Brooklyn Zen Center | A New York City Soto Zen Buddhist Temple
Four Foundations of Mindfulness

Starting this fall, Ian Case will be leading a discussion group on the Satipatthana Sutta, or the Discourse on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. The group will meet on Thursday evenings from 8:00-9:15pm. The first meeting will be on September 22nd, and the group will continue to meet through May of 2012.   Taught by the Buddha as the basis for the practice of relieving suffering, the four foundations are mindfulness of the body, feeling (or sensation), mind, and objects of mind. Our study of this topic – starting with the first foundation – is not meant to be a scholarly endeavor, but rather an exploration of the application of these mindfulness practices in our daily lives.   Since zazen helps underpin mindfulness, participants are encouraged to have a regular meditation practice and sit with the sangha at the Zen Center at least twice a week. The group will be reading from Satipatthana: The Direct Path to Realization by Analayo.   Though studying the four foundations of mindfulness is relevant at any time, this is a good study group for those new to Buddhist practice. If you are interested in signing up for this class, please email Ian through the contact form linked here.

The Four Noble Truths

In his very first teaching, the Buddha laid out a path to liberation when he asked us to explore the nature of suffering, abandon its roots in attachment, know deeply the cessation of suffering and practice the path that leads to this cessation. In the explication of these truths the Buddha conveyed some of his most critical teachings of liberation, including causality, the two truths, the five aggregates that make up the self as well as the eightfold path that underpins Buddhist ethical practice.   Greg Snyder will be leading a class on the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, this first teaching of the Buddha translated as The Discourse on Setting the Wheel of Truth in Motion. The group will study the original sutta along with secondary texts that explore the four noble truths and relate the teachings to everyday life. The class will meet Tuesday evenings from 8:00–9:15pm, beginning September 13th and continuing through May of 2012.   In an effort to support one another in this study, this will not be a drop-in class. Participants are expected to attend regularly and begin and end together. Also, those taking this class are strongly encouraged to sit at least twice per week with the sangha at Brooklyn Zen Center.   If you are interested in signing up for this class, please email Greg through the contact form linked here.   For those who want to compare translations of the sutta, here are four very good translations:

  Secondary texts for this class will be announced.

Practicing with the Precepts

Starting on Saturday, September 17th, Laura O’Loughlin will be leading a weekly discussion group on the Bodhisattva precepts. The class will be using Tenshin Reb Anderson’s book, Being Upright, as a guide for discussion.  The precepts are specific ethical guidelines to help us actualize in our everyday lives the wisdom and compassion born of meditation practice. When viewed from the truth of interdependence the precepts teach us, as Reb writes, “how to protect and bring the spirit of compassion to complete maturity [and allow] compassion to enter all aspects of our lives.”   The class will take place on Saturdays, from 1:30pm to 2:45pm through May, 2012.  We will meet approximately three times each month, depending on other Brooklyn Zen Center events and holidays.   This class is designed for those who have had a regular meditation practice for at least a year. Participants are strongly encouraged to sit at least twice per week with the sangha at Brooklyn Zen Center. In order to support the group process and our practice together, this will not be a drop-in class. Participants are expected to attend regularly and begin and end the class together if at all possible.   If you are interested in signing up for this class, please email Laura through the contact form linked here.

Zazen Instruction (ongoing)

Zazen (Zen meditation) instruction is given on most Saturdays at 9:15 am before zazen. We welcome all to come and learn about Zen meditation. Attending zazen instruction prior to sitting with the community is strongly encouraged for those who have not meditated before. Coming to instruction several times during the early months of sitting practice can also be beneficial. A donation of $10.00 is appreciated. All donations go toward covering the daily operations of Brooklyn Zen Center.