welcome to fernwood zendo

This blog has moved …

Peter — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 15:34:05 +0000

… but we continue to meditate at the same location in Victoria. Please go to our new address: http://fernwoodzendo.wordpress.com. Thank you.

Filed under: Uncategorized

go easy

Peter — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 00:49:32 +0000

Smile, breathe, and go slowly.

Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnam-born Zen teacher.

ouch!

Peter — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 16:38:23 +0000

We have opinions and desires
but do not impose them on others.
We do not compound another’s pain
by mixing it with our own.

source: Martin, W. & M. (2011). The caregiver’s Tao te Ching. Novato, CA: New World Library, p. 90.

Filed under: conscious living Tagged: Tao, Tao te Ching

our garden in the news

Peter — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 20:48:47 +0000

Barely a year old, our backyard will be the new kid in the June 12th “Teeny Tiny Garden Tour,” a fundraiser for Victoria Hospice. Read all about it, with ticket details, in today’s Times Colonist newspaper. Daneé, who recently joined our weekly sitting group, designed the garden last year and now volunteers for regular maintenance. The garden is already giving space for walking meditation and will be the site of tomorrow’s (closed to the public) jizo ceremony. CLICK ON PHOTO to see details of plants and jizo statues; there’s a fountain behind Daneé and the red post is part of a torii gate.

p.s. if you’re able to save the article (in the Entertainment section), please bring it with you the next time you visit the zendo. image: Adrian Lam

Filed under: being of service, Buddhist practice, meditation, Zen practice Tagged: garden tour, Jizo, jizo garden, torii gate, Victoria Hospice, zendo

chris est mort

Peter — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 16:52:42 +0000

Hi all:

This is to let you all know that the most magnificent Mr. Chris passed away peacefully at home early this morning looking out over his expansive view of the mountains and ocean and all that is beyond. He was wrapped in my arms, held tightly by our amazing village and surrounded by love and music and light. He never lost hope that he would live and it strikes me that, in his inimitable fashion, he really did came up with the ingenious solution and accomplished what he set out to do; his spirit has shaken off the remnants of his rebellious, ravaged body and has taken flight. And it is that amazing, indomitable spirit that will live on in the hearts of all of us who were privileged to be touched by his wonderful, eccentric, awesome self. I have been so blessed to have had these 17 years … I think few people are lucky enough to have the kind of love and laughter we shared.

And hard as these last months have been, in some ways they were also wonderful; with every blow to his physical being he expanded more and more into love and gratitude for everyone and everything in his life. Every person he touched in this incredible journey (and throughout his life) has been profoundly altered by the experience. In his own last words (really), he died “so happy” — loving and knowing he was well and truly loved. He felt it in every fibre of his being. I will miss him more than I can even begin to imagine and am also so glad that this long long exhausting battle (and really, for him it was a battle) is over and he is at rest. And now I suppose…

My teeth are to the wind.

With deep love and appreciation to all of you who have held us in this amazing circle.

We are forever changed.

Karen

p.s. Chris came to sit with us only twice and Karen whenever she could find the time to be away from him. We first met while they were “both” doing chemo therapy. We instantly connected through a shared appreciation for the good things. May his spirit travel well and her heart be healed in time.

Filed under: dying, love Tagged: Chris Platt

daylong ‘mindful living’ retreat

Peter — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 17:31:19 +0000

Sunday July 17th

This will be our 6th retreat on Mayne Island. The focus will be on learning ways to be present moment-by-moment in whatever we do, think, and sense. We’ll be using guided breath meditation (indoor/outdoor, sitting/walking), outdoor work practice, simple yoga postures (sitting/standing/lying-down), and mindful eating.

The retreat is open to everyone, regardless of experience and previous practice. Chairs and cushions are provided; please feel free to bring your own cushion or bench. I you live in and around Victoria, we’ll ride-share on BC Ferries via Swartz Bay. Unfortunately, the summer ferry schedule doesn’t allow for same-day travel from Vancouver or other Gulf Islands.

Times: 7:30 am to 3:00 pm. Please arrive 10 minutes early and be prepared to give another 10 minutes at the end for cleanup.

Fee: $25, non-refundable and payable at time of registration. This money will cover space rental, Peter’s ferry fare, and go toward paying down the cost of meditation cushions. Peter does not receive a fee, however dana (donation) will be appreciated.

To register and arrange ride-sharing from Victoria, kindly contact Rita, our registrar (fernwoodzendo >at< gmail.com). For question regarding the day’s program, contact Peter, retreat teacher (renner >at< gulfislands.com).

Filed under: Buddhist practice, conscious living, meditation, mindfulness Tagged: living mindfully, Mayne Island, mindful living, mindfulness practice, Zen retreat on Mayne

what is ‘good teaching’?

Peter — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 21:59:09 +0000

Good teaching is as much about passion as it is about reason. It’s about motivating students not only to learn, but teaching them how to learn, and doing so in a manner that is relevant, meaningful and memorable. It’s about caring for your craft, having a passion for it and conveying that passion to everyone, but mostly importantly to your students.

source: “10 requirements for good teaching” by Richard LeBlanc, York University in Toronto, in The Teaching Professor, 12(6). image: creativeeducation.co.uk

Filed under: being of service Tagged: adult education, good teaching, teaching techniques

where to from here?

Peter — Tue, 31 May 2011 21:34:02 +0000

Alice came to a fork in the road.
“Which road do I take?” she asked.
“Where do you want to go?” responded the Cheshire cat.
“I don’t know,” Alice answered.
“Then,” said the cat, “it doesn’t matter.”

Lewis Carroll. (1865). Alice in Wonderland.

Filed under: artists, conscious living Tagged: alice, Alice in wonderland, cheshire cat

jizo ceremony

Peter — Mon, 30 May 2011 16:55:34 +0000

Sunday, June 5, 10:00am
Garden @ Fernwood Zendo
Reservation required: renner>at

The loss of a loved one can bring profound grief. No matter how the person dies — through illness, accident, miscarriage, abortion or suicide – sorrow can be long-lasting. Similar trauma arises when a relationship ends, a pet dies, or life’s circumstances change beyond our control.

To help acknowledge any such loss and ease the transition into moving-on, Peter guides a simple ritual in our meditation garden. In Japan, Jizo is considered a guardian of all who have died, are in transition, or left behind.

We’ll spend time making a personal memorial by sewing a small garment or a written message. Materials will be available and you’re welcome to bring scissors and small piece of red cloth. Some people bring a photo or other personal token of remembrance. These items will be left on the Jizo statues over time, serving as reminder of the impermanence of everything. The whole thing’s done simply and mostly in silence. There is no charge. Anyone of any or no religious affiliation is welcome.

Filed under: being of service, Buddhist practice, dying, inter-faith, Japan, Japanese, ritual, Zen practice Tagged: Jizo, jizo ceremony

consolation

Peter — Sun, 29 May 2011 15:18:46 +0000

Calm down. Both your sins and your good deeds will be lost in oblivion.

Czeslaw Milosz (1911-2004), Lithuanian-born Polish poet, Nobel Laureate.

Filed under: mindfulness, poetry Tagged: Czeslaw Milosz, impermanence