the here and now, and that we are responsible for all aspects of our life. We have the power to transform suffering and to work effectively to lessen greed, anger and delusion. Our body, mouth and thoughts are the actual tools of our practice. The life we have right now is the kindling of our Enlightenment. By plunging into the precepts, we experience ourselves as the Buddha, the Awakened One, just as we are right now, embracing our life just as it is.
We will engage in a number of practices to raise awareness of the precepts in our daily activities. These include zazen meditation, journaling, sharing our challenges and growth with other members of the class, and engaging in personal, one-on-one conversations with the facilitators. We seek to encounter and remove obstacles, identify and befriend shadows, and embody a compassionate relationship with ourselves. Practicing the precepts does not mean we are perfect or special, or even good. It is simply living with the intention to free ourselves and others from suffering.
This course could lead to the ceremony of Jukai, Taking Refuge in the Precepts, for anyone who wishes to take this additional step.
To register, please contact Shunryo at [email protected]
Suzanne Shunryo Webber is a Dharma Holder sitting with Green River Zen Center and Roshi Eve Myonen Marko since 2007. Shunryo is active in a farming community in Western Massachusetts. She works as a mental health counselor.
Tom Daijo Redden, PhD, an ordained Zen priest in the Zen Peacemaker Order, is also a student of Roshi Eve Myonen Marko, and has been a member of this lineage since 1980. He is a Professor Emeritus of History and Politics at Southern Vermont College, and is working on a book exploring what a "Buddhist Politics" might look like in the USA in the 21st century.