Vista Zen Center

Social Events

admin — Fri, 23 May 2008 19:46:29 +0000

Join us for the Poetry Un-Slam brought to us by our own Jon Wesick and a group of his favorite poets. The event will be held Saturday, May 31, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Open Door Books in Pacific Beach.

Robert Irwin:Documentary about the artist.

admin — Thu, 22 May 2008 20:00:22 +0000

Sunday morning, June 8, after sitting and a small brunch we will be watching a documentary about the artist, Robert Irwin. Sensei and Manoj have seen this film and think you will enjoy how this well-known artist followed his own questioning mind during the different stages of his artistic life. It’s a fun film that provides a real look into one artist’s creative process.

Turning the Dharma Wheel

admin — Wed, 21 May 2008 01:12:18 +0000

From Chuang-Tzu:
“If a man is crossing the river and an empty boat collides with his skiff, even though he is a bad-tempered man he will not become very angry. But if he sees a man in the other boat he will scream and shout and curse at the man to steer clear. If you can empty your own boat crossing the river of the world, no one will oppose you, no one will seek to harm you. Thus is the perfect man - his boat is empty.”

Actualization

admin — Mon, 19 May 2008 16:28:31 +0000

In each moment actualize the wisdom and compassion required to end any suffering that exists. This can happen if one has practiced the Zen Way and awakened to his/her True Dharma Nature, Prajna Wisdom, which spontaneously acts in the most appropriate manner regardless of time or place.

Weekly Sitting Schedule

admin — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 21:35:12 +0000

Monday through Friday
8:00 a.m.- 9:10 a.m.

Thursday Evening
6:30 p.m. - 8:45 p.m.

Sunday Morning
9:00 a.m.- 10:30 a.m.

Taking practice into the world of color and form.

admin — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 21:28:03 +0000

Dharma Links

admin — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:19:00 +0000

Three Treasures Zen Community, San Diego, California

Santa Monica Zen Center, California

Heart Circle Sangha, New Jersey

Zen Community of Oak Park, Chicago

Dan, the Garden Guru

admin — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 05:20:12 +0000

Sharing the Dharma

admin — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 03:39:43 +0000

The Most Venerable Lama Sam Ten and David Joren Paul share a few moments after the Lama came for his second his visit to VZC to give a talk and share some of his Tibetan Buddhist wisdom. We recently had The Most Venerable An Hue, a Vietnames Zen Buddhist, also come to share about his tradition and his life as a monk. We all learn a great deal from these gifted teachers and friends in the Dharma.

Genjo Koan

admin — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 21:54:38 +0000

This calligraphy is the artistry of Taizan Maezumi Roshi and is a gift from him to us. It is a portion of the GenjoKoan, a very important work by Ehihei Dogen Zenji, the Japanese founder of the Soto Zen School.

In translation:

“To study the Buddha Way is to study the self.
To study the self is to forget the self.

To forget the self is to be enlightened by the
ten thousand dharmas.

To be enlightened by the ten thousand dharmas
is to free one’s body and mind and the body and mind of others

No trace of enlightenment remains,
And this traceless enlightenment is continued
forever”.

Out of our practice of the Genjokoan and other upayas (skillful means) we take on the gift of attempting to provide compassionate action to help relieve the suffering we find all around us. At VZC we work with various international, national, and local non-profit organizations to assist them meeting the mutual goal of ending suffering. Please join us in our social engaged practices by attending our daily, or weekly, activities and learning how you can help directly. We and the people we are reaching out to can definitely use all the support you have to offer.