The Zen Journey
Welcome to a journey of transformation at Heart Circle Sangha. Whether you join us once or more often, regular meditation practice transforms your life and leads to greater peace and happiness. Joining a community of meditators reinforces and informs your practice and helps keep you on “The Path”. We hope you will take your first steps on this journey with us.
Practice
A regular daily sitting practice is best even if you sit
for short periods in the beginning. Mindfulness practice is
something you can take into your whole life and do all the
time. You will begin to notice small changes quite soon if
you are diligent about your practice. You may notice you
are less reactive or less irritable. You may find you are
simply happier.
Liturgy and ritual
Every Sunday we hold service in which we chant and offer
incense to the essence of Buddha, the Oneness of all
beings. Chanting is a wonderful way to experience the
oneness of community. Throw yourself into it! Chant with
all your being! Zen ritual lifts us out of small mind and
connects us to each other and the universe.
Service
Heart Circle Sangha is committed to practice through
service to others. We do not practice for ourselves, but
for others. We take care of each other when the need
arises. We find ways to serve our community through hospice
work and other opportunities. We participate in global
causes through giving and other means. Heart Circle Sangha
has been involved in relief efforts in Sri Lanka since the
2004 tsunami.
Retreats and workshops
We offer multiple levels of retreats each year. We have
several one day retreats, several weekend retreats and two
long residential retreats. Each of these is an opportunity
to settle your mind and experience the depth of practice.
We also offer one day workshops. We have held workshops on
Relationship, on Loving Your Anxious Self, on Meeting the
Deathless, on Zen Cooking and are planning to hold future
events on topics such as Zen at Work and Zen Parenting.
Experience of Oneness
The Zen journey leads to an experience of Oneness, of being
connected profoundly to all in our universe. We experience
the world through an open heart. We realize the compassion
and wisdom of the Buddha are ours and that we, indeed, are
the Buddha.