WELCOME TO THE SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER
With every gust of wind--
the butterfly changes its place
on the willow.
--Basho
Welcome to the NYZCCC September Newsletter. We have just returned from our summer practice period. Back to School signs populate the New York City windows. University students carry beds, bookshelves, lamps, and kittens down the streets. The Fall magazines are already out, and we invite you to pick up a copy of the Fall issue of BuddhaDharma, which features the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care.
We are preparing for the start of our three Buddhist Clinical Pastoral Education training groups this week, and the Foundations Training starts the week after. Over the summer we received many wonderful donations that enabled us to get the meditation cushions for our Monday Night sitting group. Thank you to all who gave so generously. The zafus and zabutans will be put to good use. It is a time of beginnings.
We have been pleased with the great interest there is for our trainings and retreats. In response to this, you will find information about our upcoming retreats at Garrision Institute and in Tulum Mexico--both of which are beginning to fill. You will also find in the newsletter information about our collaboration with the Integrative Medicine Department, Living Fearlessly: How to Live this Year as if It Were Your Last. This class was to start in September, and in respect to the Jewish Holidays, we are moving the start date to October 6.
The above photograph was sent to us by Roshi Joan Halifax after our day together at the Symposium for Socially Engaged Buddhsim. You can also read about a research project that NYZCCC and Upaya are involved with.
As the days grow shorter in light, we are reminded to look inward.
Take care,
Koshin + Chodo
Co-Founders
Frank, Roshi, Chodo, Joan, and Koshin Spoke at the Symposium for Socially Engaged Buddhism
From August 9 to 14, 2010 at the Mother House of the Zen Peacemakers in Montague, MA, The First Symposium for Socially Engaged Buddhism: A Major Gathering of Western Socially Engaged Buddhist Activists, Academics and Sponsors was held. The daily schedule included: meditation, plenary panels, discussion groups, and brain storming groups and evening entertainment. The Symposium was successfully organized to promote the practice of Socially Engaged Buddhism, to inspire and encourage members of the Western Buddhist community to join this worldwide movement and to bring together the leading practitioners and theorists in this movement.
On the day focused on compassionate care, Roshi Enkyo, Koshin, and Chodo joined Dharma friends Roshi Joan, of Upaya and Frank Ostaseski, of the Metta Institute and NYZCCC Advisory Board, in a day of conversation about what it means to be a compassionate practitioner at the bedside. They were introduced, collectively, as the leaders in Buddhist based care. The morning began on the plenary panel, and then adjourned to a lively discussion group. Topics ranged from the differences between compassion and empathy, personal stories and the collective, how long is grief, the range of training possibilities. Mostly, it was a pleasure to watch them all interact and to see and feel the Dharma connection among these fine teachers. To see proceedings, you can get a copy of the DVD, here.
BuddhaDharma: The Practitioner’s Quarterly Features New York Zen Center
We are pleased to be featured in the Fall Issue of BuddhaDharma. Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's Quarterly is the in-depth, practice-oriented journal for everyone with a serious interest in Buddhism. It's the one place you'll find in-depth teachings from all the Buddhist traditions, presented in a way that applies directly to your practice. No matter what Buddhist path you follow, Buddhadharma offers you relevant and helpful teachings in every issue. Buddhadharma reflects the growing sense of communication and common purpose among Buddhist sanghas in the West.
To read the feature profiling NYZCCC, pick up a copy of the magazine or go to our "In the News Section," by clicking here.
NYZCCC and Upaya Join Research Study on Buddhist End-of-Life Care
Melissa Falb, a researcher from Bowling Green has partnered with Upaya and NYZCCC to complete her research on Buddhist Coping as a Predictor of Psychological Outcomes among End-of-Life Caregivers. All current and graduates of our Foundations and/or CPE students are invited to participate in a research study of Buddhist coping and the personal effects among end-of-life caregivers. Melissa's research is designed to gather information about the experiences of approximately 100 Buddhist end-of-life caregivers. Our current and past students are encouraged to complete the survey,
here.
Weekly Sangha Meetings-- September 13
After a summer haitus, we are pleased to be gathering again for our weekly Sangha meeting of meditation, Dharma Talks and discussion. All are welcome! For more information, click here.
