February 2013

Posted on February 26, 2013 by hoffmanjms

Meditation Opportunities

Thursday evenings at 1st Presbyterian 

We will meet for meditation on all Thursdays in February and March (except Maundy Thursday March 28) from 7:00 – 9:00 pm in the fellowship hall. Our format for the first hour is two 20-minute periods of sitting in silence with a 10 minute walking meditation in between.  For the second hour, we are practicing group contemplative listening.  We listen to a short reading from a contemplative author or poet, sit together for a period of silence, and share our reflections with the group.  This is a wonderful way to practice deep listening to each other.  All are welcome to join us at any time. 

Tuesday evenings at Hei’s house

Hei has opened his house to those who would like to join him for meditation from 6:00pm – 6:30pm on Tuesdays.  It is one half hour of sitting meditation.    Please call him at 899-4845 for directions and to let him know that you are coming so he can prepare a place for you.

February Retreat Day

          Saturday, February 23, 2013   8:30 am – 3:00 pm                    In the Fellowship Hall

A Day of Zen Sitting
Rev. Hei Takarabe will lead our February retreat day with a focus on Zen meditation.  We will have three sittings of meditation in the morning, a time for listening to a Zen teaching, a lunch break, and conclude with another three sittings of meditation.  Come join us as we learn from Zen practice how to deepen our silence and bring more love and peace into the world.  Please bring a sack lunch.  Coffee, tea and refreshments will be provided.  A freewill offering will be available.

Upcoming Events

Ongoing                                    Hei’s Tai Chi class at Oldemeyer

Center (Tu/Thur at 10:30 am)

No Saturday retreat day in March

April 27                                     MMG Retreat Day with Fr. Cyprian

9:00 – 4:00 pm in Fellowship Hall

Summary of January Retreat Day

For our January retreat day we were treated to Susan Raab’s second talk in her series on the Harry Potter books, “Christian Symbolism 101”.  We were invited to come along on an adventure to go deeper and explore J.K. Rowling’s second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.   The Harry Potter books appeal to so many of us because they describe a journey that leads to the discovery of our spiritual center.  Susan helped us uncover the symbolism used by the author to convey her spiritual message.

My favorite part of the talk illustrates how J.K. Rowling used the character of Malfoy to show the hurt that prejudice causes in our lives.  Malfoy represents the Purebloods, who don’t want the Mudbloods (part mogel/ part magic) included.  This is a big social separation in the Harry Potter books and is a reason for prejudice.  It is a symbol for the prejudice we experience in our lives.  Malfoy represents a tribal leader, and the Mudbloods represent gentiles, guijin, or the people not of our tribe.  These “others” are “separate” and pose a threat to tribal leaders.  In this book, Harry talks to outsiders (like the character Dobby) as equals.  This shows Harry to be like Jesus in including all people as equals.

In closing,

God is a circle whose centre is everywhere,

Whose circumference is nowhere

Voltaire

 

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January 2013

Posted on January 15, 2013 by hoffmanjms

Meditation Opportunities

Thursday evenings at 1st Presbyterian 

We will meet for meditation on all Thursdays in January and February from 7:00 – 9:00 pm in the fellowship hall. Our format for the first hour is two 20-minute periods of sitting in silence with a 10 minute walking meditation in between.  For the second hour, we are practicing group contemplative listening.  We listen to a short reading from a contemplative author or poet, sit together for a period of silence, and share our reflections with the group.  This is a wonderful way to practice deep listening to each other.  All are welcome to join us at any time.

Tuesday evenings at Hei’s house

Hei has opened his house to those who would like to join him for meditation from 6:00pm – 6:30pm on Tuesdays.  It is one half hour of sitting meditation.    Please call him at 899-4845 for directions and to let him know that you are coming so he can prepare a place for you.

January Retreat Day 

          Saturday, January 26, 2013   8:30 am – 1:00 pm                    In the Fellowship Hall

 

Past Watchful Dragons:

Christian Content in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Can it be that the real reason the Harry Potter books are so successful is that “all souls are Christian souls” and resonate with the “true myth” of Love’s triumph over death? Join us January 26 when Susan Raab taps into the second book to reveal how Harry cast his global spell: the deeper meanings in J.K. Rowling’s enchanting system of heart-touching symbols.

A freewill offering will be available.

Upcoming Events

Ongoing                                    Hei’s Tai Chi class at Oldemeyer

Center (Tu/Thur at 10:30 am)

February 23                              MMG Day of Zen Sitting

8:30 – 3:00 pm  in Fellowship Hall

April 27                                     MMG Retreat Day with Fr. Cyprian

9:00 – 4:00 pm in Fellowship Hall

In closing,

Out beyond our ideas of right-doing

And wrong-doing there is a field.

