Earth Protector Ceremony

Date: November 25, 2020

Time: 7-9PM

Location: Great Vow Zen Monastery

Contact: Registrar, Onshin
registrar@zendust.org
503-728-0654

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Earth Protector Ceremony

November 25, 2020

7-9PM

Guided by the vow to protect and care for the living breathing Earth, our Sangha comes together once a month to honor our recognition of interconnection to all that lives. We vow together to be stewards of the Earth, to practice gratitude for the Earth and to care for all beings that call Earth their home. In this time of climate unrest and environmental injustice our commitment to the Earth may just save life on the planet. Remember and reaffirm to live in harmony with life on Earth.

Join online via Zoom.

Join us for an evening of meditation, ceremony and a Dharma talk/discussion. We will begin the evening with zazen, and conclude with the Ksitigarbha Ceremony – a ceremony designed by Chozen Roshi to honor our oneness with the Earth and our vows to protect all beings that are born of the Earth. This is the Vow of Ksitigarbha (Jizo) Bodhisattva. Ksitigarbha literally means Earth Store, or Earth Womb, and Bodhisattva means Awakening Being. This Awakening Being is the Caretaker/Protector/Guardian of the Earth. This ceremony involves the practice of vowing and bowing. We voice our deep intentions and we affirm them with our bodies–taking the Earth-touching mudra of bowing.

 

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva vows to help beings in any state of suffering find freedom, love and liberation. They embody the qualities of optimism in the face of adversity, fearlessness, determination and courage. We call forth these qualities as we face the fires of the world today. We remember our aspiration to live a life of non-harming, compassion, justice and love. We repent for our part in this Climate Catastrophe and the unjust systems operating in our world today including systemic racism and police violence. We resolve to do better. May we be willing to enter the fires of greed, hatred and delusion, for it is only through clear seeing that we can dismantle oppressive systems in ourselves and in this world. The bodhisattva path is one of Collective Awakening for all beings.

 

Schedule of Events

7pm- Zazen

8pm- Dharma Talk

8:30pm Ceremony

 

 

 

Leaders:
Hogen Bays, Roshi
Jan Chozen Bays, Roshi