Click the event for details and registration. Our events begin precisely on time, and doors will be locked five minutes before the event begins in order to foster an environment of supportive silence in the zendo (practice hall). Please plan to arrive at least ten minutes before the stated start time. Parking can be challenging in our neighborhood, so allow extra time for finding a parking space and walking to the center. Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes—dark, quiet colors are best. Out of care for those with allergies, please avoid perfume or scented products.
Our daily sittings do not require registration, but do register in advance for special events such as beginners’ nights, introductory seminars, all-day sittings, workshops, and classes.
If you have signed up but need to cancel on short notice, please call the office and leave a message.
Council Training Weekend
October 23 @ 7:00 pm - October 25 @ 4:00 pm
Please join us for a Council Training Weekend Retreat facilitated by Sensei Jitsujo T. Gauthier of the White Plum Asangha. Council is an age-old tribal practice of sitting around the fire and sharing within a circle. The Way of Council is a core practice of the Zen Peacemaker Order and has had significant impact on how many sanghas in the White Plum are organized and practice Zen. Council can be an integral aspect of Zen training and practice. Council hones our capacity to bear witness to our many selves, listen deeply, speak from the heart, and plunge into our shared experience of life. It can foster relationships, perspective-taking, and strengthen community.
The training is organized in three parts. Part 1 introduces and orients participants to spirit of Council. Part 2 explores the basics of Council, facilitation, and ways of keeping Council alive. Part 3 reviews how to practice in the shadows, with power and cultural dynamics, and the limitations of Council. Each participant will receive a White Plum Council Handbook, an incentive to facilitate Council certificate, and Council Facilitator’s Quick Sheet as part of the curriculum.
To encourage broad participation from the sangha, a portion of the training cost is being jointly subsidized by ZCD and the White Plum Asangha. The remaining cost is $150 for ZCD members, or $200 for non-members. The weekend will start at 7 p.m. on Friday, and conclude at 4 p.m. on Sunday. Lunch and supper are included. Registration is limited to 15 participants.
About the Facilitator
Sensei Jitsujo T. Gauthier is a Zen priest and preceptor ordained and transmitted by Roshi Wendy Eyoku Nakao within the White Plum Asanga lineage. She is a Co-Spiritual Director and one of Five Seat-Holders for the Zen Peacemaker Order, a member of the Buddhist Ministry Working Group, and an instructor for Buddhist Healthy Boundaries course. She works at the University of the West (UWest) as an Associate Professor and Chair of Buddhist Chaplaincy, teaching courses like Buddhist Homiletics, Spiritual Leadership, Contemplative Zen Buddhism, and Engaged Compassion for Master and Doctorate programs. Over the years she has taken Buddhist chaplaincy students outside the classroom to engage with unhoused, healthcare, and temple communities, as well as sought innovative ways to entice her fellow Zen practitioners to practice outside the temple gates, i.e., streetrituals. Find out more on her website.