Introduction to Meditation this Sunday in NYC

All-

I subscribe to the Village Zendo email/announcement list and wanted to pass this on:

Dear friends,
Meditate NYC is this Sunday! The event is Nov 8, from 3 - 7 PM at the Judson Memorial Church on Washington Square Park. It's an afternoon buffet of Buddhist speakers presenting the awesome variety of views and methods in Buddhism. This is the third year that the New York Buddhist Council (of which the Village Zendo is a member sangha) has produced the event. Roshi will be an MC and a speaker, and Koshin will talk about the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care.
If you're looking for a way to introduce your friends to Buddhism, this is your best chance all year: Invite your friends to come explore the teachings and meet members of many sanghas.
The event is free, and you don't have to stay for the whole time; please come and go whenever you like.
We want to share this event with as many people as possible. Please help us -- if you know anyone who is ripe for meditation, who is interested in mindfulness but doesn't have a community or a teacher to practice with -- please invite them to Meditate NYC!
Meditate NYCSunday, Nov. 8, 3 - 7 PMJudson Memorial Church55 Washington Square Southhttp://meditatenyc.org/

Meditate NYC begins on Sunday, November 8 with an afternoon of meditation instruction by Buddhist speakers from a great variety of traditions. It's free and open to all. You can come and go as you wish. Chairs are provided; you may bring a meditation cushion.
Presenters:Pat Enkyo O'Hara Roshi – Village ZendoMichele Laporte – Shambhala Meditation CenterJosh Korda – New York Insight / DharmapunxRev. Dr. Chung Ok Lee – Won Buddhist TempleKoshin Paley Ellison –New York Zen Center for Contemplative CareBrother Phap Tri – Order of InterbeingEllen Scordato – Interdependence ProjectJanet Jiryu Abels Sensei – Still Mind ZendoMyoji Sunim – New York Chogye SaDonna Walker-Kuhne – Soka Gakkai InternationalVenerable Yung Ku – Buddha's Light International Association
Free Meditation Instruction at Open Houses Throughout NYC: November 9 – 15
Anyone who is interested in meditation is encouraged to attend any and all events. More information, including map of Open Houses, is available at http://meditatenyc.org/
Meditate NYC is sponsored by the New York Buddhist Council and co-sponsored by the Tricycle Foundation.
http://meditatenyc.org/

Have an enlightened day!

The State of Things - A Vague Reenactment of the Last 24 Hours

AWARENESS, a feature that many students of Buddhism and Buddhist Monks share and commit to daily practice is not something that has played a role in my last 24 hours. Things have sort of been happening to me. I have felt a bit helpless and quite a bit more alone. I've been watching my fiance plan our wedding. I've been hobbling around in a walking boot with a fractured ankle wondering if it will come off by the wedding date. I've been moaning about which clients will leave and which ones will stay. I've been getting pushed around by people on the train. I've been letting things happen to me. I've been playing the victim for the last 24 hours and it frankly, it feels horrible. I have made the decision to stop now.

I have chosen to take control starting now. I have chosen to capitalize on my strengths and work around my weaknesses; accepting both for what they are. I have chosen to be aware of myself and to get out of my own way. I have asked for help. I have smiled in the most unlikely moments. I have picked myself up. I have helped others by helping myself. I have turned my life around in a matter of moments. I have energized myself and the people around me. I have chosen to be in control of my actions which have consequences which I am responsible for.

How is your day going?

STOP FOR A MINUTE! What are you thinking?

"Stop for a minute and think about what you're saying!" These are words we've all heard growing up and most likely we still hear them occasionally from our partners, friends, siblings (and parents too...still). These words can sound like a broken record, but wait! Stop for a minute and think about what it means. When is the last time you actually stopped to think about what you're saying to the person standing in front of you- or the person on the phone- or the person you're intimate with- or the person you USED to be intimate with? Are you merely reacting or have you put thought into your words enough to let them leave your lips from a place of loving-kindness?

The other day I was having a dispute with my partner. You know the one where words come flying out only to think about it seconds afterwards in complete shock as if to say "Did that really just come out of my mouth?? Who am I? Who is this person that speaks so hastily and hurtfully with such disdain for another living being? I don't think we've met... Oh shit! It's me!" These "indiscretions" as I like to call them could happen with less frequency if we'd only just STOP. Let words flow from love instead of fear and we'll all be in a much better space for it. Wow! Dad was right all along.

