Put Compassion into Action

While we try to express compassion in every aspect of our lives, participating in the Chicago Zen Center sponsored soup kitchen on Sunday, June 15th at St. Paul Lutheran Church on the corner of Maple and Greenwood in Evanston is an opportunity to put compassion into action by serving the homeless and mentally ill who are the guests. They, all 80-100 of them, arrive about 3pm. We want to give them a good welcome and a good meal.

Please check the sign-up sheet on the refrigerator in the CZC kitchen to volunteer to buy or bake food and/or to help set-up, serve or clean-up. If you need help in storing or transporting the food, let Cynthia know at 847-256-2634. If you cannot help with the food or on June 15th, a check to the Kannon Society to help defray the cost of the food would be most welcome. Estimated expense is about $250 factoring in freebies and discounts.

Vinati DeVane's Ordination

Over 40 Sangha members, friends, and family came together Sunday, Feb. 3, to affirm the transformation of Caroline DeVane, long a resident of the CZC, into Vinati DeVane. (Vinati means humility, service, bowing in Pali and Sanskrit; it is pronounced vin-NA-tee.) The ceremony was moving, and the potluck wonderful. The party raged on for hours. Thank yous go out to all who pitched in, most especially Kathy, Gerrie, Jim, Elie, and Deena. Nine bows to all.

Discussion Group. BEGINNING IN NOVEMBER ...

The Discussion Group dates which we have designated on the schedule to happen roughly once a month are an attempt to talk about fairly specific Buddhist topics where there can be more of an exchange of thinking. I have decided not to attempt what we tried years ago where people were expected to read a whole book and we tried to discuss this over a few meetings. This formula is usually quite cumbersome and undependable because in our Sangha in this busy urban environment we found that very few people could make all (or even much of a part) of a series of meetings.

So, spinning out of the discussions held at the last Devotional and work I'm now doing at LSTC, I thought I would prepare SMALL reading packets and we could try holding topic-specific instead of book specific talks. These can better function as which may be stand-alone events. I'm pretty settled that the first will be on the Precept, “I vow to refrain from taking substances that impair the mind, and I vow not to cause others to do so.”
This is coming up a lot for people right now. I have read that Chicago has the highest percentage of binge drinkers in the country, so this seems to be part of a kind of community karma we are working with. But our intent here will be to go much deeper with this precept that a “just say no” approach to drugs and alcohol.

Around the first of the month reading materials should be available. If members wish to bring friends or family members to these discussion groups, please feel free. However please keep in mind that these will be adult discussions both in vocabulary and tone.

-Sensei

Hit Primetime Show Seeks a Spiritual Family!

OK, here's your big chance to show that all those sesshins and all that sitting have made you more caring and flexible!! By the way, this is the second contact of interest I've gotten in two weeks for a reality show. The other comes from the same network but is unrelated.

Sensei

From: Juanita Hong
Subject: Hit Primetime Show Seeks a Spiritual Family!

Good Afternoon!

My name is Juanita Hong and I am a casting producer for ABC Television's hit reality show, Wife Swap. I am currently trying to cast a spiritual family for an episode of our show and thought perhaps one of the people in your temple might be interested in this great opportunity. Your temple has caught my attention and I thought it couldn't hurt to send you an email to see if you might be able to help me with this.

In case you are unfamiliar with the show, the premise of Wife Swap is to take two different families and have the mom's switch places to experience how another family lives. For half of the week, the mom lives the life of the family she is staying with. Then she introduces a "rule change" where she implements rules and activities that her family has. It's a positive experience for people to not only learn but teach about other families and other ways of life.

Wife Swap airs on Disney owned ABC television on Mondays at 8 pm - the family hour! There is another show that copies ours but our main focus is to have fun, learn, and teach others in a positive light. They focus on conflict. I just want to make sure our show doesn't get confused with theirs!

Requirements: Each family must consist of two parents (marriage is not required) and at least one child between the ages of 7 and 17 and should reside in the continental U.S. (There may be other children living in the home who are older or younger than the required age…as long as one child is in the required age range.)

My hope is that you would pass this information on to your members and if they are interested, they will be able to reach me. Maybe you even have a family in mind that you could refer me to. This is a very unique experience that can be a life changing for everyone. In addition, each family that tapes an episode of Wife Swap receives a $20,000 honorarium for their time. Anyone who refers a family that appears on our program receives $1,000 as a 'thank you’ from us.

I appreciate you taking the time to read this - I know it is an unusual request. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at my number below. Thank you for your time and have a great day!

Juanita Hong

Juanita Hong | Casting Productions Assistant | Wife Swap
RDF Media | 1790 Broadway | 11th Floor | New York, NY 10019
Phone: 646.747.7959 | Fax: 212.586.3419
juanita.hong@rdfnewyork.com | www.rdfusa.com

Donating your used bikes will help change lives in Angola

Dear Evanston Friends,

We are gathering used bikes to send to Africa. Can you help us spread the word?

The Bike Drive will be Sunday, April 15, at the corner of Lake Street and Chicago Avenue, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. All bicycles and bicycle parts, whether broken, rusted or old, will be accepted and greatly appreciated.

The bikes collected will be sent to Angola, Africa by SHARE-circle.

SHARE-circle is an Evanston-based organization, started by two Angolans, that is devoted to rebuilding war-torn Angola, in southwestern Africa. More information is on the back of this letter and will be available at the event.

The bikes will be repaired by Working Bikes Cooperative, a Chicago nonprofit organization that repairs bicycles, sells them at a discounted rate to Chicagoans, and uses this money to fund shipments of bikes around the world.

Questions about the event can be emailed to bikedrive.
If you have bikes to give, but are unable to bring them to the event, we would be happy to pick them up at your convenience. Please call Guerra: 847-733-1276.

If you are unable to donate at this time but would like to consider Working Bikes as a future option, please visit www.workingbikes.org to learn more.

Thank you in advance,



Patricia Deer
Chair, SHARE-circle Board

Free Massage

Hey everyone! My friend Sara has completed her Thai
Massage coursework and is looking for people to
practice on. She would especially like to see people
that have previous experience with Thai massage. She
is a certified asian bodyworker (AOBTA) and is
currently seeing people on Fridays and Saturdays. Zen
Center members are free for a limited time!!! Call
our office at 773-296-6700 x2001 to schedule (I'll
give you her cell number) or email me directly at
Apothecary@wholehealthchicago.com

Gassho, Seanna

Freecycle - Better than Recycle

If you have not heard about Freecycle then I know you will be thrilled. Freecycle are web based communities of people who post advertisement for giving things away from their houses. Free.


Here is the basic info from their website:
When you want to find a new home for something -- whether it's a chair, a fax machine, piano, or an old door -- you simply send an e-mail offering it to members of the local Freecycle group.

Or, maybe you're looking to acquire something yourself. Simply respond to a member's offer, and you just might get it. After that, it's up to the giver to decide who receives the gift and to set up a pickup time for passing on the treasure.

Our main rule: Everything posted must be free, legal, and appropriate for all ages.

Non-profit organizations also benefit from The Freecycle Network. Post the item or items you want to give away and specify that you wish the gift to go to a nonprofit cause. It's entirely your choice! It's a free cycle of giving. The Freecycle Network is incorporated as a nonprofit organization and is tax-exempt under the IRS 501(c)3 ruling.

And here is the link:
http://www.freecycle.org

They also have http://www.freecyclefinder.org where you can look for things that you need.

Pretty Neat (lot lot better than Recycle) !

Deep bow,
Girish