I’ll meet you there.

                     Rumi

 

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November/ December 2012

Posted on November 15, 2012 by hoffmanjms

Meditation Opportunites

Thursday evenings at 1st Presbyterian 

We will meet for meditation on all Thursdays in November (except Thanksgiving Day) and December (except Dec. 20 and Dec. 27) from 7:00 – 9:00 pm in the fellowship hall. Our format for the first hour is two 20-minute periods of sitting in silence with a 10 minute walking meditation in between.  For the second hour, we are practicing group contemplative listening.  We listen to a short reading from a contemplative author or poet, sit together for a period of silence, and share our reflections with the group.  This is a wonderful way to practice deep listening to each other.  All are welcome to join us at any time. 

Tuesday evenings at Hei’s house

Hei has opened his house to those who would like to join him for meditation from 6:00pm – 6:30pm on Tuesdays.  It is one half hour of sitting meditation.    Please call him at 899-4845 for directions and to let him know that you are coming so he can prepare a place for you.

November Retreat Day

          Saturday, November 17, 2012   8:30 am – 1:00 pm                    In the Fellowship Hall

                              Smile at Fear

This Saturday, in addition to our two hours of mediation, we will watch a portion of a Pema Chodron DVD titled “Smile at Fear”.  Pema is a Buddhist monk and gifted teacher who has much insight to help us in our meditation practice. In this video Pema explains that what she teaches is Bodhisattva training – work on the self so that we become spiritual warriors in order to serve others with courage, fearlessness, and love.  She emphasizes the importance of this work to help others, for the healing of the earth, and to relieve the suffering of others.

 A freewill offering will be available.

Upcoming Events

Ongoing                                 Hei’s Tai Chi class at Oldemeyer

Center (Tu/Thur at 10:30 am)

December 13                         Cookie Party after Thursday evening

Meditation   8:00 – 9:00 pm

December 14                        Taize at First Presbyterian

7:30 – 8:30 pm

Summary of October’s Retreat

In October we had an extended retreat with guest presenters Kenton Smith and Jim Peterson from Soul Work Studio.  The title of the retreat was “Reversals:  Healing Disruptions in the Spiritual Life”.  The rhythm of the retreat included presentations by Kent and Jim, participant sharing, and time for inner work and meditation.  Kent and Jim used four movements delineated by Alexander Shaia that correspond to the seasons of the year to help us see our experiences of difficult times as a potential for spiritual growth.

Autumn is the time of the summons into disorientation.  These are the sometimes sudden, sometimes planned painful and devastating experiences we have of loss that may involve illness or death, relationship issues, work issues, or loss of faith.  The experience plunges us into a time of loss of control and not knowing what to do.  St. John of the Cross says, “We journey on an unknown way to an unknown end”.  It all feels unfamiliar.  In this space our first response can be resistance, denial, or to give up.  Our second response is to consent and say “yes” to the summons.

This plunges us into the darkness of Winter, where we live into the disorientation.  St. John of the Cross calls this time “the dark night”.  It is a time when God feels absent.  We need to be patient and wait for the fruits of this season to teach us a deeper and truer view of reality and ourselves.

As we live in the chaos of the darkness, we begin to get hints of seeds of a new way of being sprouting within.  Once we begin to claim these graces, when the “new wineskins (Matthew 9:17)” begin to form, we enter into the movement of Spring.

What is given to us in the spiritual season of Spring is given for the community.  When the time is right, Summer begins as we bring the fruits of our disorienting experience back to the community in service.   We bring only what God gives.  It may take time to integrate this new way of being into our lives.  We must not rush the answers to the questions:  “How shall I relate to the community?” or “How shall I serve?”

Our retreat ended with a remembrance of the story of how Monterey Meditation Group came to meet at First Presbyterian Church.  It involved the Autumn season of being asked to leave El Estero Church, the unknowing time of Winter and wondering what would happen, the glimmer of hope as we interviewed churches and found a match, and now the Summer of sharing the fruits of meditation with our community.  We are grateful for the guidance of the Spirit and for the deepening of trust that we gained from this painful experience.

