Great Plains Zen Center Newsletter
January 2022
Happy New Year to Members and Friends
of Great Plains Zen Center!
Can 2022 be year when the collective awareness of our connection and interdependence grows and guides us to make choices that are beneficial for our whole communities? Can we recognize that "freedom" doesn't mean being able to do whatever I want, but rather being able to do what wisely promotes the well being of self and other without being entrapped by the personal greed, hatred and delusion we've allowed to dominate our human trajectory thus far. And even more, can the sense of self be expanded to include a broader community -- a we, not a me? With the global and potentially catastrophic challenges facing us, we can choose a fear-based approach, doubling down on what we have always held to be true and trying to do more and more of it. Or we can choose a growth mindset-based approach believing that we can become the people we need to be to create new solutions even if we don't yet know how. In fact, it is not only possible but crucially necessary to act with a courage, love and plan of action born of truly listening to and seeing each other to co-create a different way of being together with all on this earth. Thank you for walking the path of awakening together.
Read about our drive to collect warm clothes, consumables, educational and recreational supplies and more for the 7,000 Afghani guests remaining at the Army base at Fort McCoy after leaving Afghanistan in August.
Join us for our first retreat of the year, the January 2022 Zazenkai taking place January 14-16. Find information about other upcoming zazenkai on our website.
Our 10-week winter course, Where Compassion Begins, takes place January 16- March 20. Read more and register for this deep dive into the practice of council here.
An Introduction to Zen Practice Workshop will take place (in person) at CCUU in Palatine on Saturday, January 22 from 8:30 - 11:30 Registration and more information can be found here.
Aspects of Zen Practice Class 4: Being a Part of GPZC will be offered (in person) at CCUU in Palatine on Sunday January 23 from 5:30 - 6:30 PM. Get details and register here.
Our next Day of Reflection will be Sunday, January 23 . Read more here.
Zen Sitting Group DeKalb in person sitting is currently on hold due to the pandemic. Check the ZSGD Facebook Page for updates.
Sitting in person on Sunday nights at 7 PM continues at CCUU in Palatine. Attend in person or online. Find more information here.
Online zazen on Tuesday and Friday mornings continues at 6:15 AM. Details can be found here.
Learn more about a UIC School of Public Health webinar on environmental justice on February 6 recommended by members of the Racial Justice Circle.
Clothing Drive for Afghani Guests
at Fort McCoy
As you may know, 7,000 Afghani guests are still living at the Army base at Ft. McCoy, WI. They have all been vetted by Citizenship and Immigration Services and will be given Employment Authorization cards soon. Many are eager to leave the base, with resettlement agencies working as hard as they can to place people, but as housing is limited, this process has been tough. We are in the middle of winter and these families are in urgent need of clothing to stay warm. Gently used items are fine and smaller adult sizes are requested, although all donations will be accepted. GPZC is collecting the following items:
Consumables: lotion, tweezers, nail clippers, razors, shaving gel, laundry pods, chapstick, hair ties, baby shampoo + wash, baby powder + oil, dual body/hair wash, vaseline, sippy cups, baby bottles, baby bottle cleaning brushes, extra baby bottle nipples, strollers, pack n plays(used as portable cribs for the babies-go with the guest when they're resettled), pack n play sleeping pads/sheets, 2-in-1 car seats for the guests as they head for resettlement, sunglasses, phone charging cords and wall ports, new breast pumps, first aid kits, hot water kettles
Clothing: children's normal/winter clothing (age 5-13), toddler normal/winter clothing (size 2T-6T), all men's clothing size large and under (especially pants size 32 and under), all winter items (mostly boots, gloves, hats, scarves, snow pants), traditional clothing (called "salwar kameez"), winter weight socks (not normal warm-weather socks, there's a ton of those), head scarfs, prayer mats, padded bras (not sports bras-they don't wear them), mens/womens/kids shoes, thermal clothing
Education: tablets, notebooks(wide and college ruled), dry erase lapboards, dry erase starter kits, dry erase markers, crayons, colored pencils, liqui-mark, construction paper, loose leaf paper, dividers, folders, 3-pocket expanding folders, manila folders, 3-ring binders, organization bags, expansion envelopes, sidewalk chalk, book bags, gym duffels, individual books (various skill levels), scotch tape, rulers, easels, all-purpose glue sticks, calculators, safety scissors, clipboards, pencils, pens, pencil sharpeners, pencil erasers, puzzles, games, etc
Recreation: ball pumps, ball pump needles, foosball tables, foosball balls, decks of cards, dominos, tricycles, soft dodgeballs, games, puzzles, sewing material/equipment, knitting material/equipment, barber equip, kids hockey sticks, snow fun items, play dough, painting kits, paint brushes, actual playground equip, tumbling mats, popcorn machines, unpopped popcorn, movie theater butter, unexpired snacks(single serving is ideal), sewing equipment(sewing machines, knitting needles, etc) and materials (fabric, thread, yarn, etc), floor pillows.
