West Houston Zen Center

Meditation Times
The Zen Center has formalized sittings for its members. Anyone can attend. If you are new, please plan on coming in 10 to 15 minutes early to get oriented with our Zendo. For organized sittings, here are the times:

Day	Sitting times	Evening
Monday	7:00 PM - 8:00 PM	Two 25 minute sittings, approximately 10 minute walking meditation
Wednesday	7:00 PM - 8:00 PM	Two 25 minute sittings, approximately 10 minute walking meditation
Friday	7:00 PM - 8:00 PM	One 15 minute sitting, Zen Study/Discussion Group
Sundays	9:00 AM - 11:00 AM	Tea Ceremony, Chanting in English and Korean, two 25 minute sittings, approximately 10 minute walking meditation. Zen talks.
Last Sunday of each month	7:00 AM - 11:00 AM	Tea Ceremony, Chanting, four 25 minute sittings, approximately 10 minute walking meditations. Zen talks, breakfast (potluck) from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
Zen Practice Interviews		By appointment with Dae Mun on scheduled sitting days

2010 Summer and Fall Scheduled Events:

1) Summer Retreat with Zen Master Dae Gak: June 25-27 – Galveston

See Zen Island Fellowship website: http://www.galvestonzen.org/schedule.htm

Fall 2010 Retreat with Zen Master Dae Gak

October 29, 30 & 31, 2010

*FRIDAY*	*SATURDAY*	*SUNDAY*
*6:00-6:50* Check in; Please make payment to “Furnace Mountain Zen Retreat Center”	*5:30* Wake-up bell	*5:30* Wake-up bell
*7:00* Retreat orientation	*6:00* First Meditation Session	*6:00* First Meditation Session
*7:30* Meditation	*8:00* Breakfast	*8:00* Breakfast
sitting, chanting, walking	*8:45* Work Practice	*9:00* 2^nd Meditation Session
*9:00* End of Meditation	*10:00* 2^nd Meditation Session & Dharma Talk	*10:00* Dharma talk
*9:45* Lights out	*12:30* Lunch & clean up	*12:30* Lunch & Clean-up
Please arrive in plenty of time to park, pick are staying over and be seated in the Zendo before the first session of the day.	*2:00* 3^rd Meditation Session & Interviews with Zen Master Dae Gak	*1:30* Depart
	*4:30* Free practice (yoga, walking, resting)
	*5:30* Dinner & clean up
	*6:30* Evening Meditation & Interviews
	*9:00* End of Meditation
	*9:45* Lights out

Below are some guidelines that each of us is asked to observe in order to provide the most positive retreat experience for everyone. The forms are designed to support everyone’s meditation practice. We agree upon a set of guidelines to avoid doing things that might distract someone from his or her practice, such as movement during sitting meditation, loud clothing color, making eye contact, throat clearing, talking, loud noises, strong perfumes, etc.

Arrivals:

Please arrive early enough on Friday in order to make payment for the retreat, familiarize yourself with the layout of the Zen Center and find a place to sleep if you are staying over-night. Please arrive 15 minutes before the start of Saturday’s and Sunday’s first sitting. If you arrive late to a sitting period, please sit quietly in the area just outside of the Zendo and then enter the zendo at the start of the next walking meditation.

Start of the First Session of each Day (Chanting Services)

Everyone sits facing inward

Tea Service (morning only)

Opening of the Altar followed by group bow (sitting bow)

ZM Dae Gak ‘drum rolls’ the moktak, while everyone does a seated bow

Chanting begins (chant sheets will be under your mat)

Sitting meditation begins

Bell is rung once after 25 minutes.

Altar candles are extinguished, followed by group seated bow

Everyone rises for walking meditation

Walking Meditation

Periods of walking meditation in movement will last 10 to 25 minutes

Morning and Afternoon (2^nd and 3^rd) Meditation Sessions

25 minutes of sitting meditation separated by walking meditation. A dharma talk is given during the morning session and interviews are offered during the afternoon session and evening session if necessary.

Evening Sitting

The evening session starts with the same chanting service as that done in the morning.

The Four Great Vows are chanted after the final bell at the end of each day.

Interviews

Zen Master Dae Gak will meet with everyone during the weekend. He will ring a bell to indicate that it is the next person’s turn. You can do a standing bow as you enter the Interview room, before closing the door.

Meals

Details of how the meals will be served, when we will chant the meal gatha and etc will be reviewed at the retreat.

Beverages

Coffee, tea, and juice will be served with breakfast. Water and hot tea will be available for other meals and throughout the day.

Work Practice

Work practice allows us an opportunity to practice moving meditation. It also gives us a wonderful chance to show our appreciation for the Zen Center.

Silence

Silence is most challenging during breaks, in the kitchen and during work practice. Please be mindful of others and support their practice by remaining silent and avoiding eye contact. Just pausing for a breath to reflect whether your meditation or someone else’s practices truly needs to be interrupted is often enough to realize that we are caught up in our own thoughts or our desire for distraction.

Stillness

Stillness is at the core of sitting meditation. Please choose a position for sitting that you can maintain in stillness for a full 25 minutes. Stilling the mind requires also stilling the body. Both the mind and body will challenge your efforts to awaken. Do your best to be aware of these challenges and not respond to them.

Business Details

On Friday before the retreat( and on Saturday during work practice), please pay the retreat donation and any purchases. I f you have incurred any retreat expenses, please bring your receipts with you for reimbursement.

Please make checks payable to Furnace Mountain Zen Retreat Center . You can use one check to cover the retreat, buy Dae Gak’s book (Going Beyond Buddha, $10), buy a T-shirt ($25), make donations to Furnace Mountain, and subtract from this total any retreat expenses you may have incurred (along with receipts). Zen Master Dae Gak will be happy to sign your book.

Lodging: If you are staying over either Friday or Saturday (or both) nights, please bring your own sleeping bags (or linens and blanket), pillow, towel, flashlight etc.

Donations:

The Nam Son Sa/Zen Center has on-going expenses to meet, most notably insurance and electricity. There are many repair and improvement projects that could be undertaken when funds become available. The only means of support for the Zen Center comes from the generosity of its members and visitors through voluntary donations. While there are no dues or membership requirements for participation in Temple or Zen Center functions, we hope that you will support the Nam Son Temple/Zen Center with regular and generous financial donations!

Korean Buddhist Ceremonies
The Zen Center holds Sunday Buddhist ceremonies on Sunday mornings. The schedule is as follows:

9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Morning Sitting

10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Dharma talks

11:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m. Buddhist Thousand Arm ceremony

12:00 p.m - 1:00 p.m. Lunch