December 31, 8pm – midnight

“Moment after moment we should renew our life, we should not stick to old ideas of what life is, or what our way of life is. Especially at the end of the year we should completely renew our feelings and completely clean even our cars. If we always stick to old ideas and always repeat the same thing over and over again, then we are confined in our old way of life. Some excitement or some occasion is necessary to encourage us along.” – Suzuki Roshi

As the year winds down, join us in our year-end ceremony of traditional Soto Zen practices:

• Temple cleaning
• Toshikoshi noodles (symbolizing “year bridging”)
• Creating an intention to carry with you into 2019
• Two periods of sitting and walking zazen
• Ringing in the New Year with 108 bells (to ward off the 108 delusions of mind!)

Schedule:
8:00 pm – Bow-in together and work circle
9:00 – Vegetarian “year-bridging” noodles
9:45 – Sitting together around the table to write down our intention for the coming year
10:30 – Han begins for zazen
10:40 – Zazen
11:10 – Kinhin
11:25 – Zazen with 108 bells
12:00 – Year end, hugs, and celebration

Make this New Year’s Eve a joyful occasion of rededicating ourselves to practice and wisdom and compassion for all!

Come sit in stillness and presence amidst the raucous energy of the city. Program begins at 8 pm and lasts until after midnight.

Please let us know if you’re coming so we know how many people to plan for; email us here.
Suggested donation: £5 (No one turned away for lack of funds)

May all beings live with the joy of an open heart!

Medicine Buddha

Every Friday morning, at 8 am, we chant the Metta Sutta (LovingKindness Meditation)  and the Enmei Jukku Kannon Gyo, and then we dedicate the merit to the comfort and recovery or peaceful transition of our friends. We recite a list of the names of those to whom we dedicate this intention. The dedication goes as follows:

May all awakened beings manifest through the Three Treasures their luminous mirror wisdom. With full awareness we have chanted the Metta Sutta and the Enmei Jukku Kannon Gyo for protecting life. We dedicate this merit and virtue to

The well-being, comfort and recovery or peaceful transition of our dear friends:

 Names are read aloud

And to all those who are suffering from physical or mental illness, who are lacking shelter, food or safety, who are victims of natural disasters, or who are exposed to violence of any kind

May they be deeply supported in the Dharma, peaceful and free from suffering, and may they, together with all beings, realise Buddha’s Way. 

If you would like to add a name that we will keep on the list for three weeks, please email us here.