In closing,

You have turned my mourning into dancing;

You have taken off my sackcloth

And clothed me with joy

So that my soul may praise you and not be silent

O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever 

                Psalm 30: 11 – 12 

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October 2012

Posted on October 17, 2012 by hoffmanjms

Meditation Opportunities 

Thursday evenings at 1st Presbyterian  

We will meet for meditation on all Thursdays in October and November (except Thanksgiving Day) from 7:00 – 9:00 pm in the fellowship hall. Our format for the first hour is two 20-minute periods of sitting in silence with a 10 minute walking meditation in between.  For the second hour, we are practicing group contemplative listening.  We listen to a short reading from a contemplative author or poet, sit together for a period of silence, and share our reflections with the group.  This is a wonderful way to practice deep listening to each other.  All are welcome to join us at any time. 

Tuesday evenings at Hei’s house

Hei has opened his house to those who would like to join him for meditation from 6:00pm – 6:30pm on Tuesdays.  It is one half hour of sitting meditation.    Please call him at 899-4845 for directions and to let him know that you are coming so he can prepare a place for you.

October Contemplative Retreat

Reversals:
Healing the Disruptions in the Spiritual Life

October 19 & 20, 2012

                                       HELD AT                                                    SPONSORED BY              First Presbyterian Church of Monterey                      Monterey Meditation Group                 501 El Dorado Street, Monterey, CA                          http://www.MontereyMeditation.com

Our spiritual journey is one of small and large points of apparent reversal, or finding ourselves at an intersection where what “worked” before no longer seems to work or to be true in the same way, or no longer provides support.   These times are usually ones of letting go of what is old to become open to what may be being birthed in us.  But it is a scary time as we are in it, and a time that calls for trust and patience.

Join us to explore this theme in a series of short presentations followed by times of reflection, meditation, spiritual exercise, and sharing.

Soul Work Studio, a non-profit organization begun with seed funding from the Presbytery of San Jose, offers spiritual direction services for individuals, church boards and organizations, faith-based non-profit organizations, and other institutions.

 

                                    FRIDAY                                                                  SATURDAY

                             October 19, 2012                                                       October 20, 2012

                            7:00 pm – 9:00 pm                                                     9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Suggested Donation for Friday is $15, for Saturday $40, and $50 for both days (lunch included).   All are welcome.
For more information, contact Janet at hoffmanjms@gmail.com or 831-484-1686  

Upcoming Events

Ongoing                                 Hei’s Tai Chi class at Oldemeyer

Center (Tu/Thur at 10:30 am)

Ongoing                                  Satsang – with Mokshananda

Unitarian Universalist Church

490 Aguajito Road, 624-7404

2nd and 4th Tuesdays 7 – 9 pm

November 17                        MMG Retreat Day / 8:30 am – 1:00 pm

Bhakti Yoga:  Yoga of Devotion

December 13                        Cookie Party after Thursday evening

Meditation   8:00 – 9:00 pm

December 14                       Taize at First Presbyterian

7:30 – 8:30 pm

No December Retreat Day 

In closing,

 “What is the use of praying if at the very moment of prayer, we have so little confidence in God that we are busy planning our own kind of answer to our prayer? 

                Thomas Merton     (Thoughts in Solitude)

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September 2012

Posted on September 16, 2012 by hoffmanjms

Meditation Opportunities 

Thursday evenings at 1st Presbyterian 

We will meet for meditation on all Thursdays in September and October from 7:00 – 9:00 pm in the fellowship hall. Our format for the first hour is two 20-minute periods of sitting in silence with a 10 minute walking meditation in between.  For the second hour, we are practicing group contemplative listening.  We listen to a short reading from a contemplative author or poet, sit together for a period of silence, and share our reflections with the group.  This is a wonderful way to practice deep listening to each other.  All are welcome to join us at any time. 

Tuesday evenings at Hei’s house

Hei has opened his house to those who would like to join him for meditation from 6:00pm – 6:30pm on Tuesdays (except Sept. 11 and 18).  It is one half hour of sitting meditation.    Please call him at 899-4845 for directions and to let him know that you are coming so he can prepare a place for you.

September Retreat Day

Sacred Poetry:  An Exploration

          Saturday, September 29, 2012   8:30 am – 1:00 pm                    In the Fellowship Hall

                              Meditation, discussion, sharing

Poetry in all its beauty and truth has the potential to open our hearts to the mysteries of life and the wondrous workings of the Spirit in our lives. It can deepen our appreciation of the simple but profound truths that are found in our experience.  We can soar with the poets who fling themselves into heart of things.  Join us as we recite and share poems of gratitude, prayer, longing, and the timeless search for wisdom.

A freewill offering will be available.