Items may be brought to Sunday night sittings in Palatine or to Great Plains Zen Center W7762 Falk Rd., Monroe. Leave the donations in the zendo (meditation hall) or call Roshi on the Zen Center landline (608-325-6248) to let her know you are coming. If you are attending the January or February retreats in person, please consider bringing items to donate (yours or others). We'll drop all donations off at Richland Fellowship Center whose staff will deliver them to the base. POC is Robert Collier. (224-567-0579).
There is also a need for volunteers in varying capacities:
- The RESPITE CENTER for women's guest community on base, needs skilled and unskilled volunteers to hold regular schedules to support services in teaching, support care, providing social work services (including grief counseling and family planning), K-12 teachers/teaching aids, and possibly some ESL/cultural training. The staff on base are only at 50% staffing highlighting needs that with winter approaching, there will be a great deal of mental health and support needs.
- The shift times are for 12 hours from 8 am to 8pm, and 8pm to 8 am (and can be broken down to 6 hours if needed) with 2-4 volunteers needed per full shift. The timeframe for volunteering is from January 1st to March 15th 2022, though the base is looking to close by February 15th.
- If you would like to volunteer or know people who would, please share this info. We ask that volunteers be committed to the one (or more) shift for the same time and day of the week for the duration of the timeframe - this is to offer consistency to the guests. Volunteers would be driving from their location to Ft. McCoy. So if any volunteers with organizations who are currently on base, then those folks who are there and able to wrap this into their worktime there, would be ideal. If you have an NGO that would like to participate, those forms can be provided given that they are in line with the needs of the base.
- Once Volunteers have committed to dates, they will be asked to submit information in order to be given clearance and then have a brief screening and training before coming onto base. Volunteers in this space will need to be all female.
- BIGLIFE - (the organization who brought us on base) - is looking for volunteers to help them staff their multi purpose building to engage with guests on base. They need roughly six to eight volunteers per day to help and will be setting up a program based off the talents of the people coming in. The program hours would be from 8 am to 8pm. Some things that have worked in the past include sports, arts and crafts, movies, US laws, English, driver's training, and just simply hanging out. While they are a faith based organization, there is no proselytizing on the base - they are simply committed to making and supporting friends as they have strong ties in Afghanistan.
- To learn more how you can volunteer with guest engagement, pls contact Nick Twomey . Once Volunteers have committed to dates, they will be given clearance and a brief screening and training before coming onto base.
Monetary donations are also being accepted by the Richland Fellowship Center. **Please make a note that the donation is for Afghani Refugees.
“The effect of one good-hearted person is incalculable.”
- Óscar Arias
Our January 2022 Zazenkai takes place Friday, January 14 at 7 PM through 8 AM on Sunday, January 16. This zazenkai offers a longer retreat without increasing the amount of in person contact (limited due to the current pandemic status). Friday evening through Saturday morning service (approximately 7:30 AM) will be online only. Between 9:30 AM – 4:45 PM on Saturday, people are welcome to attend in person or online (as we have been doing since July). Saturday evening through Sunday morning will be online only. As always, those who are traveling a longer distance are welcome to spend the night at the Zen Center on Friday and/or Saturday nights with no more than one person per room.
The retreat begins online for everyone Friday evening, with three periods of sitting, including opening remarks and precautions and ending with the Four Bodhisattva Vows and three bows. On Saturday morning, we begin at 6 AM with the chanting of the Verse of Atonement and Three Refuges, two sitting periods and morning service all online.
