ROHATSU

 

You are invited by the Wiregrass Soto Zen and Long Leaf Zen Centers...

 

Rōhatsu (臘八) literally means 8th Day of the 12th Month. It is the Buddhist holiday that commemorates the day that the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautauma (Shakyamuni) experienced enlightenment.

Traditions agree that during that night, as the morning star rose in the sky in the early morning, Siddhartha finally found the answers he sought and became Enlightened, and experienced Nirvana. 

In Zen monasteries, Rohatsu is the last day of a week-long sesshin - an intensive meditation retreat dedicated to meditation. Typically, Monks and Laymen stay awake all night sitting in Zazen during the last night before Rohatsu.

I would like to invite you all to meet next Saturday December 10 at 9:30 a.m. in Headland to celebrate Rohatsu by practicing meditation together. 

Our Program will be :

9:30 to 10:00 : Arrival 10:00 to 10:30 : Breathing exercises for Meditation 10:30 to 12:30 : 4 Sitting (Zazen) and Walking (Kinhin) meditation periods (25 minutes Zazen, 5 minutes Kinhin) 12:30 to 12:45 : Break and Tea 12:45 to 1:30 : Dharma talk - Discussion 1:30 to 2:00 : Zazen 2:00 : Heart Sutra Chanting 2:15 : Lunch Attendance : Everyone is welcome to attend. You don't have to have already practiced Meditation to join. Lunch : bring a vegetarian dish to share with other participants. Late arrival : if you cannot make it on time, no problem. If meditation is going on (people inside are sitting on their funny black cushions) and you don't really know what to do, wait on the bench outside the dojo until they start walking and join inside right then. If you know how to sit in Zazen, enter the dojo and sit. Fee : there is no fee – donations are welcome to help us support our instructor Michael Elliston Roshi, Abbot of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center, and founder of the Silent Thunder Order.

The Dojo is located behind my home at 610 Mitchell Street, Headland, AL 36345. Tel (334) 798 1639