MEDITATION CLASSES
The Venerable DaiJu ZenJi offers Zen Meditation classes for individuals, groups or organisations.
Zen Meditation allows us to learn how to find that true centre from which we can live our life in a stress-free and peaceful manner.
By finding our own centre we become harmonious.
By existing in harmony we are able live, work and play more joyously and efficiently.
Classes start by teaching the physical and mental posture necessary for meditative awareness. They then explore ways to use this awareness in our day-to-day life
The classes are non-denominational and the Ven. DaiJu has over 25 years of experience teaching the young and old of all Faiths.
Subscribe for information on upcoming classes!
BEGINNERS COURSE
It is suggested that the 10-week Beginners Course is the best place to start. It quickly allows you to experience a level of meditation which is hard to find taught elsewhere
HOW & WHY WE SIT ZAZEN
Week 1
How Do We Sit Zazen?
Meditation is not a matter of closing ones eyes and drifting off to ‘far better place’, it is an art that requires techniques practiced by Zen students for centuries; these techniques are called Zazen. I shall start off by showing how to take the physical posture necessary to align body and spirit and then teach the mental practices that allow us to focus our mind.
Week 2
Why Do We Sit?
Now that we have our physical and mental posture settled we have to explore the question of purpose. Why do we sit? What can we hope to gain from it? This week we examine the way that the mind works and why it needs to be focused. We also understand that Meditation is about respect; respect for others and our world, but most importantly respect for ourself.
UNDERSTANDING WHO WE ARE
Week 3
Right Seeing
One of the most important teachings of all religions is the need for reflection to see our actions in the light of reality and learn from them. But how can we see things clearly without Right Seeing? We start to learn how to integrate our mediation into our daily life with this important lesson.
Week 4
Right Thinking
So much of our day is spent in useless repetitive thinking. The ‘washing-machine mind’ is how describe the thoughts that constantly circle around inside our heads! Thought is a powerful tool, but just that, a tool. Like any useful implement we should be able to pull it out and use it at the right time, not carry it around with us all day and night. Even if we see things clearly we need to interpret them correctly as well and this s why Right Thinking is the next step on our Path.
Week 5
Right Speech
We do not live in isolation. We need to share our experiences with other people and for this speech is essential. Right Speech is not only about learning how to speak clearly and openly but it is also where our Path of Zazen starts to alter the focus from reflection on our self to reflection on our interaction with the world at large.
Week 6
Right Action
Speech alone is not enough. Right Action is necessary because actions do speak louder than words. Likewise with meditation it is not enough to see our own place in the world, we also need to take that clarity of Mind out and share it with others. This is not about performing ‘good deeds’ – these are useful but transient. It is about being in harmony with our Self and our environment.
UNDERTANDING OUR ROLE
Week 7
Right Living
Zen does not believe in Judgement, there are no ‘sins’ or good & evil acts. Karma exists to expose the meaning of our actions, but this is not ‘punishment’ or ‘reward’ it is just a natural consequence, like an apple falling due to gravity. Morality and ethics exist for those who have lost their way; laws are for those who cannot understand the basics of living in harmony with our Self and others. Right Living is the path of maturity where we take responsibility for our own actions.
Week 8
Right Effort
As our Zazen ripens and matures and we learn to unite the inner clarity with external circumstances we naturally want to provide as much service to others as we can. We also want to continue to explore our meditative experiences. For both of these we need to understand Right Effort. How do we keep going when things are tough? How to meet the world when we don’t feel validated by it?
Week 9
Right Mindfulness
Continuing on from Right Effort we start to turn inwards again as we understand that it is our responsibility how we feel and our responsibility how we act. How we interpret the world and react to it is an indication of our own state of Mind.
Week 10
Right Concentration
In this final week of the course we look at the most important step of the Eightfold Path. We return to the starting place of our Journey as once more we delve into our own Mind and our own Path. Having sat together as a group we have come to see the world in a different way and come to realise that meditation is not another hobby or way to fill time. Zazen is the solid core around which we can build our whole life. Right Concentration is the name of this step.