Upcoming Events

Ongoing                           Hei’s Tai Chi class at Oldemeyer

Center (Tu/Thur at 10:30 am)

Ongoing                           Satsang – with Mokshananda

Unitarian Universalist Church

490 Aguajito Road, 624-7404

2nd and 4th Tuesdays 7 – 9 pm

September 25                Spirit, Soul and Body / Cyprian Consiglio

7:30 – 9:00 pm

Holy Cross Parish Hall, Santa Cruz

October 5                      Taize at First Presbyterian Church

7:30 – 8:30 pm

October 13                    Zazen Instruction with Rev. Issho Fujita

Carl Cherry Center, 4th & Guadalupe,Carmel

1:00 – 3:00 pm, Donation $25

Call Sara 659-1552/ sarahun@comcast.net

October 19/20            Reversals: Healing the Disruptions in the

Spiritual Life

7:00 – 9:00 pm,   9:00 am – 4:00 pm

First Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall

November 17              MMG Retreat Day / 8:30 am – 1:00 pm

Bhakti Yoga:  Yoga of Devotion

December 13               Cookie Party after Thursday evening

Meditation   8:00 – 9:00 pm

December 14              Taize at First Presbyterian

7:30 – 8:30 pm

 

Summary of July’s Retreat Day

For our July retreat day we watched a Pema Chodron DVD entitled Smile At Fear.  In this video Pema explains that what she teaches is Bodhisattva training – work on the self so that we become spiritual warriors in order to serve others with courage, fearlessness, and love.  She emphasizes the importance of this work to help others, for the healing of the earth, and to relieve the suffering of others.  We are needed.  This path of meditation we are on is important!

So what is the path to this way of fearlessness?  The first step is to stop running from our anxiety and fear and to get to know it.  We need to stay present when we begin to fear what we see.  When we get to know our fear, we turn our fear into a vulnerable place that can be touched and not hardened against.

This is not an easy process – thus the term “spiritual warrior”.  In order to get to know our fear, we have to slow down and actually feel it.  It sometimes leads to things we don’t like about ourselves, but it helps us see the truth about ourselves.  And this leads to being a more genuine person.  All of this starts with a gentle determination to know our self completely.  And Pema teaches that a meditation practice is a method of being with ourselves completely and honestly.  She believes meditation is the safest environment to take on this project of being more genuine.

 

In closing,

 “Perfect Love casts out fear” 

                1John 4:18

 

 

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July / August 2012

Posted on July 27, 2012 by hoffmanjms

Meditation Opportunities 

Thursday evenings at 1st Presbyterian 

We will meet for meditation on all Thursdays in July and August from 7:00 – 9:00 pm in the fellowship hall (except July 26 and Aug 9 when we will be in the Manse). Our format for the first hour is two 20-minute periods of sitting in silence with a 10 minute walking meditation in between.  For the second hour, we are practicing group contemplative listening.  We listen to a short reading from a contemplative author or poet, sit together for a period of silence, and share our reflections with the group.  This is a wonderful way to practice deep listening to each other.  All are welcome to join us at any time

Tuesday evenings at Hei’s house

Hei has opened his house to those who would like to join him for meditation from 6:00pm – 6:30pm on Tuesdays.  It is one half hour of sitting meditation.    Please call him at 899-4845 for directions and to let him know that you are coming so he can prepare a place for you.

Monterey Meditation July Retreat Day

Retreat Day    Saturday, July 28, 2012    8:30 am – 1:00 pm        

                      In the Manse (room behind Fellowship Hall)

For this Saturday’s Retreat day we will watch together a Pema Chodron DVD called  “Smile at Fear”.  The DVD is a recorded retreat given by Pema in which she shares teaching inspired by the book, Smile at Fear, which was written by her teacher Chogyam Trungpa. She and her teaching assistant, Carolyn Rose Gimian, also share practices they received from Trungpa Rinpoche for courageously meeting ourselves in the present moment.

In addition to watching the video together, there will be time for discussion and two periods of sitting and walking meditation.  Coffee, tea and refreshments will be provided.  A freewill offering will be available.  All are welcome. 

Upcoming Events

Ongoing                                    Hei’s Tai Chi class at Oldemeyer

Center (Tu/Thur at 10:30 am)

Ongoing                                    Satsang – with Mokshananda

Unitarian Universalist Church

490 Aguajito Road, 624-7404

2nd and 4th Tuesdays 7 – 9 pm

No August Retreat Day

August 14 – 19                           East West Meditation Intensive

Mercy Center Burlingame

August 15 – 19                           Centering Prayer Retreat

Mercy Center Burlingame

September 29                            MMG Retreat Day  8:30 – 1:00 pm

Sacred Poetry with Joseph Cotham

Summary of June’s Retreat Day

Monterey Meditation Day’s June Retreat Day was an extended day with a focus on the practice of Zen.  With the longer day we were able to spend more time in sitting and walking meditation and we experienced a tea ceremony together.

