Turning Toward: White People Working to Dismantle White Supremacy

Turning Toward is a group for white-identifying dharma practitioners to hold each other accountable and encourage each other in doing the inner and outer work of dismantling racism and acting in alliance with people of color in a white supremacist society. Attendees have read at least one of the following three books: So You Want to Talk About Race (Ijeoma Oluo), Awakening Together (Larry Yang), or Mindful of Race (Ruth King). Because of the relational and intimate nature of this group's work, attendees are asked to commit to attending 4 once-monthly sessions.

Sponsors: Liz Roemer, Rebecca Behizadeh

Time and Dates: The following are Sundays from 5-7pm: November 10th, Dec 8th, Jan 12th, February 16th

Location:
Greater Boston Zen Center
552 Massachusetts Avenue #208
Second Floor
Cambridge (in Central Square), MA 02139

How you can join: Turning Toward is open to new members 3 times throughout the year. Coming to the first meeting of each session isn’t a commitment, it’s an exploration to see if this group is a good fit. 

Questions/Comments:  Please contact email, [email protected]

"Every Day Is A Good Day"

"We can't do it by ourselves, and no one else can do it for us."
--from our liturgy book

Non-residential sesshins at GBZC are a wonderful opportunity to deepen our practice by joining together as a sangha (community) in either 2 or 2.5 days of intensive Zen practice.

You can sign up for the multi-day sesshin or you can sign up for any combination of full and half-days. Non-residential sesshins are scheduled from 8am-6pm over either one regular or one long holiday weekend and include up to 8 hours of zazen (seated meditation) per day, liturgy, oryoki (traditional Zen meal ceremony) and dokusan (private meetings with the teachers).

The non-residential sesshin format allows us to practice together during the day and still spend the evening at home. While we will be chanting and eating together during our lunch meal service, we do not serve food at the Center. We will provide hot water for tea. We ask that participants plan to eat breakfast and dinner at home and plan to bring a bag lunch, a teacup, and whatever snacks they may need.

GBZC Non-residential sesshins are led by Josh Bartok, Kate Hartland, Laura Wallace, and others, and are scheduled for:

• May 15-17, 2020
• Sep 18-20, 2020
• Jan 15-17, 2021

Lunch: Please bring a brown-bag lunch and teacup to eat Oryoki style.

Suggested donation: $50 for each full day; $25 for each half-day
Sliding scale available. Please never let money keep you away. All are welcome, regardless of means. It is our policy that no one is turned away from sesshin because of financial circumstances. And we really mean this. Because it costs money to run the Zen Center and to support our teacher's time, we do ask that everyone make a contribution in some amount to our shared work. We encourage you to donate what you can, and know that your contribution of any amount is gratefully received.

The community at GBZC invites you to participate in a monthly sitting practice where our focus is on LGBTQIA+ issues. Our aim is to create a safe space for Zen meditation and dialogue for LGBTQIA+ people and allies.

What to Expect
This is a shortened Zen Buddhist service that will include chanting, seated meditation, walking meditation, and discussion. We will also seek to bring in teachers from the Zen community that can speak to topics affecting the LGBTQIA+ community. No RSVP required.

This is an opportunity to cultivate a diverse community rooted in inclusivity, justice, and compassion. This group is meant to be both an entry point to discovering and practicing Zen and an exploratory practice for LGBTQIA+ people and allies already familiar with Zen.

GROUP INFO:

Location:
Greater Boston Zen Center
552 Massachusetts Avenue #208
Second Floor
Cambridge, MA 02139

When: Every 4th Sunday from 7:00-8:30 P.M. starting September 22, 2019.

Approximate program schedule:
6:30 pm - Early arrival for newcomers that would like an orientation
7:00 pm - Sutra Service (15 min), Walking Meditation (5 min), Sit (20 min), Walking Meditation (5 min), Discussion/Talk (30 min), Walking Meditation (5 min), Closing Service (5 min)
8:30 pm - Out for the evening

Who: All LGBTQIA+ people and allies are welcome.

Questions/Comments: Please contact the group's facilitator, Caroline Murphy, at [email protected]

Greater Boston Zen Center (GBZC) member Rebecca Doverspike invites all to join her in this new, monthly sitting group.

This group will gather to share (and maybe inspire further) creative works with one another and to collaborate in conversation about how those works relate to spiritual practices as a whole. Often, we cannot see alone what we are doing, or could do, with a particular creative piece and readers can help by sharing what they see in it. We will also spend time doing spiritual reading practices and free-writing together.

You are welcome to bring other author’s creative works that relate to spiritual practice for you to share with the group instead of, or in addition to, your own. Work in any language is welcome, as are translations (either of your own work or another’s). Also, if you simply want to listen in to gauge interest, you are welcome to do so.

Quarterly, we will hold an interfaith open mic night for anyone interested in and beyond our
community.

GROUP INFO:

Location:
Greater Boston Zen Center
552 Massachusetts Avenue #208
Second Floor
Cambridge, MA 02139

When: Once a month from 7:00-8:30 P.M. on the last Thursday evening of the month unless otherwise noted.

Who: All are welcome for any of the meetings.

Questions/Comments: Please contact the group's facilitator, Rebecca Doverspike, at [email protected]

This affinity group for persons of color (POC), co-organized by Vincent Cho and James Peregrino, serves to affirm and cultivate diversity in our Zen community. It rooted in inclusivity, solidarity, and compassion. The evening consists of a shortened Zen Buddhist service, including chanting, meditation, discussion, and light refreshments. All are welcome, including newcomers to Zen or those hoping to expand their practices.  Newcomer orientations are at 6:40 PM. No RSVP required.

POC GROUP INFO:

Location:
Greater Boston Zen Center
552 Massachusetts Avenue #208
Second Floor
Cambridge, MA 02139

When:
Held the third Monday each month, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. 
Please note the following exception:  April’s meeting will be on April 13, 2020. 

Questions? Please contact Vincent Cho via [email protected]

For the 2019-2020 season, the Thursday night book study and discussion group will explore the book Realizing Genjokoan; The Key to Dogen's Shobogenzo by Shohaku Okumura. Jisho Warner, co-editor of Opening the Hand of Thought, describes this book as "An unequaled introduction to the writings of the great Zen master Eihei Dogen that opens doors to Dogen's vast understanding for everyone from newcomer to adept."

All are invited to join us in exploring this introduction to Dogen’s teachings and how they can encourage and support us in our practice. Drop-ins are welcome! Prior reading is not required and a few books will be on hand to use during the discussion. Come for one discussion, a few of them, or all of them as your schedule allows.

This book study and discussion group meets on the SECOND THURSDAY EVENING of the month at 7:15 PM and is facilitated by GBZC Practice Leader, John Vetrano.

We'll be meeting each month, September through May. Please note that there are some exceptions to our typical schedule of meeting on the second Thursday of the month.  The dates below are underlined if they are NOT the second Thursday.
Dates: 9/12, 10/10, 11/14, 12/19, 1/9, 2/13, 3/12, 4/9, 5/14

Time: 7:15 – 8:45 PM

Suggested donation - GBZC members: $10 / non-members: $15

Readings:

Sep 12
Genjokoan Parts 1-4 (page 1) and pages 42-49
Oct 10:
Genjokoan Parts 1-4 (page 1) and pages 51-55
Nov 14:
Pages 75-81
Dec 19:
Page 95 through the top of page 100
Jan 9:
Pages 118-126
Feb 13:
Genjokoan Part 10; page 143, and pages 146-151
Mar 12:
TBA
Apr 9:
TBA
May 14:
TBA