Happy Father's Day Dad! Thanks for being awake enough to speak from a place of love to the ones that cross your path.

Find Zen in Everyday

Zen, defined as realizing the present moment, is not something we can only practice in the Zendo (where one sits for meditation). Just as smelling the roses isn't restricted to rose gardens. Zen can be found in the here and now. Find beauty in a smile. Find peace in a brief walk around the office.

Although it is sometimes impossible to get away from our hectic daily schedules, we can create moments of space to breathe and "just be" throughout the day. Try setting an hourly alarm on your computer or wrist watch to remind you to stretch and breathe. Practice being present for an entire phone conversation (like those conference calls for example) or a meeting with your boss; you will feel more alive. Select a daily task you would normally not pay much attention to (like making the kids' lunches in the morning) and be present throughout the task. It may not take up any more of your time, but you will feel so much more joyful for it. Give Zen a try! You and others around you will thank you for it.

Creativity: Put Fun Back into Your Day

Getting creative is just the beginning. It takes opening your mind; On most days I find it... well, fun! It's a challenge on some days though. You know those days: the days when you're tired from a restless night's sleep, the sky is gray and looming over you and there's a "special" energy in the air that says "Go home and crawl under the covers now!". I'm having one of "those" days. Of course, right now is when I really need my creativity.

In an effort to pull it together and enjoy my work day, I'm getting creative and having a little fun. I'm approaching the way I work a little differently today; I'm a little lighter in my voice; not so serious. People are responding more quickly because they hear the lightness in my voice. It's actually making my job a little easier. More fun! It's infectious too. The day is shaping up nicely.

Have a fun day!

Packed with Emptiness

I scheduled my day in advance today, blocking out all of my work tasks on my train ride in by timed sections: calls due before 11am, follow up emails due before 1pm, process contracts before 3:30pm, prospecting due before 5pm, marketing due before 6:30pm. Within a minute or two after arriving at my desk, I begin to work steadily and focused on the time-allotted tasks. Suddenly I look at the clock and it's already 12pm. I haven't had a drink of water, gone to the bathroom, eaten a meal or even glanced out my window at the gorgeous day. I feel as though I've been holding my breath and waiting to live, to dance again. Where do I go when I lose myself in my work? How much stress am I causing myself? Where is the balance between being productive while maintaining sense of self? Sure, deep breaths help a lot IF I remember to breathe. In Zen Buddhism it can take a lifetime of practicing self awareness to bring about a higher sense of self.

I watched the Presidential Inauguration and was inspired and deeply touched by it. I was aware of myself. I took a short walk around 2:30pm to get some fresh air and a cup of tea. I was aware of myself. If I could only apply this awareness to when I'm knocking out tasks at my desk; my life would be so much juicier. Does anyone know where can I get a juicer for my life?

Weather Changes Everything

I grew up in an area of Northern California where the worst weather was a cold, hard rain storm of three days. Sure it would dampen plans of going outside and playing with my friends for hours on end but I would never find myself feeling confined to my house. Snow blizzards and ice are a much different animal. Feeling stuck indoors (and in my head) is quite a new experience for me living on the east coast where they have "real" winters. I find that it not only forces me to change my plans for the day, but teaches me to stock the refrigerator in advance. I don't get to be the spontaneous me I used to be in California. I simply don't have that luxury anymore. It's changing my attitude. I'm becoming less bubbly. I'm becoming more moody; a bit temperamental. A real bitch.

What to do? Well, I've taken up blogging, knitting, reading, cooking and watching rented movies. But what happens when I simply just crave warm sunlight? I recently took a quick business trip out to LA and was able to get my "sun fix" but found returning to the east coast far more depressing than I'd ever imagined. What a tease!

And so I find myself at a loss. There must be something out there I've yet to try: a mobile sun bubble I could ride in to and from work. Perhaps I'm just not made for this sort of cold and I should waddle my four layers of coats and jackets back to wherest I came. I truly hope Spring is just around the corner.