Welcome!We welcome all who want to learn more about Zen Buddhist meditation. Our vibrant community is committed to Zen practice and teachings, and offers daily sitting meditation, weekly classes and lectures, and monthly intensive meditation retreats. Our Center is located on the eastern shore of Lake Calhoun in south Minneapolis. People from all over the region come to here to listen to talks by teachers, attend classes and workshops, participate in retreats, attend services, and, most importantly, to do sitting meditation (zazen). Are you new to Meditation, Zen Buddhism, or the Center?A good place to begin would be Introduction to Zen Meditation on Sunday mornings, or the Tuesday Night Gathering. Each session includes meditation instruction and teaching on how meditation and Zen relate to daily life. For Introduction to Zen Meditation join us any Sunday and then return the next three Sundays to complete the four-week cycle. (For those months that have a fifth Sunday, a fifth talk is offered. It is considered an "optional" part of the cycle.) The four parts are not sequential, so you may attend them in any order. You are welcome to attend as many sessions as you like, but attend all four for the best overview. These classes are open to all with no pre-registration necessary. Please arrive five minutes early. Donations are gratefully accepted. The class meets every Sunday from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. Participants are welcome to stay for tea and social hour at 11:00. Tuesday Night Gathering is a weekly opportunity to come together for meditation and Zen teaching. Newcomers and experienced practitioners alike are invited and encouraged to participate. Each session includes guided meditation, a brief dharma talk, silent meditation, and an opportunity for questions and discussion. Tuesday Night Gatherings take place every Tuesday 7:15 – 8:30 p.m. If you are visiting MZMC to fulfill a class requirement, we suggest attending our Sunday morning lecture at 10 a.m. You may also contact our office to set up a visit. Sunday MorningsSunday mornings are a good time to become familiar with the MZMC community. Sunday Morning Schedule The Sunday talks provide continued learning about Zen Buddhism and offer you a chance to know the teachers more fully. You are invited to join us for any part of the morning schedule. We hope to see you then! 9:10 Sitting Meditation Click here to listen to Sunday Talks online 
Subscribe to our Sunday Talks podcast using iTunes. 
To subscribe to our Sunday Talks podcast with another service, use this rss feed:http://mnzencenter.org/audio/rss.xml January Events 2012Half-day Sesshin This brief immersion in the traditional sesshin schedule is a good opportunity to become familiar with the forms, stay in practice, or brush up after some time away. This morning includes an orientation, zazen, kinhin (walking meditation), liturgy, a formal vegetarian breakfast using oryoki bowls, and one-to-one meetings with the teacher. Dharma Family Sundays Creativity and Zen: How do we express our practice? Art and Zen have always been intimately connected. This class is designed for people working with or interested in any type of creative expression. We will investigate the deep relationship between discipline, freedom, the arts, and the heart of wisdom, exploring practices to help us let go of our self-centered ideas and open to a pure commitment to creation. Register early; class size is limited. Work Practice Afternoon In the eighth century in China the Zen master Pai Chang began emphasizing manual labor as a means of focused awareness and service to the community. Since that time monasteries and temples generally have been well-maintained and aesthetically pleasing due to the care put into this practice. MZMC continues to value this tradition by holding work practice days throughout the year. Work practice afternoon include a vegetarian lunch, so please let us know in advance if you plan to attend. February EventsOne-Day Retreat: Loving-kindness One-Day Retreats (formerly called Mindfulness Days) are conducted in a contemporary context, without the formal elements involved in sesshin. They include walking and sitting meditation, a dharma talk, one-to-one meetings with the teacher, a vegetarian buffet lunch, and work practice. Meditators at all levels of experience are invited. The theme of this day's meditation will be loving-kindness, cultivating our natural capacity for an open and loving heart. The dharma talk will be on this topic, and the day will feature two guided loving-kindness meditations (along with the usual "just-sitting" meditation). Celebratory Tea for Ted O'Toole All are invited to a special tea on February 12 after the dharma talk. We will be celebrating the dharma transmission of Ted O'Toole, which will occur in a private ceremony earlier in the month. Ted began practicing Buddhism 20 years ago while a student in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He was ordained by Tim Burkett in 2005, and has served MZMC with his great heart for a long time. Please join us at 11 a.m. on Feb. 12 to congratulate Ted on his completion of priest training and taking his place in the Zen lineage. Dharma Family Sundays Spring Practice Period: The Six Paramitas Practicing the six paramitas of generosity, acceptance, ethics, energy, meditation, and wisdom has been central to the Buddhist way of liberation for two thousand years. In this spring Practice Period we'll take on a variety of practices to help us bring the paramitas into our lives and to help us realize the Bodhisattva ideal of openness, service, and availability to life as it is. The final session for both the Monday evening and Tuesday morning groups will be Ben’s Shuso ceremony, Monday April 9 at 7 p.m. This ceremony has been a favorite at MZMC for many years. In it, the Shuso responds to participants’ public questions about practice. Practice Periods continue the 2500-year-old tradition started when Buddha and his students settled down for an extended period of practice during the monsoon season. Participants make a commitment to read and discuss the selected material, maintain a daily sitting practice, attend a minimum of two days of retreat, and attend at least one afternoon of work practice, and have weekly contact with their assigned "practice buddy." Work Practice Afternoon In the eighth century in China the Zen master Pai Chang began emphasizing manual labor as a means of focused awareness and service to the community. Since that time monasteries and temples generally have been well-maintained and aesthetically pleasing due to the care put into this practice. MZMC continues to value this tradition by holding work practice days throughout the year. Work practice afternoon include a vegetarian lunch, so please let us know in advance if you plan to attend. Membership 2012
It's that time again... At this time each year, we ask current members and friends to express their appreciation for everything we do here at MZMC by making a pledge of financial support. These regular contributions from members are our largest form of revenue, making it possible to offer a wide range of programs for practitioners and community members. If you appreciate MZMC, please become a member and help us to maintain this supportive place of contemplation on Lake Calhoun. Our goal is to raise $50,000 in member pledges for the coming year. We are doing well with $45,229 in pledges! To learn more about membership at MZMC, go to the Membership page. |
Our mission is to help people experience a deep and quiet joy – a joy that arises whenever we are fully engaged in the work or play of this moment.