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WELCOME TO THE JULY NEWSLETTER
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Summer has arrived! June was a wonderful month of celebrations and expansion. We will have four contemplative care training programs starting up in September, and we are actively looking for a home for the Center. You can read more about this below . In June we graduated both our Foundations Class and, the country’s first ACPE accredited Buddhist Chaplaincy students. Each of the CPE students completed 300 clinical hours and 100 educational hours, earning them “one unit” of education toward completing their chaplaincy training. You can read more about these events below. On Saturday June 13th we had the pleasure of performing the wedding ceremony for one of our graduates, Erin Merriman and her husband Casey. Congratulations from all of us at NYZCCC.
Many ask us, “Along with donating money, how else can I help?” Please scroll down to our Wish List section to find out how you can help. May all of us find some time this summer to stop, breathe and appreciate our lives.
Wishing you a beautiful July,
Koshin + Chodo
Co-Founders
Our Foundations Training Program Graduates
On June 6, 2009, we proudly graduated our Foundations Training Program of 28 students. Roshi Enkyo presided over the ceremony. Our students came from Maine to Mexico to train together in Buddhist contemplative approaches to care. It was an incredible year of deep learning within community. The core faculty felt it was an honor to learn together with such an incredibly committed group of people. Nine bows to our graduates!
On June 19th, the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care was featured on the Front Page of the LA Times
You can read the full story here.
First Accredited Buddhist CPE Chaplaincy Training Class Graduates
On June 26, 2009, the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care graduated it's first class of CPE students, each receiving one unit of Clinical Pastoral Education. We are proud to be the first Buddhist organization to graduate Buddhist Chaplain students with ACPE accreditation. This is made possible through our partnership with HealthCare Chaplaincy of New York City.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank our partner, HealthCare Chaplaincy for all their invaluable support of our CPE and contemplative care programs. NYZCCC has expanded its programming to offer two Buddhist CPE units commencing in September 2009. Both classes are fully enrolled. Rev. Trudi Jinpu Hirsch, the Center's ACPE Supervisor leads the training.
Erin Merriman is married to Casey Heacock White
 Foundations Graduate, Erin with Casey
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On June 13
th, Koshin + Chodo had the honor to marry Erin and her husband Casey. Erin completed the Foundations Training in ’08. It was a beautiful and intimate ceremony at the Village Zendo. Here are a few words from Erin’s Grandfather, Robert Merriman, about the day: "Exotic, different, impressive, emotional, intense. The bells, the drums-everything added up to an atmosphere that demanded involvement from all who were present. The only thing missing in all of this was Casey's not arriving on an elephant.
Dharma Talk on Why Ritual is Important
Join Koshin on Sunday July 12, when he gives a Dharma Talk at Village Zendo on why ritual is important. For more information, go here
Dharma Talk on Attention
Join Chodo on Sunday July 19, when he gives a Dharma Talk at Village Zendo on attention. For more information, go here
Weekly Meeting of the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care Sangha
Starting on Monday, September 14, the Contemplative Care Sangha will be meeting weekly on Monday evenings, from 6:30 to 8 pm for meditation, Dharma talks, council and conversation. All are welcome. We will be meeting at OM yoga 826 Broadways (at 12th Street) on the 6th Floor.". For more info, go here.
Foundations in Contemplative Care Training For Certified Yoga Teachers
New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care and OM yoga, are collaborating to create a year of rich training in contemplative care for Certified Yoga Teachers.
This innovative new program is designed for yoga teachers who are inspired to integrate contemplative care with their yoga teaching skills in order to deepen their own spiritual practice and their understanding of care based in Buddhist traditions. The students will offer their expertise in hospice, hospitals, and other health institutions. For more information and the application, go to: http://www.zencare.org/chaplaincy/yoga/index.html
REV. TRUDI JINPU HIRSCH, OUR CPE SUPERVISOR, ON CHAPLAINCY AND NOT SQUANDERING YOUR LIFE
“DO NOT CLOSE YOUR EYES BEFORE SUFFERING—FIND WAYS TO BE WITH THOSE WHO ARE SUFFERING BY ALL MEANS, INCLUDING PERSONAL CONTACTS AND VISITS, IMAGES, AND SOUNDS. BY SUCH MEANS, AWAKEN YOURSELF AND OTHERS TO THE REALITY OF SUFFERING IN THE WORLD.” —Gautama Buddha
This may sound admirable, but what does it mean? What shape will it take for Buddhist chaplains?
The story of Buddhism began with the Buddha’s enlightenment and realization that each of us is already “perfect and complete lacking nothing.” At the same time he understood that this could not be taught, and that each one of us must realize it for ourselves. As a Zen Buddhist priest, chaplain and ACPE supervisor I needed a way to introduce the Buddhist community to the practice of chaplaincy, which started out as mainly a Judeo-Christian discipline. As one of the first Buddhist chaplains and chaplain/supervisors,
[TO READ THE WHOLE STORY, CLICK HERE]
Contemplations by Michael Gray, Foundations Graduate
Can I muster the courage to go inside this work?
Can I bow my head just ever so slightly while holding your pain and sorrow?
Can I touch and hold your hand and feel the warmth that inhales and exhales through
your body?
Can I be soft and hard, weak and strong, both at the same time and neither
one nor the other?
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DEDICATED TRAINING SPACE NEEDED
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The New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care is looking for a new location. We have outgrown our present space at 80 East 11th Street and, our rented spaces for our training programs. In the Fall, we are expanding to offer four, year long training programs in caregiving and our regular weekly programs. At the moment, all our workshops, public education and trainings are held at various locations that we rent. Our administration and consultations are held in a separate office suite. We are looking for a dedicated training home for the Center, where we could expand our offerings, provide more direct care, train more people and expand our public education programs. Ideally, we are looking for 3,000 + square feet in the Union Square/Flatiron/Greenwhich Village/Soho areas—centrally located to public transportation and near our partner Beth Israel Medical Center. We are hoping for a donated or subsidized loft space that would house a contemplative training space, two consulting rooms and an administrative office. This new space will enable us to offer a 60 plus seat meditation room, two/three consulting rooms, office, library and classroom, kitchen and multi-purpose common area. In an effort to better serve the needs of our caregivers and the New York practice community with this new space, we ask for your support. All offers and/or leads are welcome.
Please contact us at: info@zencare.org.
Make a tax deductible donation to support our work helping others. You can do that here.
We are looking for pro bono consultation with an architect to help us plan our interim space and the larger vision of free standing Center for Contemplative Care. To read more about our vision, go here.
We need more people to transcribe talks from MP3 files.
We need a large (12” +) Japanese Hand Hammered Gong for our retreats and offerings. It would look similar to the one pictured here.
We need a donation of 2 new Mac Book Pros. info@zencare.org.