We also read together a talk by Suzuki Roshi from Zen Mind, Beginners Mind.  The title of the talk was “Control” and my favorite section is as follows:  “To give your sheep or cow a large, spacious meadow is the way to control him.  So it is with people:  first let them do what they want, and watch them.  This is the best policy.  To ignore them is not good; that is the worst policy.  The second worst is trying to control them.  The best one is to watch them, just to watch them, without trying to control them”.  This seems incredibly difficult and incredibly wise at the same time.  But from experience and lots of trying, I know that it is impossible to control others.  No matter how hard I might try.  The command to give the sheep or cow a spacious meadow feels very freeing.  And I know that I too like others to allow me space to be who I am.  Suzuki continues to teach that our thoughts in meditation work the same way.  We must put effort into developing the ability to allow the thoughts that come to us in meditation the freedom to come and go.  When we ignore our thoughts, we are not present and the thoughts will continue to come back.  When we try to control our thoughts, it doesn’t work.  So the best policy is just to watch our thoughts – let them come and let them go – and breath through them.  Suzuki Roshi instructs, “the true purpose of Zen is to see things as they are, to observe things as they are, and to let everything go as it goes”.

 

In closing,

 “Live in simple faith. . .

  Just as this trusting cherry

  Flowers, fades, and falls”

 

                Issa

 

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June 2012

Posted on June 29, 2012 by hoffmanjms

Meditation Opportunities

Thursday evenings at 1st Presbyterian  

We will meet for meditation on all Thursdays in June and July from 7:00 – 9:00 pm in the fellowship hall. Our format for the first hour is two 20-minute periods of sitting in silence with a 10 minute walking meditation in between.  For the second hour, we are practicing group contemplative listening.  We listen to a short reading from a contemplative author or poet, sit together for a period of silence, and share our reflections with the group.  This is a wonderful way to practice deep listening to each other.  All are welcome to join us at any time

Tuesday evenings at Hei’s house

Hei has opened his house to those who would like to join him for meditation from 6:00pm – 6:30pm on Tuesdays.  It is one half hour of sitting meditation.   Please call him at 899-4845 for directions and to let him know that you are coming so he can prepare a place for you.

June Retreat Day

Retreat Day    Saturday, June 30, 2012    8:30 am – 3:00 pm        

                      Fellowship Hall

Hei Takarabe and Joseph Cotham will lead our June retreat day with a focus on Zen meditation.  We will have three sittings of meditation in the morning, a time for listening to a reading from the zen tradition, a lunch break, another three sittings of meditation, and conclude with a tea ceremony.  Come join us as we learn from Zen practice how to deepen our silence and bring more love and peace into the world.  Please bring a sack lunch.  Coffee, tea and refreshments will be provided.  A freewill offering will be available.

 

Upcoming Events

Ongoing                                    Hei’s Tai Chi class at Oldemeyer

Center (Tu/Thur at 10:30 am)

Ongoing                                    Satsang – with Mokshananda

Unitarian Universalist Church

490 Aguajito Road, 624-7404

2nd and 4th Tuesdays 7 – 9 pm

July 28                                      MMG Retreat Day   8:30 – 1:00 pm

Creativity and Art with Chris and

Mary Moore

No August Retreat Day

August 14 – 19                           East West Meditation Intensive

Mercy Center Burlingame

August 15 – 19                           Centering Prayer Retreat

Mercy Center Burlingame

September 29                            MMG Retreat Day  8:30 – 1:00 pm

Sacred Poetry with Joseph Cotham

 

Summary of May’s Retreat Day

Joe Cotham and Joe Neary presented an inspiring and informative talk on neuroscience and the fruits of meditation taken from two main sources:  Buddha’s Brain by Rick Hanson and Rachael Mendius and Welcome to Your Brain by Sandra Aamodt and Sam Wang.  The talk began with a focus on how the Mind/Brain is a source of our suffering and concluded with the ways our meditation practice can help us mitigate pain with the fruits of happiness, equanimity, love, and wisdom.

