Zen and Pure Land Buddhism For All

There is nothing special about my daily affairs,
I am simply in spontaneous harmony with them.
Clinging to nothing and also rejecting nothing,
I encounter no resistance and am always free.
What do I care for the pomp of purple robes?
The pure summit was never sullied by so much as a fleck of dust.
The wondrous action of magical forces
I find in cutting wood and carrying water.

-Layman P'ang (c.740-808)

Operated by the Zen Society of Cleveland, CloudWater Zendo is a Buddhist temple and meditation center dedicated to Ch'an (Zen) meditation, Pure Land Buddhism, the combined practice of Ch'an and Pure Land meditation, the practice of meditative arts and the study of Buddhist teachings for the benefit of all sentient beings.

Anyone wishing to contact us can do so by emailing us at:

yingfa@cloudwater.org

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"What is sitting for meditation? In our School, to sit means to gain absolute freedom and to be mentally unpreturbed in all outward circumstances, be they good or otherwise. To meditate means to realize inwardly the imperturbability of the Essence of Mind."

-The Sixth Ancestor Hui-Neng

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Participants learn about the Buddhist and Taoist teachings which combined to create the Ch'an school of ancient China. Pure Land Buddhism, a 2000 year old Buddhist practice with profound implications for our modern world, is also studied. For those who choose to join the Nien-Fo Ch'an order, the Ch'an Leadership Training Program is an opportunity to deepen their practice and realization through individualized instruction and mindful participation in Zendo activities.

"What you call the Buddha, that is your heart in its purity.
What you call the Dharma, that is your heart in its radiance.
What you call the Way, that is when in sheer light there is nowhere any obstruction.
The three are one; but they are empty names and have no real existence.
When you truly travel the Way, you keep them ever present in your heart."

--Master Lin-Chi, from the "Lin-Chi Lu"

Ch'an and Pure Land Buddhism are but two paths to Enlightenment. It is the purpose of the Zen Society of Cleveland to give all who desire it the opportunity to realize their true nature through practice and teaching, and to encourage them to allow their understanding to be actualized into daily existence for the benefit of all beings.

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"May the Blessed One now listen to the vows I have made - supreme and unique. Once I awaken to unsurpassable, perfect, full awakening, my Buddha-field will be endowed with arrays of inconceivable qualities and ornaments, just as I have declared it to be in these vows."

-The Longer Sukhavati Sutra

VISUALIZATION MEDITATION CLASSES

Visualization practice is a powerful meditative form that enables one to attain deep levels of concentration. The first three classes of our 18-part series on visualization meditation will focus on basic visualization techniques. There is no fee for the Visualization classes in January, March or May. The second half of the series (July, September and November classes) will be much more intensive and will concentrate on the 16 visualizations of the Visualization Sutra. Those who have attended at least one class in each of the first three months (January, March and May) are eligible to take the classes in the second half of the series. The fee for the second-half classes is $40. See the Schedules page for more information.

"Once you stop clinging and let things be, you'll be free, even of birth and death. You'll transform everything; you'll possess spiritual powers that can't be obstructed; and you'll be at peace wherever you are. If you doubt this, you'll never see through anything; you're better off doing nothing. Once you act, you can't avoid the cycle of birth and death, but once you see your nature, you're a Buddha even if you work as a butcher."

-Bodhidharma

TAO TE CHING CLASSES

The Tao Te Ching is one of the most famous and widely quoted books in the world, and is considered to be the cornerstone of the Taoist tradition. The first class in Module 1 (Feb. 14th at 7:00 p.m.) will focus on the book's legendary author Lao-Tse, the second class (Feb. 21st) will examine The Nature of the Tao, and the third class (Feb. 28th) will look at the principle of Relative Opposites. Other Tao Te Ching class modules will be held in June and October. Class fees are $5.00 per class and $10 for any three classes. The classes will be taught by Ven. Shih Ying-Fa.See the Schedules page for more information.

"All Buddhas realized the Way through mind.
The mind is pure, bright and unsullied;
Pristine in the five destinies, it does not suffer the limitations of form;
Anyone who understands this perfects the Great Way."

-The Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra

IN MEMORIAM

Master Shih Shen-Lung

1946 - 2006

On October 28, 2006, Venerable Master Shih Shen-Lung, the founder of the Dragon Flower Ch'an Temple and the Ch'an Teacher of Ven. Shih Ying-Fa, passed away. A practicing Buddhist monk since 1972, Ven. Shen-Lung was ordained in the Japanese Soto Zen tradition by Rev. Soyu Matsuoka Roshi and subsequently received Dharma Transmission from Ch'an Master Shih Mo-Hwa of the Lin-Chi sect in 1980.

Ven. Shen-Lung's guidance, understanding and humor have helped CloudWater Zendo to grow and thrive. With nine times nine bows of unending gratitude, we honor the Monk Shih Wu Ming whose Dharma name is Lung Yen!

Thank you, Venerated Dharma Grandfather, for helping us along the Buddha-Way.

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