Studying the Precepts

Photo by our Sangha member, Byron Hovey

This year our fall Jukai will take place on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 19. Jukai is the ceremony of Receiving the Precepts, and thus formally entering the Buddhist Sangha. In preparation for this important ceremony, the Windhorse Dharma study group will shift its focus from classical Buddhist texts to exploring these precepts and how they relate to our lives.

It is said that “Zen is above morality, but morality is not below Zen.” Doing our best to uphold the precepts in everyday life is an essential part of our practice, something that was strongly emphasized by Roshi Philip Kapleau. These precepts are not commandments -- who, after all, would command whom? Instead, these "items of good character" point to a way of being that occurs naturally when we live in harmony with the truth of our own deepest nature.

Dharma Circle - Thursday, June 23

To follow up with the interest in surveying some of the sutras, we plan to read and contemplate an abridged selection from Ch. 4 of the Lotus Sutra, Belief and Understanding.  It contains the parable of the Lost Son (referenced in Hakuin's Song) which illustrates how the ultimate truth (i.e., the Lotus Sutra) could be taught by the Buddha only when the disciples were mature enough to accept it.

Because the texts we discuss are copyrighted, we can only make copies of the sutra translations we work with for those attending the Circle. If you can attend the Circle, email us at Windhorse (via the Contact Page) and we will email you the selections we plan to work with.

The Dharma Circle meets on Thursdays from 5:30 to 6:30 pm

Dharma Study Circle

The Dharma Study Circle meets on Thursdays at 5:30-6:30 pm. Next Thursday, June 16, we will read and contemplate the Heart Sutra, The Prajnaparamita Hridaya.

We use the council circle format. We read a section of the sutra aloud together and share what has inspired us. 

Chinese text of the Heart Sūtra, by Yuan Dynasty artist and calligrapher Zhao Meng Fu, 1254-1322 A.D.

2nd Meeting of the Dharma Study Circle

"The discussion in the last group led me to think that a piece of the Avatamsaka Sutra might be fitting and inspiring. The chapter, Appearance of the Buddha, gives a taste of the Sutra and a glimpse into the true nature of reality discovered by the Buddha upon his enlightenment. It's lofty, mind-blowing reading." Wynn Seishin

The group intends to read and discuss 3 pages of the Sutra this Thursday, June 9, 5:30pm to 6:30pm. If you are planning to participate, email windhorse@windhorsezen.org and we will return an attachment of a copy of the text.

Dharma Study Circle

Some of the Windhorse sangha are interested in beginning an informal study group of Dharma texts.  They’re talking about surveying a wide variety of Dharma teachings, and are beginning to make a tentative selection for the first few meetings, beginning with Hakuin's "Chant in Praise of Zazen." (Click "Read more", and you'll find the text on the bottom of this post.)

The meetings will use a modified "council circle" format, where everyone will be invited to share a brief section of the text that they find inspiring.  But the structure and content of the study group is open for discussion.  If there’s enough interest, this could become an ongoing event at Windhorse.  The hope is to get better acquainted with both the Dharma and each other.

The first meeting will be this Thursday, June 2nd, from 5:30 to 6:30 PM at Panther Branch (before the sitting from 7 to 9).  All are welcome to join in.