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EAST-WEST MEDITATION |
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A PATH THAT BRIDGES TWO SPIRITUAL TRADITIONS The East-West Meditation program at Mercy Center Burlingame was founded in 1984 by Fr. Thomas Hand, S.J. For nearly 30 years, Fr. Hand had lived in Japan, where he led retreats, taught haiku poetry, and studied Zen meditation with Yamada Koun Roshi. Yamada Roshi, a teacher in the Sanbo Kyodan Zen lineage, encouraged Western students to learn Zen as a way of deepening their Judeo-Christian faith. Mercy Center Burlingame's approach to East-West Meditation practice honors Christian contemplation and Zen meditation. Practicing meditation together leads us to a new way of seeing Reality, and to a richer life. Following Fr. Hand's passing in 2005, the East-West community welcomed a new resident teacher, Fr. Gregory Mayers, C.Ss.R. A Redemptorist priest, Fr. Greg is also an Associate Roshi of the Sanbô-Kyôdan Religious Foundation in Kamakura, Japan. He was given the teaching name of Ryûun-ken (Flowing Cloud) by Yamada Ryôun Roshi, the 4th Abbot of Sanbô-Kyôdan. On November 11, 2010 Fr. Gregory Mayers, C.Ss.R. received full transmission as an Authentic Zen Master with the honorific title of Roshi from his teacher, Willigis Jaeger, who is the founder of the Empty Cloud Zen Lineage at Benediktushof, Holtzkirken, Germany. Father Mayers began his Zen koan studies in the late 1970's and completed them in 1996. He is the 46th successor to Master Lin Chin and has been teaching both Zen and Christian Mystical prayer in retreats around the United States. Father Greg is the award-winning author of Listen to the Desert: The Secrets of Spiritual Maturity in the Desert Fathers and Mothers. He directs the East-West Meditation Program at Mercy Center and is its resident teacher.
MEDITATION PROGRAM On most Wednesday evenings from 7:00–9:00 pm, and during his meditation retreats and zen sesshins, Fr. Greg leads the community in sitting meditation, offering visitors and long-time meditators a welcoming space in which to explore the spiritual path. In addition to our Wednesday evening sittings, the community gathers for Center Day, four hours of sitting and walking meditation, interviews with Fr. Greg, Eucharist and lunch, and the Four Seasons Haiku Kai, a group for people interested in learning about and sharing haiku poetry. IMPORTANT SCHEDULING UPDATE There will be no Wednesday night sitting meditation on December 28, 2011.
2011 EAST-WEST RETREATS East-West Retreat Dec 27 - Jan 1 (Registration closed)
AUDIO, VIDEO AND ARTICLES Fr. Gregory Mayers, C.Ss.R. Listen to MP3s of spiritual talks
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