End suffering of all kinds and to promote awakening in everyday life.
Tell us a bit about how your group was concieved After completing a seminary program. I conceived an ecumenical based Zen group. I wanted to bring zen out of the monastery and into the everyday world.
How many members do you serve? 8
Tell us about one exciting project, program, or other offering you are currently working on. Currently we are hosting a shoe drive for the Cambridge Self Help Food Bank. We are aiming to gather at least 40 pairs of shoes winter boots work shoes etc.
How do the Three Tenets inform your social engagement? In order to bring bodhisattva practice to the streets we have to go beyond our fears and judgments this Don't know mind leaves room for compassion to arise. The drug and homelessness epidemic we are facing in our community means working with criminals sex trade workers and we put away our fears and judgements in order to bear witness with an open heart and mind. It wasn't easy convincing some members that these people are Buddhas to. To practice the bodhisattva path we have to serve first all beings. Without taking action our practice only serves ourselves. Our aim is to run programs that aim to end suffering of all kinds. Shiatsu Therapy clinic for pain. We are hoping to host a Refuge Recovery group in the future a Buddhist based 12 step program. One member is working with indigenous women at the local prison. Conflict resolution skills workshop is in the works. Ones bodhisattva practice can be very limited if we don't get out of the meditation hall and into the everyday world. This is our taking action.
What is the most meaningful challenge your organization Faces? Sources of funding.