In person participants may arrive between 8:30 – 9:15 on Saturday, maintaining silence except for instruction. Zendo orientation will be offered for anyone who would like it. There will be two sitting periods starting at 9:30 AM followed by Teisho, with Myoyu Roshi continuing her talk on Dogen Zenji's Bendowa, another zazen period, lunch service and lunch.
Bendowa was written in 1231, soon after Dogen Zenji returned from China. In this important text, the first known writing by Dogen Zenji in Japanese, he introduces zazen as the "front gate of the Buddha Dharma." Much later, in 1684, Bendowa was included as the first fascicle of Dogen Zenji's masterwork Shobogenzo. Bendowa emerges from the great depth of Dogen Zenji's enlightenment experience in China and communicates his profound determination to establish the teaching of the Caodong (Soto) School of Zen in his home country of Japan. Read Bendowa translated by Kaz Tanahashi here.
After lunch are four periods of zazen with dokusan and the Gate of Sweet Nectar ceremony at 4 PM. The ceremony ends the in person part of the zazenkai and there is a break until evening sitting online.
The online only part of the zazenkai begins again at 7 PM on Saturday with three more periods of sitting and finishes Sunday morning, with two periods of zazen starting at 6 AM.
You are welcome to participate in this retreat full time or part time. In your registration, please indicate how you'll be participating (in person portion only, combination in person and online or online only) . We especially need to know if you will be at the Zen Center for lunch on Saturday and if you have any dietary restrictions. Please note that our COVID guidelines have been updated since the previous retreat and apply to anyone attending in person. The guidelines are as follows:
COVID-Related Precautions:
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We are requiring that anyone attending in person be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and will require proof of vaccination. We strongly recommend also having the booster shot, but do not require it.
-
Anyone providing proof of medical contra-indication (i.e. a letter from their doctor) for the COVID vaccine (or booster, should we require it in the future) can provide proof of a negative molecular COVID test (NAAT, PCR, etc., not an antigen test) within 72 hours prior to attendance in lieu of vaccine.
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Participants will be seated in the zendo at least 6 feet apart and asked to maintain distance during kinhin, services and lunch.
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Masks must be worn indoors except when eating and participants must sit at designated spots for meals and eat in silence.
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In person participants must wear N95, KN95 or KF94 grade masks and will be provided with one if they do not bring one.
-
Participants must wash their hands frequently, use hand sanitizer when handling shared equipment and wipe surfaces with disinfectant after use as appropriate.
Parking: Plan to arrive between 8:30-9:15 AM during which time there will be someone outside to direct parking.
Donation: The suggested donation for this retreat is $50. If this amount presents a hardship, please contribute what is comfortable for you. If you are able to contribute an additional amount to help offset the cost of scholarships, it will be gratefully accepted on GPZC website's Dana page.
Donations for Afghani Guests at Fort McCoy, WI: If you are attending this retreat in person, feel free to bring items for donation to the Afghani Guests at Fort McCoy, WI. If attending online, you are welcome to send donations with someone attending in person. Please see the separate article in the newsletter and website regarding these donations. For questions, contact Robert Collier.
Registration: Please register by Monday, January 10. Use the comments section on the registration page to indicate any food restrictions/allergies you have and if you will be staying overnight either night or if you plan to attend online.
Please contact our retreat registrar, John Genshin Knewitz with any questions about the retreat.
"For 'full' emotional communication,
one person needs to allow his state of mind
to be influenced by that of the other."
~ Daniel J. Siegel
The form of council, practiced across many cultures and times, involves sitting in a circle (sometimes called a talking circle) and listening deeply and speaking truthfully from the heart. Jared describes council as “a space in which it feels okay to be vulnerable,” “to imagine the world we want to create and leave behind to the next generations” and “a sturdy container...that has the capacity to hold some very nourishing, often powerful, sometimes tender, moments of transformation.” Council is practiced these days in diverse settings, such as schools, prisons, businesses, and spiritual centers, and is a major component of the Zen Peacemakers tradition.
This class is intended for those who want to make the practice of council part of their Zen/spiritual training and enrich their lives and relationships by taking the wisdom of council into their everyday lives at work and home. I've had the privilege of attending the Council I training with Jared and Anne Seide and sincerely hope that as a result of this GPZC class, some will be moved to sign up for additional training through Center for Council. Whether you've never formally practiced council or have had extensive experience, we hope that these 10 weeks will open up new dimensions and applications as expanding skills and competencies in council practice.
