Still Point Zen Buddhist Temple is committed to developing global compassion in metro Detroit through a Zen Buddhist practice of mindfulness and meditation that embraces and is accessible to all. Located at 17150 Maumee Avenue in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, Still Point Zen Buddhist Temple is committed to developing global compassion in metro Detroit through a Zen Buddhist practice of mindfulness and
meditation that embraces and is accessible to all. Public Service on Saturdays at 10:30 is a one hour, beginner-friendly introduction to Zen practice, featuring seated meditation, recitation of the Three Refuges, and a Dharma Talk (often with optional Q and A) from one of Still Point's teachers. The first thing to know is you're not going to "mess up": no one will bark at you for not knowing what to do, and in fact there are always people up front, usually teachers or seminary students, who are there to immediately answer any questions you have and offer guidance. We also have beginner's orientations once a month that cover basic Buddhism, a little Zen history, a bit about our temple, and then offer ample opportunity for questions. They're free -- and maybe that's the other thing to know about our temple. Even classes, etc., that have a listed fee, are always on a sliding scale basis. No one is ever turned away from anything we do for lack of funds. And you certainly don't have to "convert": Buddhism is most simply a way of cultivating wisdom and compassion through radical acceptance of "things as it is," to borrow a phrase from the late Zen Master Shunryu Suzuki. And by "wisdom," we also mean discerning within and for yourself what not to accept. Zen is a style of Buddhism with meditation at its core, a practice that has been maintained and transmitted by Buddhas and ancestors for over 2,500 years. Properly done, meditation is the sitting, standing, walking and lying down of everyday life. Korean Buddhism is the lineage of Still Point. It tends to be earthy, filled with humor, and sincere. Still Point's Guiding Teacher is Koho Vince Anila. Our Founding Teacher was P'arang Geri Larkin, whose root teacher was Zen Master Samu Sunim from Pomo-sa in Pusan, South Korea.
