Temple News

NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 2011 EVENTS

NOV: 3, 10, 17, Dec 8, 15 ‘The Essence of Zen’ Study Group 7:30pm

6th Chasen Kuyo - Tea Ceremony 11am -3pm

11th Veteran’s Day - temple closed

20th Shichi-Go-San 11am

24th Thanksgiving - temple closed

27th Fujinkai Meeting 10:00am

Monthly Service & Memorial 11am

Daruma-kai Luncheon 12noon

                    28th - Dec 3rd   Rohatsu Sesshin - Zazen Sitting all day for one week, tracing
                                 Sakayamuni Buddha’s period of enlightenment. Daily, 6:00AM-8:10 PM.
                                 Last day 12/3, 6:00AM-12:45AM.

DEC: 4th Jodo-E & Monthly Service & Memorial 11am

Fujinkai Meeting 10:00am

Daruma-kai Luncheon 12 noon

11th Omigaki, Garden Cleaning 9am

Goeika-Osame

13th Director’s Meeting 7:30pm

17th Mochigome Washing 8am

18th Mochitsuki 7am - 4pm

25th Christmas Day - temple closed

31st Year-End Service 4pm

SHICHI-GO-SAN 七五三

If you are interested in having your child participate in the “Shichi-Go-San” (7-5-3 years old) ceremony and service please contact Rev. Kojima @ (213) 624-8658. We will try to accommodate as many children as possible but registration is necessary!

Rohatsu Sesshin is soon to be here once again. This annual one week-long zazen sittings will start on November 28th and go through December 3rd. Sitting will start at 6am and go throughout the day until 8pm. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served for those who can stay. Please join in for whatever time you can. The sesshin culminates on the last day, Saturday, where we sit until midnight and have a short service in the Hondo. Hope to see you there!!! If you wish to attend, please email webmaster@zenshuji.org.

ROHATSU SESSHIN 臘八摂心

The next Study Group will begin on Thursday, Oct. 20th from 7:30 – 8:50 pm. We plan to meet for a total of seven times, ending on Dec. 15th (there will be no classes on Nov. 24th and Dec. 1st). This group is a continuation of the previous Study Group. We will continue reading in The Essence of Zen. It is perfectly acceptable to join this group even if you were not part of the previous group. The Essence of Zen is a book that we can open any section and we will immediately be in touch with the important points of Zen practice. We will sit in zazen for the last 30 minutes of each class. The cost is $15 for temple members and $40 for non-temple members. We look forward to seeing you there. If you wish to attend, please email webmaster@zenshuji.org

The Essence of Zen STUDY GROUP

You don't have to go to Kyoto for a day of authentic Japanese Zen

Tea Ceremony culture. Zenshuji hosts its annual Chasen Kuyo,

celebration of the bamboo tea whisk used to make a bowl of

matcha (powdered green tea). The event attracts practitioners of

all Japanese tea ceremony schools in the region in seasonal

kimono and welcomes the general public’s participation on
Sunday, November 7, 2011, 11am – 3pm.

This chakai (tea ceremony gathering) combines two distinct

temae (tea procedures) in the temple's tea venues and a superbly

prepared chaseki (meal for tea ceremony) incorporating seasonal

shojin riori (vegetarian temple cuisine) crafted by the temple's

chefs. A kuyo, in this case for the tea whisk, is a way that Japanese Buddhists show appreciation for the tools of their trades; kuyos can be held for other implements, including sewing needles and farming tools when they are worn out.

The day begins with a solemn Buddhist service in the hondo (main sanctuary) offering tea in appreciation of the efforts of the humble hand-tool. A talk (in English) about Zen and Sado (the "Way of Tea") by Bishop Rumme Daigaku will follow chanting of traditional Buddhist sutras.

ADVANCE RESERVATIONS REQUIRED: DEADLINE: OCTOBER 28, 2009 (Fri)

Reservations are limited: No walk-ins are permitted on the day of the event. Payment in full by check should be made in advance to Zenshuji Sado-bu and sent to 123 S. Hewitt Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. For more information, call 213.624.8658.

Cost: $45 per person; includes admission, kaiseki luncheon (vegetarian temple cuisine for tea ceremony)

RESERVATION FORM

CHASEN KUYO - TEA CEREMONY & SHOJIN CUISINE