A New Place of Practice for Mountain Rain Zen
/Dear Sangha friends,
For those of you who are MRZC members, this will be an update. For those on the general mailing list this will be the first public announcement of a momentous development for the MRZC sangha.
The News: In October, we were approached by the Vancouver Zen Centre guiding teacher, Eshin Godfrey and the VZC board, letting us know that Eshin would be retiring to Quebec, and the VZC would be dissolving as a society. They proposed to transfer their practice centre, to MRZC on the condition of providing a retirement stipend to Eshin. This was an astonishing and very generous offer, and we are deeply grateful to Eshin and the VZC sangha.
The house: Located at 5505 Sherbrooke St. (at 39th between Knight and Fraser), the house is spacious and well-kept. Through the labours of the VZC sangha over the last 14 years it has been developed as a beautiful space of practice. The ground level has a large kitchen/dining area and three rooms for residents. The upstairs has a bright, airy zendo that seats about 20, a meeting room, office, guest room, and two-room teachers’ suite. The garden has been lovingly tended and has shrubbery, fruit trees, berries, herbs, and a path for outdoor kinhin.
The agreement: It has taken some months to work through the details of the transfer agreement, involving consultations with lawyers and accountants, meetings between the VZC and MRZC boards, and membership meetings. We have also met with MRZC founding teacher Zoketsu Norman Fischer and the treasurer of Everyday Zen Foundation, which is providing MRZC with a generous grant to support the terms of our agreement to provide a stipend to Eshin over the next 10 years. Having completed all the necessary legalities, we are scheduled to take possession of the property on Friday, March 31.
Two locations: Because the zendo at the new house is not large enough to accommodate our current (and growing) attendance numbers, we will continue to maintain our rental space on Wall St. and offer Wednesday evening and Sunday morning practice concurrently at both locations. The new house will also offer early morning zazen for residents and the sangha at large. As we go forward, we will discover what activities and events are best suited for each of the locations.
Residential practice: The guiding teachers have been working with a small sub-committee of the practice committee to create guidelines and an application process for residential practice within the context of our lay practice community. We have opened applications to members who have expressed interest in long-term residency, and are now ready to open applications to those interested in short-term (under one month) residency. Please contact teachers@mountainrainzen.org if you would like more information on residential practice. This is still very much a work-in-progress, and the first long-term residents will be those with prior residential practice experience, as they will be closely involved in supporting and creating this new practice space.
Community practice: It is our intention and hope that the two locations will complement each other, and serve our sangha synergistically. Everyone will be welcome to practice at either or both zendos. Those in residence will be expected to help support the Wall St. zendo as well as the house. And sangha members will be welcome and needed as garden and maintenance volunteers at the house.
The future: The gift of this house offers us new practice opportunities, some of which we may not even have anticipated yet. We will learn as we go, and evaluate how the new location is working, both in terms of finances and our practice. At our last general membership meeting, it was decided to give the house a major review after two years, but of course we will do ongoing evaluation, as well. We are not bound by the agreement to keep the property if our circumstances change, or if we decide to convert the asset into another form. However, for now, we will honour the faith the VZC and Everyday Zen Foundation have placed in us to use this new space to support our local, regional and long-distance practice community.
When? It will take some time to move in and get the new space set up for practice. In the coming month the teachers and first residents will move in. Please watch for updates and we will announce when the new schedule will begin.
Saturday, April 15, 9:00-5:00 day retreat, potluck lunch and work day and open house with potluck lunch.
Please join us to inaugurate our new practice space, with a period of zazen to open and close the day, morning and afternoon work periods in house and garden, and a potluck lunch and mid-day open house. To be confirmed. Sign-up will be posted on the website soon.
Thursday, May 4, 7:00-9:00 PM Dedication ceremony with MRZC founding teacher, Zoketsu Norman Fischer, followed by refreshments. Details TBA.
Please contact teachers@mountainrainzen.org if you would like:
information on short or long-term residential practice.
to volunteer in the garden of the new house.
to volunteer to do maintenance work on the new house.
Deep bows of thanks to the MRZC council and acting treasurer Kakuko Kaye Simard, for all their hard work on this process.
We look forward to embarking with you on this new adventure in the life of our practice community.
Warm bows,
Myoshin Kate and Shinmon Michael
Co-guiding teachers, MRZC
