October 2009 NEWSLETTER
You can also read this newsletter at http://www.zencare.org/newsletter/0910.html

WELCOME TO THE OCTOBER NEWSLETTER

We hope these golden days of autumn find you well.  The Center’s activities are in full swing.  Our Monday night weekly Sangha meditation gatherings have been a great success, and a wonderful way for our growing community to stay in touch and to practice together.

In this newsletter you will find a Dharma talk by Enkyo Roshi on the Bodhisattva precepts, updates on national conferences from co-directors Koshin and Chodo’s presentation at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s Clinical Team Conference, in Denver; and research director Joshua Moses’ presentation at Yale University for the Society for Medical Anthropology’s 50th anniversary meeting.

Thank you to all of those who have donated this past month.  Your contributions are invaluable, and you have our deep gratitude. Many have used the recurring donation option on our web site, which allows you to make an automatic set donation each month.  Please consider this way of providing financial support.

In the Dharma,

Koshin + Chodo

Co-Founders

NEWS

BOOK RELEASE: Spiritual and Psychological Resilience

Integrating Care in Disaster Relief Work

Edited by Grant H Brenner, Daniel H Bush, Joshua Moses

The Center’s, Joshua Moses, has co-edited a collection, due to be released in mid October, which includes a chapter co-authored by Koshin.

Creating Spiritual and Psychological Resilience: Integrating Care in Disaster Relief Work explores the interface between spiritual and psychological care in the context of disaster recovery work, drawing upon recent disasters including but not limited to, the experiences of September 11, 2001. Each of the three sections that make up the book is structured around the cycle of disaster response and focuses on the relevant phase of disaster recovery work. In each section, selected topics combining spiritual and mental health factors are examined; when possible, sections are co-written by a spiritual care provider and a mental health care provider with appropriate expertise. Existing interdisciplinary collaborations, creative partnerships, gaps in care, and needed interdisciplinary work are identified and addressed.

Koshin and Chodo Speak at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization Conference in Denver, CO

Koshin and Chodo were invited to speak at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s Annual Clinical Team conference, which was held last week in Denver. With over 1,200 executive directors, nurses, doctors, spiritual care professionals who specialize in end-of-life care, it was a rich conference to exchange ideas and begin collaborations with other leaders in the field. They gave a talk on the Center’s approach to caregiving. Their talk was well received, with feedback from doctors and nurses, including the following remark, “This approach of intimacy and seeing our work as spiritual practice is the most helpful and inspiring talk I’ve heard in a while. Last night, I gathered my team together and because of all the burn out, we realized that we need to have a weekly practice meeting where we at least need to check in about this level of our own self care.”

Joshua Moses Speaks at Yale

On September 25th, our Research Director, Joshua Moses presented a paper entitled, Buddhism, Science and (Re) Enchantment in American Healthcare. The paper was part of an ongoing inquiry into the incorporation of Buddhist concepts and practices into American healthcare, the ways in which such practices map onto a longstanding tradition of holism in Western thought.  This tradition has antecedents in 19th century critiques of mechanistic science.  Buddhist perspectives on healthcare have found a home in the on of the master discourses of modernity, providing one important growing perspective on dissatisfactions with how American culture understands and cares for human vulnerability.

UPCOMING EVENTS

SAVE THE DATES: February 11-14, 2010: Our Annual Contemplative Care Retreat

Join the Core Teachers and the NYZCCC Sangha for four days of teachings, practices, yoga and community time. Come and connect. All are welcome.  Space is limited. Register early.

For more information: http://www.zencare.org/upcoming/2009/1011-14.html

Contemplative Care Sangha

Come practice with the Sangha every Monday at OM yoga from 6 to 7:30 pm. All are welcome.

For more info: http://www.zencare.org/upcoming/2009/091005.html


Giving Language to Grief and Loss: A Contemplative Approach to Caring
Join the Co-Founders at New York Open Center for a day-long retreat: October 24.

Born like a dream

In this dream of a world

How easy in mind I am

I who will fade away

Like the morning dew

Ikkyu

In this daylong retreat we will explore ways in which we can cope with loss in our daily lives. Anyone who has been touched by grief and loss are welcome.

For more info: http://www.zencare.org/upcoming/2009/091024.html

DHARMA TALK

Roshi Enkyo O’Hara on Working with the Bodhisattva Precepts

During this year of foundational study to Buddhist-oriented caregiving, we will be working with the Bodhisattva Precepts as a lens to view our work with clients, staff, our training community, and self.

The word ‘precept’ literally means a teaching and also a rule or principle of personal conduct. I prefer the word guideline - a guideline is a rope that helps us cross over what is difficult to cross - a ravine, a river, a difficult decision. A guideline thus is a recommended practice, a way of providing us with direction. The Vietnamese Zen Teacher Thich Nhat Hahn has spoken of the precepts in terms of the North Star, one doesn’t actually get to the star, but we use it to put ourselves in that direction.  My teacher, Maezumi Roshi, often called the precepts, aspects of life, as simple as that.

Since this is a diverse group from different Buddhist traditions and varying years of practice, I’d like to just briefly outline some historical points about the precepts we are using, the wording, and the intention. Then I will talk a bit about the First Precept of Non-harming.

To read the full talk, click here

DEDICATED TRAINING SPACE NEEDED

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. We have expanded our offerings to three year-long training programs in caregiving, as well as our regular weekly programs, retreats and public talks. At the moment, all our workshops, public education and trainings are held at various rental locations. Our administration and consultations are held in a separate office suite. While we are looking to realize our vision of a permanent home for the Center--including the end-of -life guest house--we need an interim space where we could expand our offerings, provide more direct care, train more people and increase 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. This new space will enable us to offer a 60 seat (or greater) meditation room, two/three consulting rooms, office, library, classroom, kitchen and multi-purpose common area. In an effort to better serve the needs of our caregivers and the New York City community, we ask for your support. All offers and/or leads are welcome.

Please contact us at: info@zencare.org.

DONATE NOW

Make a tax deductible donation to support our work helping others. You can do that here.

WISH LIST

We need a large (10” +) Japanese Wooden Mokugyo for our retreats and offerings. It would look similar to the one pictured here.




We need a donation of 2 new Mac Book Pros. If you can offer these wishes, please email us at info@zencare.org.





Make a Donation to New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care
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Our mission is to make accessible, the wisdom, compassion and equanimity of the Buddha both locally and globally by: Creating and operating an end-of-life care residence within a larger Dharma center. To mindfully and compassionately serve people approaching death. To support the dying, their family and friends. To train volunteers, staff, monastics and medical professionals the ways of attending to the sick and dying from a Buddhist perspective. Attending to residents physical, emotional and spiritual needs cognizant of the fact that death is an integral experience of life. To provide the larger community, educational programs with a foundation in Buddhist teachings. To offer daily meditation practice, workshops and teachings from visiting Dharma teachers and Healthcare professionals. Your tax deductible donation will go toward making our vision a reality.




Ph: 212 666 0249 Email: info@zencare.org
Fax: 212 677 1064 Web: www.zencare.org