Leicester Great Heart Circle - August 2013

At the August meeting we discussed a short article by Bernie Glassman about his thoughts on Buddhism and Social Engagement  :

To me, social engagement is working with aspects of oneself and society that are underserved (that’s my definition for social engagement). The Buddhist part (for me) means doing that work coming from the standpoint of non-duality and, in doing that work, trying to help people experience the interconnectedness and oneness of life. So that’s the basis, the foundation from which I do the work. In all of those works, I try to create ways of doing it which would help the people that I’m serving to realize and actualize the interconnectedness of life–the oneness of life. I look at that as being my role as a Zen teacher. Those are some of the vows that I’ve made to myself and out loud, that I would serve all of society and not just those who come into a meditation hall. I’ve changed the venue to be society and the main service is to realize and actualize the interconnectedness of life. The secondary service is to work with those aspects of society and oneself that are underserved. To these thoughts from Bernie I would like to add the 7 pieces of advice on compassion for others from Rumi : In generosity and helping others, be like a river. In compassion and grace, be like the sun. In concealing others’ faults, be like the night. In anger and fury, be like the dead. In modesty and humility, be like the earth. In tolerance, be like the sea. Either appear as you are, or be as you look. The art work is in glass by Erwin Eisch and called "Buddha - I am open" , it is on display at an exhibition of the artist's work at the National Glass Centre in Sunderland.

Persian Drumming Workshop in Chester

Following on from last year's workshop in Leicester, we invited Arian Sadr to lead another Persian drumming workshop for us, in Chester this time.  People from several different spiritual communities - Zen and Sufi - came together to learn from Arian the basic rhythms and techniques of the wonderful Daf drum - like a giant tambourine!  Keeping with the spirit of the Chester Zen Peacemaker Circle, we held the event outdoors in the city centre, just outside the medieval city walls.  It was a lovely afternoon of sunshine and music and friendship...

Chester Street Zen Training, 21st July

 

In our Zen Training circle on Sunday we studied a tool for including all aspects of our life in practice, called the Five Buddha Families.  They're sometimes used in the Zen Peacemakers as a way of reflecting on our engagement with life - Spirituality, Study, Livelihood, Social Action, and Integration/Celebration.  Originally they developed in Indian aand Tibetan Buddhism, where they are used as a very rich model of how our psyche operates moment by moment.

As usual, a fantastic meal was shared together outdoors at the end!

Rumi Reflection Group in Chester

 

The Rumi Reflection Group in Chester finished our exploration of the translation Love's Ripening by Helminski and Rizwani this week, and we'll be moving on to Rumi: Bridge to the Soul, by Coleman Barks next week.  The plan is to cycle through lots of different translations of Rumi so we can hear him in different voices.  We're using Rumi as a starting point for exploring our own lives, so hopefully this will encourage us to hear the diversity in our own voices too.

From somewhere beyond myself

grace radiates into my heart.

Somewhere a Candle illumines this whole world.

Who am I? Just the candlestick holder.

Rumi

Chester Zen Peacemaker Circle

 

Our Great Heart activities in Chester have been developing using the structure of the Zen Peacemaker Circles, with the aim of creating a network of people coming together to explore the "Three Tenets" of the Zen Peacemakers - Not Knowing, Bearing Witness, and Loving Action.  We're continuing also to explore both Zen and the spirit of Rumi as found in his poems, linking in to the training we've done together for several years in the Leicester meetings.  In Chester we now have three fortnightly meetings:  a "Street Zen Training", where we study, meditate and share a meal outdoors on the streets of Chester; a "Rumi Reflection Group", where we meet in a cafe and discuss one of his poems; and a "Mindfulness and Metta Class" where someone leads practice of two traditional Buddhist meditations.

Everyone is welcome, we are a very diverse group of all ages, genders, nationalities and backgrounds.  Come! Come!

Leicester Great Heart Circle - Rumi and Zen Meditation With Sufi Flavours

What is meditation ?  Sri Sri Ravi Shankar describes it as : “A mind in the present-moment.  A mind without agitation. A mind that becomes no-mind.  A mind that has no hesitation and no anticipation. A mind that has come back to its source.”

The Leicester Great Heart Circle is an established group that meets monthly to practice Zen meditation with a Sufi flavour, to share experiences and to celebrate our interbeing through a shared meal. It is inspired by the Great Heart of the Sufi poet Rumi. The evening is suitable for all regardless of background or experience.

First Thursday of Every Month,  7.30-10.00 pm, Suggested Donation- £5

Unitarian Chapel, City Centre,

45, East Bond Street,

Leicester LE1 4SX

No Meeting In July 2013

For More Information Contact

greatheartzendo@gmail.com

Leicester Great Heart Circle June 2013

Walking quietly in the garden of Great Meeting as the sun sets ............

Only Breath  by Rumi    

Not Christian or Jew or Muslim, not Hindu,
Buddhist , sufi, or zen. Not any religion

or cultural system. I am not from the East
or the West, not out of the ocean or up

from the ground, not natural or ethereal, not
composed of elements at all. I do not exist,

am not a entity in this world or the next,
did not descend from Adam and Eve or any

origin story. My place is placeless , a trace
of the traceless. Neither body or soul.

I belong to the beloved, have seen the two
worlds as one and that one call to and know,

first, last, outer, inner, only that
breath breathing human being.

(Coleman Barks)

Not this, nor that, not this, neti neti
Looking for One, it is not this, it is not that, la ilaha, la ilaha, there is no one to be found
amongst all this diversity, but there is one, ila allahu