For the first two weeks, we'll cover Part One of Where Compassion Begins. In these two classes, we'll discuss the elements, components and cultural practices of council. We ask that all participants attend these two classes, so that we have a common understanding going forward.
The remaining eight weeks are divided into 4 two-week sections: Physical Awareness, Mental Awareness, Emotional Awareness and Social & Energetic Awareness. For each section, we will have at least two group councils, with different participants facilitating or playing specific roles such as participating witness each time. In addition to the large group councils, participants will be encouraged to explore other council forms explained in the book: for example, council of one (which is similar to journaling), dyadic council, and family. These will be done on your own during the week whenever and with whomever you wish (for example, with a spouse or workgroup).
The class structure will be simple – with just the main text to read – and will immerse us in council practice deeply and richly. It is understood that 10 weeks of class is a fairly substantial commitment. So, while we hope you can attend every class, we are asking you to prioritize attending the first two classes and then as many of the eight remaining classes as you can. Note that simply reading the book on your own will not be the same experience, as we will be doing a lot of practice together (online). If you would like to participate in the class, please purchase the book now, so that you will be able to read Part One prior to the start of the class and register as soon as possible here. Cost of the class is $35 per person with scholarships available. If you are able, please consider an additional donation on the GPZC Dana page with the designation “Class scholarship fund.”
Great Plains Zen Center continues to offer our monthly Introductory Workshops for those new to practice in person. The next workshop takes place on Saturday, January 22 from 8:30 – 11:30 AM at Countryside Church UU, 1025 N. Smith St. in Palatine, IL. The workshop provides basic, practical information including how to do zazen (Zen meditation), how to establish a home practice, how to make everyday activities practice, the aims of practice, and what programs are available for practice through GPZC.
Please note the following COVID-Related Precautions:
-
We are requiring that anyone attending in person be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and will require proof of vaccination. We strongly recommend also having the booster shot, but do not require it.
-
Anyone providing proof of medical contra-indication (i.e. a letter from their doctor) for the COVID vaccine (or booster, should we require it in the future) can provide proof of a negative molecular COVID test (NAAT, PCR, etc., not an antigen test) within 72 hours prior to attendance in lieu of vaccine.
-
Participants will be seated at least 6 feet apart.
-
Masks must be worn indoors.
-
In person participants must wear N95, KN95 or KF94 grade masks and will be provided with one if they do not bring one.
-
Participants must wash their hands frequently, use hand sanitizer when handling shared equipment and wipe surfaces with disinfectant after use as appropriate.
Suggested donation is $25. Those experiencing financial hardship can contribute what is comfortable for them. Registration prior to attending is required. Register here for the January 22 workshop.
Aspects of Zen Practice class 4: Being a Part of GPZC takes place on Sunday, January 23 from 5:30 - 6:30 PM at Countryside Church UU, 1025 N. Smith St., Palatine IL. This class covers GPZC's shared stewardship circles and opportunities for volunteering and leadership. It also introduces the Zen Center's Vision, Mission, Principles and Practices Statement. Register here for Aspects of Zen Practice class 4: Being a Part of GPZC.
Aspects classes are geared toward students who have attended the Introductory Workshop and want to learn more. Participants are welcome to stay for the two periods of zazen beginning at 7 PM.
The same COVID-related precautions apply to Aspects as to the Sunday night sittings in Palatine:
-
We are requiring that anyone attending in person be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and will require proof of vaccination. We strongly recommend also having the booster shot, but do not require it.
-
Anyone providing proof of medical contra-indication (i.e. a letter from their doctor) for the COVID vaccine (or booster, should we require it in the future) can provide proof of a negative molecular COVID test (NAAT, PCR, etc., not an antigen test) within 72 hours prior to attendance in lieu of vaccine.
-
Participants will be seated at least 6 feet apart.
-
Masks must be worn indoors.
-
In person participants must wear N95, KN95 or KF94 grade masks and will be provided with one if they do not bring one.
-
Participants must wash their hands frequently, use hand sanitizer when handling shared equipment and wipe surfaces with disinfectant after use as appropriate.
Suggested donation is $5. More Aspects classes can be found on our website calendar.
