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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 Father Thomas Hand, S.J. For nearly 30 years, Fr. Hand 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 whole new way of seeing Reality, and to a richer life. Following Fr. Hand's passing, the community was blessed to welcome a new resident teacher, Fr. Gregory Mayers. A priest in the Redemptorist order, Fr. Greg was certified to teach Zen meditation by Benedictine Br. Willigis Jäger, a Roshi in the Sanbo Kyodan Zen lineage. Fr. Greg is the award-winning author of Listen to the Desert, a meditation on the wisdom of the Desert Fathers and Mothers of the early Church. He is equally conversant in the mystical language of Christian spirituality and the wordless essentials of Zen practice.
MEDITATION PROGRAM On Wednesday evenings from 7:00–9:00 p.m., and during his retreats and sesshins, Fr. Greg leads the community in dialogue on the experience of meditation, offering new visitors and long-time meditators a welcoming space in which to explore the spiritual path. In addition to our regular Wednesday evening sittings, we gather for Center Day (sitting meditation, talks by Fr. Greg and lunch), Zazen Kai (day of meditation) and the Four Seasons Haiku Kai, a group for people interested in learning about and writing haiku poetry.
UPCOMING EAST-WEST RETREATS Summer Zen Sesshin June 20-26, 2010
AUDIO, VIDEO AND ARTICLES Listen to MP3s of Fr. Greg Mayers' spiritual talks.
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East-West Programs and Retreats |