“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s mind there are few.”
Shunryu Suzuki Roshi
Zen Meditation consists of zazen (sitting meditation), kinhin (walking meditation) and sutra chanting.
The group meets normally at the last Saturday of the month from 09:00 to 12:00 (please confirm if you don’t come regularly). Please come at least 10 minutes in advance. We start on time.
We sit 30 – 40 minutes in silence, followed by a short period of walking meditation, sutra chanting and zazen. After a short tea break an inspiring text will be read, followed by a discussion, meditation and sutra chanting.
„Zen practice is about getting into our life as it is, with all of its vividness, beauty, hardship, joy and sorrow“.
Enkyo o’ Hara
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In zen meditation you “sit just to sit” without expecting any special result.
But: meditation can bring both physical and mental benefits to those who practice regularly. These benefits, according to medical studies, range from improvements in concentration to improved immune system activity, stress relief and can help with conditions such as insomnia, anxiety and high blood pressure.
Zen meditation developed in India and China, Japan and Korea as part of the 2500 year old tradition established by Siddhartha Gothama. He came to be known as the “Buddha”, which simply means “awakened”. He lived and died as a human, not as god to be worshipped. The Japanese monk Dogen brought the teaching of the Buddha about 1230 from China to Japan and is known as the founder of Soto-Zen.
During meditation it is not necessary to sit in the lotus position – for most people quite impossible. Just find a way to sit with a straight back in a posture that you can hold comfortably for about 30-40 minutes. This can be on a chair, on a bench, kneeling or in a simple crossed leg position.
The participation of the zen meditation is free. Anyhow we appreciate a donation to cover costs.
Please contact us if you want to try it. Beginners are very welcome! We start on time. Please come about 10 minutes before the start.
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