Zen Sitting Group DeKalb
Zen Sitting Group DeKalb (ZSGD), an affiliate of the Great Plains Zen Center, meets in person at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of DeKalb, 158 N. 4th Street. The steward for the group is John Genshin Knewitz, a student of Myoyu Roshi. ZSGD meets once or twice monthly on a variable schedule which can be viewed on the Zen Sitting Group DeKalb Facebook page. There will be no dokusan or teisho offered on a regular basis, but there will be regular formal sitting and some instruction regarding basic Zen practices and philosophy. If you have interest in this group, please check out the ZSGD Facebook page, or feel free to email John directly at birdsfan53@yahoo.com for further information.
- Variable schedule each month can be found on facebook page.
- Note that there is no January meeting and in person meetings are on hold currently due to pandemic precautions.
- 6 PM Instruction, 7 PM Sitting followed by discussion.
- For more information, contact John Genshin Knewitz
Sunday Night Sitting in Palatine
In person Sunday evening sittings take place at 7 PM at Countryside Church, 1025 N. Smith St., Palatine. We invite everyone in the area to sit together again. The schedule consists of zazen from 7:00 – 7:30, kinhin from 7:30-7:40 and zazen from 7:40 – 8:10. Dokusan will generally be available during these sittings. Instruction will be available during the first period of zazen for anyone new to sitting.
Those who would like to learn service positions can ask the greeter or one of the monitors (people who sit facing in) to arrange training in the position. Positions include jikido/chant leader (the person who times the sitting periods and kinhin and leads the chanting of the four vows), doan (who rings the bell during the three bows and Roshi's exit), sogei (who rings handbell in response to the doan's bell during Roshi's exit and jisha (who runs the dokusan line). While the positions might feel intimidating at first, they are a valuable part of our practice: training us to listen carefully, be attentive and be willing to make mistakes and learn gracefully from them. Many feel that taking on positions helps them to feel more part of the group.
Those unable to attend in person can now attend online with the following zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/744106602
Meeting ID: 744 106 602
Dial in: 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
Please note the following COVID-Related Precautions for those attending in person:
-
We are requiring that anyone attending in person be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and will require proof of vaccination. We strongly recommend also having the booster shot, but do not require it.
-
Anyone providing proof of medical contra-indication (i.e. a letter from their doctor) for the COVID vaccine (or booster, should we require it in the future) can provide proof of a negative molecular COVID test (NAAT, PCR, etc., not an antigen test) within 72 hours prior to attendance in lieu of vaccine.
-
Participants will be seated at least 6 feet apart.
-
Masks must be worn indoors.
-
In person participants must wear N95, KN95 or KF94 grade masks and will be provided with one if they do not bring one.
-
Participants must wash their hands frequently, use hand sanitizer when handling shared equipment and wipe surfaces with disinfectant after use as appropriate.
Members of the Racial Justice Circle recommend this webinar on environmental justice, sponsored by the UIC School of Public Health:
What the Eyes Don't See: Fighting for Environmental Jusitce
February 9 2022 5-6 PM CST
Join the UIC School of Public Health community for its annual Learning Series virtual event featuring guest speaker Mona Hanna-Attisha, MD, MPH, FAAP. Dr. Hanna-Attisha is founder and director of the Michigan State University and Hurley Children’s Hospital Pediatric Public Health Initiative, an innovative and model public health program in Flint, Michigan. She was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World and recognized as one of USA Today’s Women of the Century for her role in uncovering the Flint water crisis and leading recovery efforts. She is the author of a book titled What the Eyes Don't See, which grapples with our nation's history of environmental injustice.
Questions? Contact UIC's Office of Advancement. Register here for the webinar. The GPZC Racial Justice Circle is planning a follow up event to discuss Dr. Hanna-Attisha's talk and further action members would like to take. Details will follow in the February newsletter.
We continue to collect non-perishable food for the Palatine Food Pantry to support our neighbors who may be struggling to put food on the table. The Palatine Food Pantry sincerely appreciates these donations. We hope that you will continue to share goods and resources with our neighbors who are especially hard hit by the pandemic.
There are three ways to make a donation to the Palatine Township Food Pantry through this food drive:
May you be well and safe! Please treat yourself with kindness and self compassion during these times of transition and re-imagining. Below are some reliable websites for the latest information on Covid-19 status, testing and vaccinations.
World Health Organization
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Illinois Department of Public Health
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