Basics


About VZC Your first visit Programs The Garden Calendar Sittings & Retreats Special Events Classes Practice Period Daily Schedule Basics Contra Costa Group Law Dharma Contact Us About Mary Mocine Home		Folks often ask how to begin a meditation practice and how to maintain it. Everyone is welcome at Clear Water Zendo, regardless of race, nationality, class, gender, sexual preference, age and physical ability. To begin, if possible, come to the introduction/orientation that is held every Saturday at 9:30 a.m. At that time you will receive basic instruction in zen meditation and an introduction to our form of practice. If you can not come on Saturday morning, please speak with Mary to arrange another time. The next step is to attent the lecture that begins at 10:10 a.m. on Saturdays. This lecture is intended to be accessible to everyone, including beginners. After lecture, we offer informal tea and that is a good time to ask questions about zazen in general or about the zen center. To continue practice, consider coming on Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. and/or Wednesday evening at 6:40 p.m. You can deepen your practice by attending the introductory evening where there will be further instruction in posture, Zen forms and basic Buddhist concepts. Once you have begun to sit on a regular basis, the next step is to begin to establish a relationship with a teacher. You can sign up to talk to Mary on the zendo bulletin board. Also, to deepen your practice, consider doing a short-schedule, one-day sitting, perhaps from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Basic Buddhist Tenets The Four Noble Truths: The truth of suffering or dis-ease (the unsatisfactory nature of our experience.) The truth of the origin of this dis-ease (craving for continued existence, permanence.) The truth of the cessation of dis-ease (freedom from craving.) The eightfold noble path (leading to the cessation of dis-ease or suffering: Right view or understanding (seeing things as they are); Right thought or aspiration (goodwill, compassion, renunciation); Right speech (no lying, harsh words or gossip); Right action (no killing, stealing nor sexual misconduct etc); Right livelihood (not dealing in killing nor other harmful livelihoods); Right effort (mental energy or effort to abandon unwholesome thoughts that have arisen; to prevent those that may arise and to cultivate wholesome thoughts; to maintain meditative mind); Right mindfulness (bare awareness and clear comprehension of the body, feelings, mind and mind objects); and Right meditation (various forms of Buddhist meditation.) The Three Marks of Existence: suffering (or dis-ease), Impermanence and No Self The Three Refuges: Buddha (Truth), Dharma (How it works/the teachings) and Sangha (folks who practice) The Three Poisons: Greed, hate and Delusion Conditioned Co-Arising: Ignorance conditions Volitional Action which conditions Consciousness which conditions Name and Form conditions the Six Senses conditions Contact conditions Feelings or Sensations conditions Thirst conditions Grasping conditions Becoming conditions Birth conditions Old Age and Death which conditions Ignorance and so on around and around. Emptiness: The notion that everything is in flux and is interconnected. Bodhisattvas: Beings who are enlightening and who have vowed to put others first.

Folks often ask how to begin a meditation practice and how to maintain it. Everyone is welcome at Clear Water Zendo, regardless of race, nationality, class, gender, sexual preference, age and physical ability.

To begin, if possible, come to the introduction/orientation that is held every Saturday at 9:30 a.m. At that time you will receive basic instruction in zen meditation and an introduction to our form of practice.

If you can not come on Saturday morning, please speak with Mary to arrange another time.

The next step is to attent the lecture that begins at 10:10 a.m. on Saturdays. This lecture is intended to be accessible to everyone, including beginners.

After lecture, we offer informal tea and that is a good time to ask questions about zazen in general or about the zen center.

To continue practice, consider coming on Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. and/or Wednesday evening at 6:40 p.m. You can deepen your practice by attending the introductory evening where there will be further instruction in posture, Zen forms and basic Buddhist concepts.

Once you have begun to sit on a regular basis, the next step is to begin to establish a relationship with a teacher. You can sign up to talk to Mary on the zendo bulletin board.

Also, to deepen your practice, consider doing a short-schedule, one-day sitting, perhaps from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Basic Buddhist Tenets

The Four Noble Truths:

The truth of suffering or dis-ease (the unsatisfactory nature of our experience.)
The truth of the origin of this dis-ease (craving for continued existence, permanence.)
The truth of the cessation of dis-ease (freedom from craving.)
The eightfold noble path (leading to the cessation of dis-ease or suffering:

Right view or understanding (seeing things as they are);
Right thought or aspiration (goodwill, compassion, renunciation);
Right speech (no lying, harsh words or gossip);
Right action (no killing, stealing nor sexual misconduct etc);
Right livelihood (not dealing in killing nor other harmful livelihoods);
Right effort (mental energy or effort to abandon unwholesome thoughts that have arisen; to prevent those that may arise and to cultivate wholesome
thoughts; to maintain meditative mind);
Right mindfulness (bare awareness and clear comprehension of the body, feelings, mind and mind objects); and
Right meditation (various forms of Buddhist meditation.)

The Three Marks of Existence: suffering (or dis-ease), Impermanence and No Self

The Three Refuges: Buddha (Truth), Dharma (How it works/the teachings) and Sangha (folks who practice)

The Three Poisons: Greed, hate and Delusion

Conditioned Co-Arising: Ignorance conditions Volitional Action which conditions Consciousness which conditions Name and Form conditions the Six Senses conditions Contact conditions Feelings or Sensations conditions Thirst conditions Grasping conditions Becoming conditions Birth conditions Old Age and Death which conditions Ignorance and so on around and around.

Emptiness: The notion that everything is in flux and is interconnected.

Bodhisattvas: Beings who are enlightening and who have vowed to put others first.