Annual Lake Walk 2024
Saturday, September 28
Join in for any part of this morning and afternoon.
9:10 - 10:30 — Sit/Service
10:45 - 11:45 — Lake Walk
11:45 - 12:30 — Refreshments and Social Time
Please join the Minnesota Zen Meditation Center community to celebrate our presence on beautiful lake known as Bde Maka Ska, by walking, running, or biking around the lake! Or bring your children, your dog, or your rollerblades! Join new or old friends in conversation as you circle the lake, or proceed in mindful silence if you prefer.
Why circle the lake? Circumambulation, or walking in a circle around an object of veneration, is a common tradition in Buddhism and other religions. There are many reasons to venerate Bde Maka Ska, and to celebrate more than 50 years of being inspired by its ever-changing beauty.
Throughout our history, the lake has also been a source for a deep connection to our community. We hear the sounds of community activity as we sit in the zendo with windows wide open. From our porch we have a view of beautiful, constant life: a diverse parade of people, walking, running, biking, walking dogs, walking babies in strollers, roller blading, sailboating, or just sitting quietly. So many varieties of joy! And many individuals in our community have had innumerable walks around the lake. At 3.1 miles (which is almost exactly a 5K walk or run), the trail is perfect for a one-hour conversation. And, as part of the Chain of Lakes, it links us to many other communities beyond.
Bde Maka Ska is historically significant. MZMC is located on the site of a Dakota village, Heyata Otunwe, which existed from 1829 to 1839. Toward the end of the walk you will see the Bde Maka Ska Public Art Project, which commemorates Ḣeyata Oṭuŋwe, the 19th-century Dakota village that was located on the site, and its founder, Dakota leader Maḣpiya Wic̣aṡṭa (Cloud Man). There is more information about this at: https://bdemakaska.net
Finally, water is a significant metaphor in Zen, in many ways. Eihei Dogen, in the Genjokoan, says “Enlightenment is like the moon reflected on the water. The moon does not get wet, nor is the water broken.” There is the image of the agitated surface and the calm below.And there is interconnectedness. The boundary between "lake" and "shore" is amorphous. One cannot really say where the lake begins and the shore ends -- what about the mud between? Lake and nonlake are not separate.
The lake is deeply a part of us. We are not separate from our community, our past, or our future. Zen practice does not remove us from the world. It helps us to be vividly present in the world, and to act with compassion in the world. Let's acknowledge and celebrate these interconnections.
9:10 - 10:30 — Sit/Service
10:45 - 11:45 — Lake Walk
11:45 - 12:30 — Refreshments and Social Time
Please join the Minnesota Zen Meditation Center community to celebrate our presence on beautiful lake known as Bde Maka Ska, by walking, running, or biking around the lake! Or bring your children, your dog, or your rollerblades! Join new or old friends in conversation as you circle the lake, or proceed in mindful silence if you prefer.
Why circle the lake? Circumambulation, or walking in a circle around an object of veneration, is a common tradition in Buddhism and other religions. There are many reasons to venerate Bde Maka Ska, and to celebrate more than 50 years of being inspired by its ever-changing beauty.
Throughout our history, the lake has also been a source for a deep connection to our community. We hear the sounds of community activity as we sit in the zendo with windows wide open. From our porch we have a view of beautiful, constant life: a diverse parade of people, walking, running, biking, walking dogs, walking babies in strollers, roller blading, sailboating, or just sitting quietly. So many varieties of joy! And many individuals in our community have had innumerable walks around the lake. At 3.1 miles (which is almost exactly a 5K walk or run), the trail is perfect for a one-hour conversation. And, as part of the Chain of Lakes, it links us to many other communities beyond.
Bde Maka Ska is historically significant. MZMC is located on the site of a Dakota village, Heyata Otunwe, which existed from 1829 to 1839. Toward the end of the walk you will see the Bde Maka Ska Public Art Project, which commemorates Ḣeyata Oṭuŋwe, the 19th-century Dakota village that was located on the site, and its founder, Dakota leader Maḣpiya Wic̣aṡṭa (Cloud Man). There is more information about this at: https://bdemakaska.net
Finally, water is a significant metaphor in Zen, in many ways. Eihei Dogen, in the Genjokoan, says “Enlightenment is like the moon reflected on the water. The moon does not get wet, nor is the water broken.” There is the image of the agitated surface and the calm below.And there is interconnectedness. The boundary between "lake" and "shore" is amorphous. One cannot really say where the lake begins and the shore ends -- what about the mud between? Lake and nonlake are not separate.
The lake is deeply a part of us. We are not separate from our community, our past, or our future. Zen practice does not remove us from the world. It helps us to be vividly present in the world, and to act with compassion in the world. Let's acknowledge and celebrate these interconnections.
