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VESAK, the most celebrated Buddhist holiday, falls on the full moon in May, and we used the occasion to commemorate Siddharta Gautama’s birthday on Sunday, May 11. After the ceremony of reading the story and bathing the Baby Buddha, the sangha enjoyed birthday cake, live music and engaged conversation.
Ian and Kelly performed songs and Noah played piano amidst a field of flowers.
On May 7, local religious leaders were invited to Mayor Cavalier Johnson’s Peace Breakfast at Evolve Church on 76th Street, an impressive modern structure with special areas for children, youth and aging persons. Energetic young pastors introduced countless community programs that serves hundreds of people. I met several friends from the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee and enjoyed a healthy ‘green’ breakfast.
On Friday, 2/14, local religious leaders were invited to participate in a vigil for Yessenia Ruano, a refugee from El Salvador, who was about to be deported after having been in Milwaukee for 14 years and a teacher's aide for 8 years in the public school system.
She had an appointment for 8 am, initially to get an extension but had been told that she would be detained and deported.
A large crowd met at 7:30 am the USCIS building in ice-cold temperatures, some marching in a circle with signs and loud chanting, others quietly around the woman and her daughters, offering prayers. There was a lot of media, and I was interviewed together with Myoyu Roshi from Great Plains Zen Center.
After a couple of hours Ms Ruano emerged from the building with an extension!
Milwaukee teacher's aide at risk of deportation wins more time in U.S.
On December 8, Bodhi Day, we commemorated the Enlightenment of Shakyamuni Buddha in a joyful celebration. We are reminded that we all have the potential to awaken, and that this human body-mind gives us the opportunity and responsibility to be aware in service for all beings.
We circumambulated the altar to the beat of the big drum with the chant Om Namu Shakyamuni Buddha, while flowers were raining from the sky. Afterwards, the Heart of Great Perfect Wisdom Sutra was recited, followed by a special dedication.
Before the ceremony, Reirin’s dharma talk set the tone after the regular Sunday morning zazen period. (Recorded here: https://mkzen.org/reirins-dharma-talks-2024)
On October 31, we celebrated SEJIKI,
an ancient Buddhist ceremony, in which we make a food offering to the Hungry Ghosts.
Hungry ghosts are all those spirits who feel unsatisfied and cannot get enough nourishment. They have large stomachs and thin throats. These beings can also be within ourselves. Sejiki is conducted for the benefit of these sprits. Their throats can be opened by special mantras, and they are able to receive food offerings.
At the end of the ceremony, names are read of sangha members, family and friends, who had died in the last year.
Because the spirits are not comfortable in a sacred space, a separate altar was put up on the opposite side of the zendo with many delicious food items.
Then we called them special sounds from noise instruments that they like.
Afterwards we enjoyed a community dinner with guests from the Election Retreat.
SEJIKI ALTAR 2024
On September 22, 2024, three of our members: ELI LU, FAY AKINDES and MEG LUCKS, received the SIXTEEN GREAT BODHISATTVA PRECEPTS in a joyful ceremony, witnessed by sangha, family and friends. They each also received a Dharma name, inscribed on a rakusu, a mini Buddha robe, which they sewed themselves and can now proudly wear.
Great Congratulations to you, Eli, Fay and Meg!
Eli Lu Fragrant Breeze, Field of Virtue
Fay Akindes Clear Lake, Supreme Peace
Meg Lucks Brilliant Moon, Circle of the Way
Dr. Jay McDaniel, a student of the late Keido Fukushima of the Rinzai Zen tradition, chair of the board of the Center for Process Studies, and Rev. Reirin Gumbel, the Resident Priest of the Milwaukee Zen Center from the Shunryu Suzuki lineage of Soto Zen, have been co-leading a unique journey into Zen practice and philosophy, and their confluence with process philosophy through our virtual series, Process and Presence. https://mkzen.org/new-events/2024/4/23/process-and-presence-exploring-zen-buddhism-and-process-philosophy
The last zoom session will be on September 24, 2024.
There has been, however, the wish to continue the discussions with a new reading material, which we are currently exploring. We invite new members to join us. Please contact Reirin at info@mkzen.org.
A continuation of the circle is planned to start on October 22, 2024. The book we chose for discussion is CHINA ROOT: Taoism, Ch'an, and Original Zen by David Hinton. Please sign up by email to info@mkzen.org to receive the zoom code and more information.
Here are a couple of recordings of the August/September meetings:
Frank, Tom and I returned from Hokyoji Zen Practice Community https://hokyoji.org/, where we spent last week at the annual Jewel Mirror Sesshin.