One of the main sources of suffering in Buddhist teaching is the fact that everything is always changing and we resist it.  Our brain is always trying to stop the river – it chases after moments that are not yet here, and wants to hold on to what passes by.  When our mind is in this state we are never satisfied.  We learned that the brain actually secretes chemicals that keep us on this wheel of suffering, and that it goes back to earliest humans and their strategies of survival.   As we live moment by moment, the part of our brain called the hippocampus decides if what we encounter is a threat or an opportunity.  If there is a pleasant encounter, the neurotransmitter dopamine is secreted and it creates a sense of desire.  If there is an unpleasant encounter, the dopamine levels are discontinued.  Thus our brains are wired to chase carrots (pleasant experiences) and avoid sticks (unpleasant experiences).  The human survival need to avoid sticks (death and danger) is the most powerful wiring in the brain.  The brain is able to detect bad information more quickly than pleasant.  The brain is like Velcro for negative experiences and Teflon for positive experiences.  And we learned that many of problems of the human condition are tied to this fact:  greed is the desire for more and more positive experience, hatred is aversion to negative experience, and delusion is not seeing how things are ever changing in the world.  So, with these few facts about how our brains are wired, I suddenly have much more compassion for others and myself when I get caught in these feelings and when I am not able to control my thoughts in my meditation practice.  It’s a set up – our brains are working against us and we need to be patient with others and ourselves!

Our practice of meditation is a way to work with this wiring and create new pathways and choices.  One way to cool the flames and promote happiness that Joe and Joe shared is to balance the inhale and the exhale in our breathing.  The inhale activates the Sympathetic Nervous System and the exhale activates the Parasympathetic Nervous System and the balance of these two is our best bet for a long, healthy life.  A second way that meditation helps is our ability to practice equanimity.  The authors used an image of a mudroom in a house to teach us to leave our reactions to things in an inner mudroom so that our most inner selves remain spacious and in balance.  The mudroom creates a buffer between the feeling tones of an experience.  This is a practice of non-reactivity.

And finally the reminder of the importance of love to help heal and ease our suffering.  The story of the two wolves was told.  Each of us has a Wolf of Love and a Wolf of Hate within us.  The one that we feed the most grows the most.  It is not possible to kill the Wolf of Hate, only to continue to nourish the Wolf of Love so that it becomes more and more of who we are.

This just scratches the surface of the wealth of information presented in the talk – both Joe’s felt the book sources they used were excellent and they recommend reading them if you want to learn more about this fascinating topic.

In closing,

 “Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful” 

                             Thich Nhat Hanh

 

 

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May 2012

Posted on May 25, 2012 by hoffmanjms

Meditation Opportunities

 

Thursday evenings at 1st Presbyterian  

We will meet for meditation on all Thursdays in May and June from 7:00 – 9:00 pm in the fellowship hall. Our format for the first hour is two 20-minute periods of sitting in silence with a 10 minute walking meditation in between.  For the second hour, we are practicing group contemplative listening.  We listen to a short reading from a contemplative author or poet, sit together for a period of silence, and share our reflections with the group.  This is a wonderful way to practice deep listening to each other.  All are welcome to join us at any time. 

Tuesday evenings at Hei’s house

Hei has opened his house to those who would like to join him for meditation from 6:00pm – 6:30pm on Tuesdays.  It is one half hour of sitting meditation.  (Please note there will be no sitting on June 12 or 19.)  Please call him at 899-4845 for directions and to let him know that you are coming so he can prepare a place for you.

 

May Retreat Day

                      Saturday, May 26, 2012    8:30 am – 1:00 pm        

                      Fellowship Hall 

Happiness, Love and Wisdom:
Recent Insights from Neuroscience on the Fruits of Meditation 

Led by Joe Cotham and Joe Neary

Experience silent prayer and learn how it benefits your wellbeing through the physical health of your brain.

Join us to explore recent advances in neuroscience that provide a better understanding of consciousness and meditative practices.  We will discuss, meditate, and engage in activities intended to broaden our spiritual horizons. You’ll participate in exercises drawn from Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom by neuropsychologist Rich Hansen and neurologist Richard Mendius.

  • All levels of meditation experience are welcome.
  • Use your own cushion or bench, one of ours, or a chair.
  • Refreshments will be provided
  • A freewill offering is available

 

Upcoming Events

Ongoing                                    Hei’s Tai Chi class at Oldemeyer

Center (Tu/Thur at 10:30 am)

Ongoing                                    Satsang – with Mokshananda

Unitarian Universalist Church

490 Aguajito Road, 624-7404

2nd and 4th Tuesdays 7 – 9 pm

June 30                                     MMG Retreat Day  8:30 – 3:00 pm

A Day of Zen sitting

July 28                                      MMG Retreat Day   8:30 – 1:00 pm

Creativity and Art with Chris and

Mary Moore

No August Retreat Day

 

Summary of April’s Retreat Day

In April our focus was on Centering Prayer, and we spent a longer day together (until 3pm) which gave us time for extended sits and more time to deepen our silence.  We watched a video from the Spiritual Journey series by Thomas Keating as our teaching.  In this video Fr. Thomas uses the experience of St. Anthony in the desert as a paradigm of the Night of Sense.  The Night of Sense is a time experienced along the spiritual journey when dryness is felt in prayer and one feels like they are going backwards in spiritual progress and God feels far away.  The purpose of the Night of Sense is purification from the control of the false self.   Fr. Thomas teaches that Anthony’s life is an example of how to dismantle the false self.  And, he states that the heart of Christian ascesis (training) is the dismantling of the false self.  The false self is controlled by the energy centers of Security, Affection and Control.   One of the fruits of going through the Night of Sense is to purify our thoughts and motivations so that we see, as the True Self does, that only God can satisfy our need for Security, Affection and Control.  It is a time of dryness, anxiety and trial that allows a period of weaning from the mixed motivations of the False Self toward pure trust in God alone.

 

In closing,

 “… I saw the river over which every soul must pass to reach the kingdom of heaven, and the name of that river was suffering…

and I saw the boat which carries souls across the river; and the name of that boat was love.”

 

Saint John of the Cross

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April 2012

Posted on April 18, 2012 by hoffmanjms

Meditation Opportunities

Thursday evenings at 1st Presbyterian   

We will meet for meditation on all Thursdays in April and May from 7:00 – 9:00 pm in the fellowship hall. Our format for the first hour is two 20-minute periods of sitting in silence with a 10 minute walking meditation in between.  For the second hour, we are practicing group contemplative listening.  We listen to a short reading from a contemplative author or poet, sit together for a period of silence, and share our reflections with the group.  This is a wonderful way to practice deep listening to each other.  All are welcome to join us at any time. 

Tuesday evenings at Hei’s house

Hei has opened his house to those who would like to join him for meditation from 6:00pm – 6:30pm on Tuesdays.  It is one half hour of sitting meditation.

Please call him at 899-4845 for directions and to let him know that you are coming so he can prepare a place for you.

April Retreat Day

Retreat Day    Saturday, April 21, 2012    8:30 am – 3:00 pm        

                            Fellowship Hall

Day of Centering Prayer

All are welcome to join us for an extended day of silence this Saturday.  We will gather at 8:30 for morning refreshments and then begin our first sitting at 9:00.  Our first time of silence will have three periods of Centering Prayer, with walking meditation in between.  We will watch a video of a teaching on Centering Prayer from approximately 11 – noon, then enjoy our lunch in silence from noon until 1:00.  The remainder of our time together will be three more periods of Centering Prayer.

Coffee, tea and refreshments will be provided.  Please remember to bring a sack lunch.

A freewill offering will be available.

 

Upcoming Events

Ongoing                                    Hei’s Tai Chi class at Oldemeyer

Center (Tu/Thur at 10:30 am)

Ongoing                                    Satsang – with Mokshananda

Unitarian Universalist Church

490 Aguajito Road, 624-7404

2nd and 4th Tuesdays 7 – 9 pm

April 27 – May 5                     NASK 2012 – Intensive Zen Meditation

Retreat with Ryoun Roshi

Orange, California

see attached flyer (NASK 2012)

for more information

May 26                                      MMG Retreat Day – Happiness, Love

and Wisdom:  Recent Insights from

Neuroscience on the Fruits of

Meditation     8:30 am – 1:00 pm by

Joe Cotham and Joe Neary

see attached flyer (Buddha’s  Brain)

for more information

June 22-23                                A Retreat with Meister Eckhart

El Sobrante, CA

see attached flyer (Meister Eckhart)

for more information

June 30                                     MMG Retreat Day

July 28                                      MMG Retreat Day

 

Summary of March’s Retreat Day

Our retreat day last month was a treat indeed for all who intended.  Patricia Merrifield shared her experiences of walking the ancient pilgrimage route, “The Way of St. James” or in Spanish, “Camino de Santiago”.

 

According to Wikipedia, “A pilgrim (from the Latin peregrinus) is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journeying (often on foot) to some place of special significance to the adherent of a particular religious belief system.”   For Christians all over Europe in the 9th century, The Camino de Santiago became a pilgrimage route to the cathedral in the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela. The cathedral is the Holy destination that is believed by the faithful to have the body of St. James buried there.

Patricia explained that the symbol of the Camino is the scallop shell.  It’s original may be from the medieval practice of sending pilgrims on the journey to Santiago de Compostela as a form of penance.  In order for the pilgrim to prove they completed the journey, they would bring back a scallop shell that they found at the seashore, as short distance beyond the destination of the cathedral.  Patricia wore a scallop shell around her neck the entire time she hiked the Camino.

Why do people go on pilgrimage?  Patricia shared that during the Middle Ages this route was remote, a difficult journey, and was dangerous.  People set out for various reasons:  as a form of devotion, in hopes for a cure for a disease, as a means of penance, or maybe just because they long for an adventure.  Also, there were professional pilgrims who would walk for you.

Why did Patricia set out on this pilgrimage?  She felt called to the journey when she first heard about it.  It was something she knew she wanted to experience.  She shared that for her it incorporated three things that she loves:  walking, meeting others from different cultures that speak different languages, and spiritual experience.

What makes it a pilgrimage for Patricia and not just a long walk?  Patricia shares — if you wear a scallop shell and your intention is that it is for spiritual reasons.

Patricia has make three pilgrimages to the Way of St. James.  The first she journeyed with her husband.  After two months their walk together was tragically interrupted when he died in his sleep in a little town along the Camino.  Three months later Patricia returned to the Camino with her husband’s ashes and completed the journey to the cathedral and further on to the sea.  Her last pilgrimage was with her 11-year old grandson and she plans another visit this summer.

Through the pictures that she shared and the stories that she told we could see her love of this place and the way it brings her life and joy.  She admitted to us all that it has become like an addiction for her.  It keeps calling her back and she continues to say “yes”.

In closing,

 

Let Nothing Upset You

Let nothing upset you:

Let nothing frighten you.

Everything is changing;

God alone is changeless.

Patience attains the goal.

Who has God lacks nothing;

God alone fills every need.

 

Saint Teresa of Avila

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March 2012

Posted on March 28, 2012 by hoffmanjms

Meditation Opportunities

Thursday evenings at 1st Presbyterian  

We will meet for meditation on all Thursdays in March and April (except April 5, Maundy Thursday) from 7:00 – 9:00 pm in the fellowship hall. Our format for the first hour is two 20-minute periods of sitting in silence with a 10 minute walking meditation in between.  For the second hour, we are practicing group contemplative listening.  We listen to a short reading from a contemplative author or poet, sit together for a period of silence, and share our reflections with the group.  This is a wonderful way to practice deep listening to each other.  All are welcome to join us at any time

Tuesday evenings at Hei’s house

Hei has opened his house to those who would like to join him for meditation from 6:00pm – 6:30pm on Tuesdays.  It is one half hour of sitting meditation.

Please call him at 899-4845 for directions and to let him know that you are coming so he can prepare a place for you.

March Retreat Day

Retreat Day    Saturday, March 31, 2012    8:30 am – 1:00 pm         Meeting in the Manse (the room in back of the fellowship hall)

The Camino de Santiago

Patricia Merrifield will share her experience traveling along the “Camino de Santiago”, a pilgrimage route through Spain and France that has been traveled for over a thousand years.  The Camino, or “The Way of St. James” was one of the most important Christian pilgrimages during medieval times.  More recently, the Camino was the filming location and subject of a 2010 movie, “The Way”, staring Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez.  We look forward to hearing Patricia’s story, sharing her pictures, and learning more about this ancient Christian pilgrimage route.

Coffee, tea and refreshments will be provided.  A freewill offering will be available.

 

Upcoming Events

Ongoing                                 Hei’s Tai Chi class at Oldemeyer

Center (Tu/Thur at 10:30 am)

Ongoing                                 Satsang – with Mokshananda

Unitarian Universalist Church

490 Aguajito Road, 624-7404

2nd and 4th Tuesdays 7 – 9 pm

April 21                                  MMG Retreat Day – Day of Centering

Prayer       8:30 am – 3:00 pm

May 26                                   MMG Retreat Day – Happiness, Love

and Wisdom:  Recent Insights from

Neuroscience on the Fruits of

Meditation     8:30 am – 1:00 pm by

Joe Cotham and Joe Neary

June 30                                   MMG Retreat Day

July 28                                    MMG Retreat Day

 

Summary of February’s Retreat Day

Our February Saturday was a zazenkai day – a day of enjoying the deep silence of extended sitting and walking meditation, a shared reading by Suzuki Roshi, and mindful eating.  Joseph Cotham gave our day direction and those of us who attended were enriched by the held silence of the community.

I came away from this Saturday reminded again the importance of meditation and silence in my life.  This relatively short amount of time, 6 hours, helped me deepen in my practice.  I appreciate the energy these days of longer sitting give, and the fruits of sharing in the gifts of the community that joins me.

 

In closing,

Chief Techumseh Poem

Native American Shawnee Chief

“So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.

Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none. 

When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself.  Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision.

When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.”

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