Retreat Photo

We just finished our second summer solstice retreat with a precepts ceremony. Congratulations to Jeehyun Lee for taking five precepts, to Susan Warden for renewing sixteen precepts and to Margaret Wheeler and Christina Hauck for taking sixteen precepts. Thanks to our teacher, Linc Rhodes, for traveling all the way from Rhode Island to practice with us, and to all the people who worked so hard, before, during and after the retreat.

Solstice on the Prairie Retreat June 2009

Tall Grass Zen
Solstice on the Prairie Retreat

Thursday June 18 - Sunday June 21, 2009
Deep Creek Community Center
in the beautiful Flint Hills
near Manhattan, Kansas

Retreat starts Thursday evening at 6:30 pm and runs through Sunday morning. There will be a precepts ceremony on Sunday at 11 am. You can sit all or part of the retreat. Late entry times are Friday and Saturday mornings at 6 am; 9 am and Noon. The precepts ceremony is open to the public.

If you would like to register for the retreat you will need to register in advance. Please email us at tallgrasszen@yahoo.com or call 785/537-8713 for more information.

Affiliated with the Kwan Um School of Zen
http://www.kwanumzen.com/

Half-Day Retreat in Topkea

Yesterday Margaret and I sat a half-day retreat with our friends at PrairieEyrth Zen Center. Thanks to the PEZC for hosting this.

Ji Jang Bosal

JW Harrington, May 8, 1958 - April 7, 2009.

JW, for thirty years the key administrator for the Kwan Um School of Zen, took his own life yesterday afternoon in Providence, Rhode Island. He is survived by his wife, Jayne, his mother, and thousands of friends around the world.

I did not know JW well, but in our many phone conversations and emails he was always friendly and efficient. Once, during Kyol Che, I did some office work for him. He had such a beautiful calm light. Now I feel so sad for him. He must have felt so desperate and alone.

Let us keep one another close.

Sitting with ease
on the bridge
Deep Creek accepts
another fallen leaf
greeting it with
a circle of radiance
shimmering
to every shore

The leaf floats
nesting into a rock

Form is emptiness

A cloud passes
over sunlight
transforming the vision
to opaque depth

Emptiness is form

Walking back
pick up a penny
in the road
Warm in the hand
South wind cool
on the face

Margaret Wheeler
Tall Grass Zen
2009

UPDATE ON THE FEBRUARY RETREAT

Because our teacher, Linc Rhodes, had to return to Providence unexpectedly, we've shortened the retreat. We will now begin at 9 am and end at 5 pm on Saturday February 7. 

Winter Solstice Candlelight Kido