The ZGWA Newsletter - November 2020

The ZGWA program for November is:

Sunday 1: Sit on Country
Thursday 5: Online Dharma Talk by Mari Rhydwen Roshi (see below) 6:30-8:30pm
Tuesday 10: Telephone Dokusan with Mari Rhydwen Roshi: 4-6pm
Thursday 12: Zazen at St Paul's: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Thursday 19: Zazen at St Paul's: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Tuesday 24: Telephone Dokusan with Ross Bolleter Roshi: 7-9 pm
Thursday 26: Zazen at St Paul's: 6.30 - 8.30pm

If you are attending St Paul's please:

Use the hand sanitiser and wipes, provided at the hygiene stations, on entry and before and after handling equipment.
Bring your own water bottle.
Bring the correct money for dana (donation).
Maintain social distancing of 1.5m as much as possible.

Please don’t attend if you are feeling unwell or you have been in contact with a person who has or is being tested for COVID-19.

Online Dharma Talk by Mari Rhydwen Roshi - Thursday 5 November

Mari will be giving an online Dharma talk, to those present at St Paul's Hall, on Thursday 5 November. Her talk is titled "Flying solo - a guide to doing sesshin alone" and will commence after one round of sitting at 7:00 pm. You will need to be in attendance at St Paul's to listen to her talk. The talk will be interactive, with an opportunity for sharing after she finishes. We will gather around laptops so everyone can view her presenting and she can see us sitting at the Zendo.

Telephone Dokusan with Mari Rhydwen Roshi – Tuesday 10 November
Telephone dokusan with Mari begins at 4pm (i.e. 7pm EST) with a notional finish time of 6pm (i.e. 9pm EST).

To accommodate this earlier start time the dokusan list will be compiled according to the earliest and latest times you can attend dokusan (between 4pm and 6pm WST), rather than the order in which you register (as for Ross).

However, for those of you who want to attend dokusan with Mari, but cannot do so before 6pm, it may be possible to include you at a later time. So please register anyway, as indicated below, and consideration will be given to your situation.

If you wish to have telephone dokusan with Mari either:

click here to add you name to the online sheet with your availability for dokusan - earliest to latest times or,
send an email to Kevin Donohue, kevin.zgwa@gmail.com, informing him your availability (earliest to latest times, even if the earliest is after 6pm).

The cut off time for registration is Monday 11:00am (WST). Those who have registered will receive an email Tuesday morning with the time they have been allocated to call and Mari's phone number.

For those of you who may want to call Mari from overseas you may be able to use some of the apps available to make free international calls (e.g. FaceTime, WhatsApp and Messenger).

If you have any queries about dokusan with Mari, please contact Kevin using the email address given above.

* Please note it is highly recommended that non ZGWA members, who do dokusan regularly, make a financial contribution to the group by becoming a member. Becoming a member of the group helps to sustain Zen practice in WA. As a member you have a right to a reserved place and discount for zazenkais and sesshins and the use of the group’s library. You also have the opportunity to offer your ideas, creativity and energy to the group as you can opt to be on the ZGWA Council and you can vote at general meetings.

You can click on this link (to the ZGWA website) where instructions are provided on how to become a member.

Sit on Country at Kaarta Gar-up - Sunday 1st November
Our monthly Sit on Country with Michael Wright will be on Sunday 1 November at Kaarta Gar-up (Kings Park). We will join together in zazen and kinhin on Whadjuk Noongar Country. Gather at 9.15 am for a 9.30 start. We will finish by 10.30 am. Feel free to join us for a hot drink at the cafe afterwards. Meet beneath the Marri trees to the south of the war memorial.

Sounding the Alarm for Climate Crisis
The ZGWA Peaceful Action Group Sit
Wednesday 18 November, 8am to 10am, Forrest Place, Perth City

The Zen Group of WA Peaceful Action Group will be ‘Sounding the Alarm for Climate Crisis’ at a sit in Forrest Place, Perth City on Wednesday 18 November from 8am to 10am. All Zen Group of WA members and visitors are invited to join us. We will be sitting in a semi-circle near to the built-in stage at the Northern end of Forrest Place. Please come and sit for as little or as long as you can. During the action sit we will be striking the shijo bell and bearing placards to express our deep concern at the state of the global environment and current climate crisis.

Please wear dark clothing and bring a zafu and yoga mat/ blanket, or a fold up chair. If you have a spare zafu and mat, or fold up chair, please bring it with you as we will be inviting the public to join us.

For further information now or on the day right up to the 8am start time contact Lizzie Finn on 0417 584 735 or by email: lizziefinn@iprimus.com.au

Leonard Cohen Soiree: Raising Funds to Support the Environment - Saturday 12 December

Please join us for this ZGWA fundraising event celebrating Leonard Cohen’s life, poetry and music. The activities for the night will include: Leonard Cohen videos, readings and a live performance of his music by two sangha members. All proceeds from the soiree will be donated to an environmental group, which for this event is the Conservation Council of WA.
Date:                    12 December 2020
Time:                    6pm – 9pm
Address:              8 Mcgregor Road, Palmyra
Entry Donation: $10-$20
Please Bring:

A plate to share (by surname A-K sweets, L-Z savoury).
Memories to share of the Leonard Cohen era in your life.

Schedule:

6pm – 7pm Start
Video of Leonard Cohen’s early history and time as a poet and sharing memories of the Leonard Cohen era.
7pm - Buffet of shared plates.
7:30 to 9pm - Cohen music, videos and readings.
A highlight for the evening will be a live performance by two sangha members; the evening will end with a rousing Hallelujah.

Please let Lizzie Finn know if you are attending and/or you need more information. Her email address is: lizziefinn@iprimus.com.au .