I was again co-leading with Hoyoji’s guiding teacher Dokai Georgesen and Daigaku Rumme from Confluence Zen Center in St. Louis. We each gave two Dharma talks on the Song of the Jewel Mirror Samadhi by Dongshan Liangjie.
It was a joy sitting in the middle of the serene scenery in south-eastern Minnesota, still and peaceful in zazen. Besides sitting, there was walking, eating and work practice, all in “noble” silence.
Everybody is looking forward to the Rohatsu Sesshin in December, please join us for that!
Here are photos:
One hundred women in Milwaukee, in solidarity with MICAH, Souls to the Polls, and WIVEC got together this spring with the intention to support voter turnout in the state of Wisconsin. We held trainings for voter registration, made signs and canvassed in low-income neighborhoods.
One of the events was participation in the Juneteenth Parade, https://www.juneteenthmilwaukee.com/
100+ Women on the Move is an ongoing effort, and we are welcoming new members! In the picture Reirin, wearing a MICAH T-shirt and sunhat, Susan on the right in the second row, with sunglasses.) It was a hot day!
On June 8, 2024, MZC held a Celebration of Life for our friend and sangha member Helen Norris, who died on May 15 after a long hospital stay.
HELEN NORRIS 1955 - 2024
In December 0f 2023, Helen had received the precepts and the Dharma Name Yugen Seigetsu - Deep Mystery, Clear Moon. She is pictured here on the right:
Helen was known for her warm personality, kind demeanor, and Welsh accent. As a mother, she was deeply loved by her children. Her advocacy during her battle with Stage IV Colorectal Cancer inspired many. Travel, a passion she pursued from a young age, was her way of connecting with the world, having traveled to over 40 countries. In her 20s-30s she lived and worked in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Helen also enjoyed drawing, yoga, glamping, cooking, nature walks, exploring coffee shops, attending concerts, and crafting.
We are missing her presence and hold her in our hearts.
Some of our sangha members went to visit the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts https://www.wiquiltmuseum.com/ in Cedarburg to see this exhibit:
25 Million Stitches: One Stitch, One Refugee is an artistic statement from the international community about human displacement, immigration, and solidarity. It is an aggregation of 25 million hand-sewn stitches, each representing a single displaced human being as counted in the UN’s High Commissioner on Refugees 2019 report. The stitches are bound to 407 muslin banners, each 14’ long. Building this physical representation of this statistic required participation from 2,300 stitches from 37 countries, all 50 U.S. states.
The exhibits ends this weekend, on July 28, 2024. You may watch a compelling video that documents the process from idea to design to production and display: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMZYWNlydHg
Charlie and Reirin drove to St. Louis to visit with Daigaku and Kathleen Rumme at Confluence Zen Center.
Reirin was invited to give a Dharma talk and we enjoyed a walk in the Gateway Arch National Park.
On Earth Day, April 22, some Buddhist Peace Fellowship members gathered at the Arch at the Arboretum in Riverside Park for a ceremony, which was followed by a silent walk at the Milwaukee River, stopping at times to reflect on the gifts of Nature.
We invited the non-partisan League of Women Voters of Wisconsin did a voter registration in our zendo:
One hundred interfaith women gathered at Canaan Baptist Church to make commitments to encourage their congregations to vote in the coming election.
Interfaith members from many congregation gathered for a joyful celebration of Black History and dinner at
Canaan Baptist Church in Milwaukee - Riverwest.
Interfaith Vigil at Cathedral Square in Milwaukee
We wish for a future without war, when all beings are at peace with each other.
We grieve for all the beings, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, countless children, who have been harmed in the conflict over land that all declare to be their home.
May we remember that we are all brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, children of the same origin. Nobody is separate from the source that we are all are born from.
So much harm and violence come from fear and distrust.
Let us trust each other and not be fearful.
Let our actions come from love.
May all beings be happy
May they be joyous and live in safety
Let no one deceive another nor despise any being in any state
Let none by anger or hatred wish harm to another.
Even as a mother, at the risk of her life,
Watches over and protects her only child,
So with a boundless mind should one cherish all living things
Suffusing love over the entire world
Above, below, and all around, without limit -
So let one cultivate an infinite good will toward the whole world.
May it be so.
Let us have a moment of silence.
Our Annual New Year’s Sitting with Japanese noodle snack, 108 strikes on the peace bell and fire ceremony, from 8:00 pm on December 31 until 12:30 am on January 1, took place again last Sunday/Monday.
The photo shows us after the toast with sparkling apple juice and sending off all the items we had decided to let go of into the fire:
Eli, Helen, Bob, Charlie, Michelle, Susan, Reirin, and Jonathan (in the selfie).
Onto the next year with lots of practice opportunities! HAPPY 2024!
