06/12/2019
'What a Beautiful Noise'
Zen Meditation and Ordinary Life
-with Rob Ruhlmann / Zen Fredo
Introduction to Zazen “sitting quietly” meditation.
Monday, July 15th 2019 7-9 PM
At The Grove CT,
158 Bridgeport Ave, Milford, CT 06460
(203) 301-4006
In conjunction with Bohemian High
gifts and apparel U.S. Route 1
156 Bridgeport Ave, Milford, CT 06460
$25.00
This course will immerse the student in Zazen meditation as it’s practiced in American Zen Centers and Zen Buddhist monasteries today.
A brief history of Buddhism and Zen, key Buddhist Sutras, instruction and immersion in sitting, walking, and moving meditation practices. Music, pictures, Q & A.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zen_meditation_zone/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Intro.Zen.Meditation/
Website: https://zenmeditationzone.wordpress.com/
Unlike the Zen “hondos” and monastics, we civilians have careers, responsibilities, and dependents. We do not often have the luxury of being able to meditate in the serene quietude of a monastery. Our ordinary lives are full of all this - noise. What can we derive from this practice in our fast-paced, hi-tech, and often chaotic world?
Zen is not about thinking about, reading about, or studying about. Zen is about doing it and finding out for yourself. It’s not a religion but more of a science based on cause and effect, with 25 centuries of living proof that it works.
Benefits include increased concentration and focus, reduction in stress, an increase in compassion and connectivity to your environment, community and the earth, and the heightening of creative powers.
Students are invited to directly experience that ordinary, everyday life is in fact, a “Beautiful Noise”.
See more details below.
Email: [email protected]
“Im’a show you how to do this” – Rob
Buddhism is a Religion, but Zen Buddhism is said to be more of a science. Do A and B happens, Do X and Y happens. This cause produces that effect, etc. People of any religion or no religion can benefit.
There will be a brief history of Buddhism and Zen, a brief discussion about Eastern Philosophy, Zen practice around the world, and Zen in the modern, high-tech world. We will look at 2 major sutras, the Diamond Sutra, and the Prajna Heart Sutra. Then, we’ll jump right into Chanting, sitting, walking, and moving meditation with the “Swimming Dragon”.
There will be handouts:
Zen and Buddhist vocabulary, Poetry about the modern world, excerpts from the Diamond Sutra by Shakyamuni Buddha, the Maha Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra (Perfection of Wisdom Sutra) by ‘author unknown’, The Identity of Relative and Absolute, this version by the Mountain and Rivers Order of American Zen Buddhists.
There will be music and photos relevant to the matter at hand.
Wear ‘comfortable, loose-fitting clothing’. Chairs, Pillows (zafus), and mats (zabutons) will be provided.
The 4 Noble Truths and the Eightfold path of the Buddha will be discussed. We will investigate the many causes and examples of suffering and pain in the modern world. We will then take a glimpse at the other side of that coin –Joy.
Advanced practice benefits include “the ability to put your mind where you want it for as long as you want it”, and the possibility of becoming an ‘enlightened being’. For that, you will probably need to go to the pros at such places as ZMM in Mt. Tremper, NY, or ZCNY in Brooklyn NY.
Rob Ruhlmann is a local teacher and tutor as well as a CNC machinist in the aerospace, communications and defense industries. He’s a confirmed Christian with a Jewish Granny, so he says he’s “well versed in religion, but Zen is not that”.
He states that he has a few accomplished relatives, but that he himself is “just some guy”.
He studied Buddhism and Zen for 10 years before becoming a Zen student of the late Roshi / Sensei John Daido Loori and was a student of Roshi / Sensei Bonnie Myotai Treace “for about 1 minute and forty seconds of real, real quality time.” He was a resident of Zen Mountain Monastery in Mt. Tremper New York, and participated in several week long Sesshins (intensive meditation retreats) of up to 8 hours per day of sitting meditation.
Rob lived and worked in such places as Norwalk, Ct, White Pine / Knoxville / Oak Ridge, TN, Virginia Beach / Norfolk, VA, Destin / Panama City Beach, FL, and Kingston, NY.
Rob was a caseworker and advocate for clients with physical and psychiatric disabilities, and substance / alcohol abuse issues in upstate NY. He owned a home improvement business in upstate New York and co-owned a nail salon near Virginia Beach, VA.
He lived in Southeast Asia for 4 years, and formed a company in Jiexi, China called Little Star ESL English.
He holds a BA in Psychology from SUNY New Paltz, a Paralegal certificate from Marist College, and a TEFL certificate from Global Language Village in Zhuhai, China. He says he also holds a “powered industrial truck operator certificate from NITCO”.
Rob describes himself as “A technical expert in major life fails” and calls himself “an eternal Zen Newbie” and “the Fredo of Zen”.
