Hey all,
Last night was my first visit to the local Zen group that's hosted at the local Episcopalian Church very close to my house (conceivably within walking distance, actually). We sat for 40 minutes and it was not all that difficult - which surprises me, as 20-25 minutes has been the upper limit of my sitting practice lately.
I was probably the most conservative looking guy there (it was all guys, which bummed me out - I was hoping there might be a cute 20-something Buddhist girl there..). Three aging hippies, one neo-hippy, and one student athlete looking guy. There was very little formal ritual (Heart Sutra in Japanese - which is actually fun to chant), and the Bodhisattva Vow. Three full bows at the beginning, three at the end....and a little bit of reading from Dogen.
All in all, an interesting experience. The group meets twice a week (Sat AM and Wed PM). I plan on making as many PM sittings as I can (Sat AM is a challenge because my schedule is so nights-oriented).
Chet
Last night was my first visit to the local Zen group that's hosted at the local Episcopalian Church very close to my house (conceivably within walking distance, actually). We sat for 40 minutes and it was not all that difficult - which surprises me, as 20-25 minutes has been the upper limit of my sitting practice lately.
I was probably the most conservative looking guy there (it was all guys, which bummed me out - I was hoping there might be a cute 20-something Buddhist girl there..). Three aging hippies, one neo-hippy, and one student athlete looking guy. There was very little formal ritual (Heart Sutra in Japanese - which is actually fun to chant), and the Bodhisattva Vow. Three full bows at the beginning, three at the end....and a little bit of reading from Dogen.
All in all, an interesting experience. The group meets twice a week (Sat AM and Wed PM). I plan on making as many PM sittings as I can (Sat AM is a challenge because my schedule is so nights-oriented).
Chet
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