Julie Hosho Rose Ordination

Treetop Zen Center heartily congratulates Julie Hosho Rose, who received Tokudo from Peter Seishin Wohl in a private home ceremony earlier today,  making her an unsui, or novice priest.

Julie has been practicing Zen for over 20 years, first at Zen Mountain Monastery in Mt. Tremper, New York, then at Treetop Zen Center.

Two New Teachers Empowered

Treetop Zen Center is excited to announce that Peter Seishin Wohl will give Dharma Transmission to senior students Todd Hotai Watson and Jaime Heiku McLeod in a private midnight ceremony on Saturday, May 14th.

Dharma Transmission marks Todd and Jaime’s transition from students to fully authorized and independent Soto Zen teachers in the White Plum lineage. Todd and Jaime, who have both undertaken tokudo (novice priestly vows), will also be recognized as fully ordained Buddhist priests.

Treetop’s new teachers will make their public debut during the regularly scheduled sitting on Saturday morning, May 14th, at 9 a.m., at which time they will offer daisan to all members of the sangha for the first time.

Please join us to celebrate this momentous occasion in the life of our sangha.

Stories from the Sangha

A reflection by Treetopper Andy Hinson:

Those of us who sit at Treetop Zen Center thought it would be good to share some of our stories here on the TZC blog. So here’s mine.

I first went to visit Treetop, believe it or not, after I came across a scrap of a newspaper article about the Center while I was working in my compost pile one July afternoon. At the time, I had been meditating on my own for a while, and that summer I had started feeling like I wanted to sit with a group, to get input from other people who were doing it, maybe find out what it was like to work with a teacher. So when that shred of newspaper about this zendo that was not too far from home found itself in my hand, it seemed like I needed to check it out.
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Knitting into the Silence

Knitting into the Silence – A lace knitting workshop
Saturday, April 23rd from 1-4 p.m.
Treetop Zen Center, 293 Country Club Road, Oakland, Maine

Knitting lace is not hard to do, but it does require close attention. As such, it is a perfect vehicle for knitting as meditation.

The workshop will begin with a general introduction to the principles of knitting lace and reading knitting charts. After this, we will knit in silence. A variety of patterns will be offered to accommodate all knitters. Technical questions will be answered one-on-one. This will be a great opportunity to really understand one’s knitting. For those used to knitting groups, knitting with others without chit chat will be a unique experience.

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Upcoming Events

There are several exciting upcoming events at Treetop Zen Center.

Silent Weekend Retreat
March 25-27, 2011
Settle into a weekend of silent practice including service, zazen (meditation), daisan (interviews with teachers), Oryoki meals, and dharma talks.

Zen and Deep Ecology Wilderness Retreat:
Dwelling in Impermanence: Experiencing Winter’s End in the Maine Woods
April 9-11, 2011
Experience the silence and enter a deep connection with the transition from winter’s sparseness to the richness of the seasons to come. All are welcome! Space is limited; register early to guarantee your spot.

If you enjoy the outdoors and would like to explore Zen practice in the pristine Maine wilderness, check out our entire series of Zen and Deep Ecology Wilderness Retreats.

Knitting out of the Silence: A Lace Knitting Workshop
April 23rd, 2011 (1:00-4:00PM)
Knitting lace is not difficult, but it does require close attention. As such, it is a perfect vehicle to explore knitting as meditation. Suggested donation for this workshop is $30. Beginners with basic skills are welcome.

Visit our website for more information!

Service Position Talk, October 30

Do you have questions about why Treetop Zen Center’s service is structured the way it is? Are you interested in volunteering for a service position, but feel too insecure or uncertain about the forms to try it? If so, this coming Saturday, October 30, will be a great opportunity to get those questions answered and learn more about the various service positions.

This Saturday’s dharma talk will focus on the Zen service. Specifically, Treetop’s teachers will give a detailed overview of what happens during service and explain each of the service positions so that everyone can become more familiar with the elements and routines of of the weekly service.

Hope to see you there!