Living Fearlessly: How to Live This Year as if it Were Your Last
"Most of us go to extraordinary lengths to ignore, laugh off, or deny the fact that we are going to die, but preparing for death is one of the most rational and rewarding acts of a lifetime."--Stephen Levine
Beginning October 6, NYZCCC and the Department of Integrative Medicine at Beth Israel offer this new program. This nine month series of Wednesday evenings is designed as an experiential learning container for individuals to explore and befriend their fears of death. Through meditation, reading, writing, & group discussion, we will practice together as if this were our last year to live. We will review our life and our connections to others. Most importantly we will create a safe space for intimacy to face our fears and for courageous reflection. This is a unique opportunity for deep reflection on our lives and our inevitable death. A few spaces remain. Register early. For more information and how to register, click here.
NYZCCC's Annual Contemplative Retreat: The Five Rememberences, Garrison Institute January 13-16, 2011
Continuing Education Credits are available for Nurses and Social Workers for this retreat.
In this retreat, we will take a deep look at how the Five Remembrances can inform and integrate with our contemplative practice of care giving, whether at home or in the work place. Combining Buddhist teachings with periods of sitting and walking meditation, didactics, small group work, question and answer periods, this retreat will provide an opportunity to explore the depths of our inner wisdom and compassion. Most importantly, this will be a time to look at how we can take care of ourselves whilst taking care of others. For more information and how to register for this retreat, click here.
Perfection of Wisdom Retreat: A Study of the 6 Perfections & Care Giving, in Tulum Mexico April 10-16, 2011
Join the core teachers of New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care in the exquisite Mexican Maya Rivera for a week of study and ease. Each day we will examine and experience the six perfections of Generosity, Ethics, Patience, Vigor, Concentration and Wisdom and explore how they affect our self care and care of the world. Clean air, endless vistas, fresh food, warm waters, and good friends, this retreat will be one of restoration, peace, beauty and reflection. Space is limited, register early! Click here for more information and registration information.
Mene Mene Tekel Uphasin
By Hatti Figge, LMSW and Foundations Graduate
As soon as I arrived, I heard that Thomas was sad today and quiet. This was unusual because normally, although he is nearly deaf as a brick and can’t see anything clearly up close or far away, Thomas would be scribbling large notes with sharpie markers into notebook after raggedy spiral-bound-notebook, cupping one hand to his ear (the better to hear you with, my dear) and shouting in a thick New York accent 'NOW YOU’WLL HAVE TO EXCYUSE ME! I CAN'T HEAR VARY WELL SO WHEN EYE GO LIKE THIS (with his other hand he makes large upward palm lifting gestures) IT MEANS SPEAK UP! YOU HAVE TO TALK DIRECTLY INTO MY EAR! WHEN YOU'RE DEAF AS ME YOU CAN'T TELL HOW LOUDLY YOU’RE TALKING SO YOU’LL TELL ME WHEN I'M TALKING TOO LOUDLY, WON'T YOU? LIKE THIS (large palm-down arm-length movements) SEE THAT PIECE OF WHITE TAPE ON THE SIDE OF THIS CUP? EYE PUT IT THERE BECAUSE WITHOUT IT EYE CAN’T SEE THE CUP (it's made of clear plastic) AND WHEN YOU'RE AS BLIND AS ME YOU CAN REALLY EASILY KNOCK THINGS OVER AND THEN THEY SPILL ALL-LOWVER THE PLACE!
[To read the full story, click here.]
Make a tax deductible donation to support our work helping others. You can do that here.
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DEDICATED TRAINING SPACE NEEDED
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The New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care is actively 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 our offerings to four 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.
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WAYS TO GIVING TO THE CENTER
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Use Your Birthday to Raise Money on FACEBOOK for the New York Zen Center For Contemplative Care!
How It Works:
As a supporter you can "donate" your birthday to New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care. Anyone can make a
Birthday Wish and ask friends to give money to your cause.
We need a digital video recorder and a tripod for September. If you would like to donate one, please contact us! info@zencare.org
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Volunteer Transcribers Needed
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If you like listening to Dharma Talks on contemplative care and would like to offer your skill, we need you. We are looking to transcribe all of our core teachers' Dharma Talks. If you can, please email Mary @ mary@zencare.org.
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Make a Donation to New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care
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To provide passionate care to the sick and the terminally ill and create a supportive, nurturing environment for people to consciously face their illness and/or end-of-life journeys.
We do this through hands on direct care partnerships with three of New York's leading healthcare providers, through caregiver and pastoral training programs, and by actively advocating for contemplative care at the national level.
We do this work not only to relieve individual suffering, but also to create a more courageous and harmonious world that provides passionate care for all.
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