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The Zen Group of Western Australia Newsletter
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The ZGWA Newsletter - April 2020

Thank you to the Sangha
We hope this newsletter finds you well. Thank you to members of the sangha for your participation in the virtual events the Group has offered recently, by telephone and by Zoom. Thank you also for your feedback on these events. If you have any feedback or ideas you would like to share with the Council, you can do so by reply to this newsletter. The Council are meeting this Sunday to plan for coming weeks and welcome any feedback.

This Thursday - Zazen at home
On the third Thursday of each month, the Group normally sit together for four rounds of zazen at St Paul's. As tomorrow is the third Thursday in April, we invite you to sit 'together apart'. If you sit between 7 pm and 9 pm, you can do so in the knowledge that other Sangha members will be doing the same in their own homes, across Perth/Fremantle and perhaps even further afield. We will not use Zoom to connect with each other tomorrow evening, although we may do so in the future on 'third Thursdays'.

The coming weeks
Over the coming weeks, we will hold various activities virtually. We will stick to an approximation of the dojo schedule. This means dokusan will be offered on the second and fourth week of each month. Activities may not necessarily occur on Thursday evenings. More details will be publicised when they are settled.

The Work That Reconnects WA Online Immersion -  over four Saturdays in April/May
The Work That Reconnects is based on the work of  Joanna Macy, who is an environmentalist, teacher and Buddhist practitioner. According to Macy, "The Work that Reconnects helps people discover and experience their innate connections with each other and the self-healing powers of the web of life, transforming despair and overwhelm into inspired, collaborative action.” Perth-based Work That Reconnects practitioners are running an online immersion workshop over four Saturdays, from April 25 to May 16. More details and a link to book a place are available here.

Buddhist Council of WA - Guide to COVID-19
BCWA have put together a useful guide for Buddhist organisations regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. It contains links to many resources and is available here.

LGBTQIA+ Buddhist Research Project
Dr Stephen Kerry is a member of the Darwin Zen Group. He is conducting a research project on Buddhism and the LGBTQIA+ community in Australia. He writes:

My name is Dr Stephen Kerry and I am a researcher at Charles Darwin University. I am conducting an online survey for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) Buddhists. It is open to all LGBTQIA+ Australians who either identify as Buddhists or see themselves as practitioners of Buddhism. This project is also sponsored by Rainbodhi, a community group for LGBTQIA+ Buddhists and friends.
 
The project is interested in the following:
  • What are the health needs of LGBTQIA+ Buddhists?
  • Why are LGBTQIA+ Australians attracted to Buddhism?
  • Do LGBTQIA+ Australians experience discrimination within Buddhism?
  • What is the impact of the debates surrounding marriage equality and religions discrimination bill on LGBTQIA+ Buddhists?
The survey can be found at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LGBTQIA-Buddhist-Research

Sangha WhatsApp Group
To keep in touch with the Sangha, you can join the WhatsApp chat that we have established. It is intended for discussion, sharing of resources and checking in with each other. We can also use it to ask for or offer assistance as required. Join the group by following this link from your smartphone: https://chat.whatsapp.com/DwTDo0MIDq5AvVibAAXhiB. It requires WhatsApp to be installed on your phone.

Membership
Please consider becoming a member of the ZGWA. Members are entitled to discounted and prioritised places for Sesshin and Zazenkai, to borrow from our library, and a subscription to The Wobbly Pot. Funds raised through membership allow us to rent the venues we use, offer dana to our teachers, maintain our website and podcast, and hold all of our events. You can download a membership form by clicking here. You can also collect one from the dojo.  Discounted memberships are available to concession holders, families and Sangha members from out of town. See the form for more information.
We acknowledge  that we live, work and meditate on the boodja  of the Wadjuk Nyoongar people, the traditional custodians of this land. The ZGWA pays respect to Nyoongar Elders, past, present and emerging. We are grateful to the Nyoongar people, who have cared for this land for more than 60 000 years, and continue to do so.



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