Hi everyone,
This is to let everyone here know that I will be conducting an intensive practice retreat this coming May in Atlanta, Georgia. It will be held at the Nipponzan Myohoji temple. There is limited lodging available at the temple on a first come first serve basis. The cost for the retreat is $50 for all four days to cover food, but one may also wish to offer dana to the staff (which would be myself and the Tenzo or head cook). It is $15/day if you can only come to some of it. Though people are encouraged to come on Wed. night, the retreat will begin in earnest on Thursday morning and continue until Sunday at noon (though lunch will be offered on Sunday). This is a rare opportunity to participate in a rigorous form of Nichiren Buddhist practice for a four day period and to get more in-depth instruction in the meaning of the Three Jewels and the Three Great Hidden Dharmas according to the writings of Nichiren Shonin and the Lotus Sutra. This is open to those interested in Nichiren Buddhist practice anywhere in the world. All you have to do is come to Atlanta.
Contact me at ryuei2000@yahoo.com for more info. The tentative schedule is below:
Wednesday, May 9th.
· 8:00 PM orientation, light dinner
· 9:00 PM - lights out.
Thursday May 10th - Sunday, May 13th 1:00 PM
Mornings:
· Sunrise Nipponzan Myohoji Morning Prayer (Optional)
· 6:00 -7:00 Wake-up, Rise, Shine
· 7:00 - 7:30 Morning Service
· 7:30 - 9:00 Breakfast & Clean Up
· 9:00 - 9:20 Odaimoku Chanting
· 9:20 -10:00 Dharma Talk, Q&A
· 10:00 – 10:40 Silent Sitting Meditation
· 10:40 -10:50 Walking Meditation w/Odaimoku
· 10:50 -11:30 Shodaigyo Meditation
· 11:30 – 1:00 Lunch & Clean Up
Afternoons:
· 1:00 -1:40 Sutra Recitation
· 1:40 -1:50 Walking Meditation w/Odaimoku
· 1:50 - 2:30 Silent Sitting Meditation
· 2:30 - 3:00 Break
· 3:00 - 4:00 Dharma Talk, Q&A
· 4:00 - 4:40 Shodaigyo Meditation
· 4:40- 4:50 Walking Meditation w/Odaimoku
· 4:50 - 5:30 Shodaigyo Meditation
· 5:30 - 6:00 Evening Service
· 6:00 – 7:10 Nipponzan Myohoji Evening Prayer
· 7:10 – 8:30 Dinner & Clean Up
· 10:00 Lights out
Sunday May 13th (Morning schedule only)
The topics for each day will be as follows:
Thursday: Taking refuge in the Buddha as Gohonzon
Friday: Taking refuge in the Dharma as Odaimoku
Saturday: Taking refuge in the Sangha as Bodhisattvas of the Earth
Sunday: Bodhisattva Activity in the World
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei
Wow! Dang! This sounds great, everything except the "Atlanta" part. Careful, they string people up back there!
If this is a success, how about one in San Jose?
Rev. Greg
Posted by: Rev. Greg at February 27, 2007 04:32 PMI don't know about stringing people up - but they just elected one of the first Buddhists to congress back there - and he's a Nichiren Buddhist!
As for doing one in San Jose - that is not for me to say. I only do retreats like this when other people request them and then provide a space, plane tickets, and room and board for me (otherwise I could not afford to do them myself). In that sense I am like Brad Warner - I am always up to guest speak or lead a practice session/retreat but I can't do it for free and I always wait to be asked first. This is especially true for the San Jose Temple because I am only an assistant minister there. If enough people were interested in the Bay Area perhaps I could do something there or at the NBIC in Hayward, but that is up to Rev. Arnold Matsuda or Rev. Hirai at those respective places because they are responsible for those locations. It would actually be easier for me to arrange to do a one day workshop at Faithful Fools but again, there has to be enough interest. Also, Faithful Fools isn't really set up to accomodate an overnight retreat and also a longer retreat would conflict with their other meditation group, so it might be difficult (though not necessarily impossible) to offer more than one day retreat there.
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei.