Upcoming events
Monday evening zazen - April
Please join us from 5:00-6:30 pm on Monday evenings in April at Shakti Yoga for silent Zen meditation (zazen). There are two meditation periods, each 25 minutes long, with a short break in between, followed by a brief Dharma teaching or discussion. If you are new to Zen meditation, please arrive 15 minutes early for beginning instruction. Experienced practitioners are also welcome. If you have been on a Zen retreat, practiced at another Zen center, or done meditation in another tradition, you are very welcome to join us.
Living by Vow: The Four Bodhisattva Vows
Sentient beings are numberless; I vow to save them.
Desires are inexhaustible; I vow to put an end to them.
The Dharmas are boundless; I vow to master them.
The Buddha Way is unattainable; I vow to attain it.
The fundamental teaching of Mahayana Buddhism is that all beings inherently possess Buddha-nature, the seed of awakening, and can awaken in this lifetime. The spiritual ideal is that of a Bodhisattva, someone who has aroused bodhicitta, the compassionate wish to help all beings attain Buddhahood.
The Four Bodhisattva Vows are a concrete expression of this wish. They are chanted at the end of services at Mahayana Buddhist centers around the world. They express our profound vows as Bodhisattvas – to save beings from suffering, to let go of delusion, to master the Buddha’s teachings, and to awaken in each moment of our lives.
But the language used to express these Great Vows is paradoxical and mysterious. How can we possibly save all sentient beings? Do we really want to end all desire? The Four Vows are seemingly impossible. It’s their impossibility that gives them their power.
This two and half hour experiential workshop explores the history and meaning of the Bodhisattva Vows, and allows us to explore how they manifest in our lives.
The workshop is being offered at Shakti Yoga in Maplewood NJ. Please register here.
Monday evening zazen
Please join us at Shakti Yoga for silent Zen meditation (zazen). There are two meditation periods, each 25 minutes long, with a short break in between, followed by a brief Dharma teaching or discussion. If you are new to Zen meditation, please arrive 15 minutes early for beginning instruction. Experienced practitioners are also welcome. If you have been on a Zen retreat, practiced at another Zen center, or done meditation in another tradition, you are very welcome to join us.
Monday evening zazen
Please join us at Shakti Yoga for silent Zen meditation (zazen). There are two meditation periods, each 25 minutes long, with a short break in between, followed by a brief Dharma teaching or discussion. If you are new to Zen meditation, please arrive 15 minutes early for beginning instruction. Experienced practitioners are also welcome. If you have been on a Zen retreat, practiced at another Zen center, or done meditation in another tradition, you are very welcome to join us.
Monday evening zazen
Please join us at Shakti Yoga for silent Zen meditation (zazen). There are two meditation periods, each 25 minutes long, with a short break in between, followed by a brief Dharma teaching or discussion. If you are new to Zen meditation, please arrive 15 minutes early for beginning instruction. Experienced practitioners are also welcome. If you have been on a Zen retreat, practiced at another Zen center, or done meditation in another tradition, you are very welcome to join us.
Introduction to Zen Meditation (Five week class)
Zen is a practice of awakening to our life, to who we really are, with all of its joys and hardship. The heart of our practice is zazen, or seated meditation, through which we learn how to live mindfully, in each moment. This class will cover posture, breathing, concentration, and shikantaza or “just sitting.” In this five week class, we will explore how to get started, and what to do about obstacles to practice.
The class is on Tuesday evening from February 25 - March 25, 2025, from 7:00 pm - 8:15pm. Register at Santosha Yoga.
Monday evening zazen
Please join us at Shakti Yoga for silent Zen meditation (zazen). There are two meditation periods, each 25 minutes long, with a short break in between, followed by a brief Dharma teaching or discussion. If you are new to Zen meditation, please arrive 15 minutes early for beginning instruction. Experienced practitioners are also welcome. If you have been on a Zen retreat, practiced at another Zen center, or done meditation in another tradition, you are very welcome to join us.