Dear Mid City Zen Sangha and community, We've got a lot coming up in the next couple of months, most importantly our annual community meeting this Sunday at 11am, and our end of year membership drive, a save the date for our Spring Practice Period, along with several other offerings you can read about below! We hope to see you in the zendo at 623 N. Rendon soon, Your MCZ board: Jon, Tilde, Victoria, Patty and Miles |
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Annual Community Meeting Sunday Nov. 19, 11am |
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Our annual community meeting will take place at 11am on Sunday November 19 in the zendo, and online. All are welcome to attend, and active members are able to vote for incoming board members. We'll also be discussing changes in and opportunities for various temple volunteer roles to help more evenly distribute shared responsibilities for our growing community. |
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End of Year Membership Drive |
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If you have not joined or renewed your membership, please consider doing so! All of Mid City Zen's activities are free to all and supported by donations. By becoming a monthly member with a recurring donation of any amount you are sustaining the community of practice here. Your support allows us to have a place for people to settle their minds and hearts and steep in the teachings of the Buddha. Monthly membership is essential to creating the stability and development of our sangha. Mid City Zen's legal name is Zen Meditation Center of New Orleans, is a 501c3 non-profit organization, and all donations are tax deductible. Also please note if you mail checks, our new address for mail is: Mid City Zen PO Box 791400
New Orleans LA 70179 | | |
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Save the Date: Spring Practice Period 2024 |
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Please save the date for our in-person and virtual Spring Practice Period, which will once again be led by Zenshin Greg Fain and Shinchi Linda Galijan. Thanks to the generous support from the sangha, and Greg and Linda's generous gift of their time, we are able to host our guiding teachers in New Orleans from early January until the end of May. Our eight week practice period will begin the weekend of Feb. 24, and end with a 3 day sesshin April 19-21. We plan to open registration no later than the first week of January. Greg is also giving a dharma talk at San Francisco Zen Center on Saturday 11/18 at noon central, which you can view live online here. |
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Rohatsu Sesshin Offerings |
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Rohatsu means “great cold” and sesshin means “gather the mind.” This is an annual meditation retreat in the cold time of the year, to gather the mind. Historically, it honors Shakyamuni Buddha’s Enlightenment. While we won't be holding our own retreat here this year, many Zen centers and monasteries offer an opportunity to participate in this traditional intensive--we're sharing two, one by Houston Zen Center (in-person) and another by Upaya Zen Center (virtual). |
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| | Houston Zen Center (in person) December 5-10, 2023 Deepen meditation practice and gather the mind during this 5-day intensive meditation practice led by Abbot Gaelyn Godwin and Shinji Mary Carol Edwards. Registration for Rohatsu Sesshin closes November 22. | | |
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| | Upaya Zen Center (virtual) December 1-8, 2023 Rohatsu Sesshin is an intensive, concentrated, and joyous retreat to celebrate the spiritual breakthrough of Shakyamuni Buddha along with other meditators worldwide. Upaya’s Abbot, Roshi Joan Halifax, and Village Zendo’s Abbot, Roshi Enkyo O’Hara, along with esteemed artist and Dogen scholar Sensei Kazuaki Tanahashi, will join in exploring this spiritual breakthrough in our lives today. | | |
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Our Sunday Schedule Please note the changes to our new Sunday schedule every Sunday except the first Sunday of the month half day sit, the schedule for which is unchanged. 8:45-9:25am: Introduction and Meditation Instruction (No instruction first Sunday of the month.) 9:30am Robe Chant immediately followed by the bells for zazen 9:30-10:00am Zazen 10:00-10:10am Kinhin (walking meditation) 10:10-10:40am Zazen 10:45am Chanting Service 11am - 11:30am Dharma talks, Way Seeking Mind talks, Board Meeting, Study Group or Community Gathering 11:45am - 11:55am Soji (mindful cleaning) |
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Queer Zen: first Monday of the month |
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Queer Zen is a monthly gathering on the first Monday of the month to sit in community together. No meditation experience necessary. All LGBTQIA folks and allies welcome. The zendo will open at 6:15 and sitting meditation and a short ceremony will take place from 6:30-7:05pm. |
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Every First Sunday Half Day Sit, Next one is December 3, 8am. Schedule Here |
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Sober Zen on *first and third Thursday* at 7pm |
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Come join fellow Zen practitioners at various places on their sober journeys for a casual monthly discussion group. We’ll chat about how Zen, mindfulness, and meditation have played a role in our sobriety, and offer each other community and support. This group is not affiliated with any sobriety program, but rather, an open place to be met where you are. |
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Wed & Fri Morning Sittings You're welcome to join a period of sitting meditation at 8am every Wednesday and Friday morning. Please try to arrive to get settled into your seat a few minutes before then. This is a 35 minute sitting period, followed by a short (~5 min) chanting service. |
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Tuesday Evening Sittings You're welcome to join a period of sitting meditation at 6:30pm every Tuesday evening. Please try to arrive to get settled into your seat a few minutes before then. This is a 30 minute sitting period, followed by a short (~5 min) chanting service. |
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The virtual zendo will remain open for sitting for all of our regulary scheduled programs and services (tech problems notwithstanding!). On Sundays, the virtual zendo opens at 8:30am. On the first Sunday of every month, we have a half day sit, opening at 7:50am and alternating sitting and walking meditation from 8:05 - 11:45am. |
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Additionally, for days that we don't have anything on offer, you may be interested in attending the online zendo at San Francisco Zen Center, which keeps a very full schedule of opportunities daily. San Francisco Zen Center is Their daily morning practice is almost identical to our Sunday schedule (it starts at 7:50am New Orleans time), concluding with the same morning service. There are also opportunities to meet online with SFZC teachers in the evenings every first and third Thursday. See their schedule for more information. |
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