zcpHeadMarch

MARCH 2009, Vol. 1 No.2
WELCOME:
We hope our second e-Newsletter finds you well! As we enter March, the changing of the seasons is already evident in the first buds forming and bulbs pushing up through the earth in the boxes closest to the temple. Snow still occasionally falls and while we may have several more weeks with potential accumulations, the birds will soon return and we are already preparing the garden for this year's planting. Speaking of green things, in this issue you will find an article on the steps we have been taking at Deep Spring Temple to become more energy efficient. Remembering that we are all connected, the Sangha is also committed to recycling and reusing all that we can.

Please be sure to join us for the annual Sangha/Board meeting to be held on March 8th at Deep Spring Temple. Also in this issue are details on the 2009 budget and a letter from board president, Gary Crouth.

Do you live in a part of Pittsburgh that makes it difficult to get to the Zen Center of Pittsburgh's Deep Spring Temple in Bell Acres on a regular basis? If so, please remember that the we also offer weekly opportunities for meditation in two other Pittsburgh locations:
  • Zen Friends in Shadyside/Oakland: Every Wednesday evening from 6:00 - 7:30pm at the Friends Meeting House. There is no sitting at Deep Spring Temple on Wednesday evenings. If you have not had zazen instruction, please arrive by 5:45pm.
  • Wake Up! on the North Side: Every Tuesday morning from 7:00 - 7:45am at the Mattress Factory. There is no sitting at Deep Spring Temple on Tuesday mornings. A brief meditation instruction is available for those new to the practice.
Please arrive at least 10 minutes early so that sitting can begin promptly on the hour. Please wear comfortable, loose fitting clothing such as sweatpants. (Jeans do not work.)
IN THIS ISSUE
Weekly Zazen Schedule
Location Schedules
Letter From the Board
The Greening of Deep Spring Temple
Save the Date
ADVERSE WEATHER:
As a general rule, if driving may be risky, don't do it. When it is snowing or sleeting, or if either snow or sleet is predicted to occur before or during zazen, you can assume that the zendo will be closed, particularly for 5:30am zazen.
WEEKLY ZAZEN SCHEDULE:
Please arrive 10-15 minutes before starting time.

ZCP Weekly Schedule
  • Deep Spring Temple: 124 Willow Ridge Road Sewickley, PA 15143 (map)
  • Mattress Factory: 500 Sampsonia Way Pittsburgh, PA 15212 (directions)
  • Zen Friends: 4836 Ellsworth Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (map)
DEEP SPRING TEMPLE:
  • Katagiri Memorial: March 1; 10:00am-12:30pm
    • The last day of the February sesshin (2/28 - 3/1) coincides with a memorial to Dainin Katagiri Roshi. After coming to the United States in 1963, Katagiri played a major role in the spread of Buddhism in America. In 1972, after teaching in Los Angeles and San Francisco, he became first abbot of the Minnesota Zen Meditation Center in Minneapolis. Rev. Kyoki Roberts, head priest of Deep Spring Temple, began studying with Katagiri there in 1984.
    • The memorial brings to a close our February Sesshin. Please join us for the whole weekend starting Friday, February 27th at 7:00pm. (Please register in advance for sesshin: kyoki@prairiewindzen.org.)
  • Intro to Zen: March 5 & 26; 6:00pm
    • Are you knew to Zen? Have you always wanted to practice, but never found the time? Well, here's your chance. The monthly Introduction to Zen workshop combines discussion and instruction with sitting (zazen) and walking (kinhin) meditation.
    • For more information, call the Zen Center at 412-741-1262.
    • Please register in advance kyoki@prairiewindzen.org.
    • Suggested donation to register: $15 Donate
  • Annual Sangha/Board Meeting: March 8; 11:00am
    • This annual gathering of the Sangha serves as an opportunity to gather and discuss the future of the Zen Center of Pittsburgh. Board members are selected by Zen Center of Pittsburgh members.
    • All are invited to attend.
  • Precept Renewal (Ryaku Fusatsu): March 10; 6:00-7:00pm
    • Participation in Ryaku Fusatsu (Precept Renewal) offers us an opportunity to acknowledge all past actions (karma), to receive the precepts, and to re-dedicate ourselves to the practice of the Bodhisattva's way.
    • Read more about Ryaku Fusatsu here.
  • March Sesshin: March 27, 7:00pm - March 29, Noon
    • Please join us for this relatively short, but intense, period of practice. Numerous 75-minute-long meditation periods are interspersed with short rest breaks, walking meditation, formal meals, and short periods of work, all performed with the same mindfulness practiced in meditation. In addition, Kyoki will be giving two dharma talks and offering dokusan (private interview). 
    • Please register in advance kyoki@prairiewindzen.org.
    • Suggested donation to register: $100; $30 minimum Donate

ZEN FRIENDS:
  • Wednesday evening zazen; 6:00pm-7:15pm. Friends Meeting House (map).
MATTRESS FACTORY:
  • Tuesday morning zazen; 7:00am-7:40pm. Mattress Factory (map).
FROM THE BOARD

Dear Sangha,

To me our practice is right here, right now, facing the realities of everyday life. Since my last email to you,  ZCP Board of Directors has developed a proposed 2009 budget with the realities that we face.  We invite the Sangha to review this and offer comments or suggestions. Here's the basic story:
  • We project our 2009 expenses to exceed income by $6,000. This shortfall is covered in the budget with existing cash on hand.
  • The budget enables ZCP to remain open and operating through 2009 without diminishing any aspect of ZCP's mission.
  • Key aspects of the budget are:
    • Major repairs that arise during 2009 will need to be done through special appeals to active Sangha members for funding and in-kind donations of time and materials.
    • Rather than pay Kyoki's 2009 stipend to her in cash, the amount of the stipend will be added to ZCP Liabilities as funds owed to her.
    • The $6,000 owed to Kyoki for our 2008 shortfall will be moved to ZCP Liabilities rather than paid back during 2009.
  • Organizational benefits are emerging. We are now using a "cash flow budget" which makes it easier to understand and monitor ZCP's finances. Longer-term, we are looking at changes to how we do fundraising and our ongoing efforts to be more available to more people at large.
  • Obviously, the 2009 budget is not sustainable. It is a short-term creature designed to keep ZCP operating through 2009. Longer-term, we look towards changes in fundraising and outreach to sustain the organization financially.
In my last email, I invited us to look at this as a opportunity for practice. For me this includes questions about real value, how much is "enough," and what it means to help. Now that we have obtained some clarity of ZCP's financial picture, I again invite each of us to consider what this means for our practice and how each of us can help with this.

Sangha member George MacDonald has been generously donating his professional services as an accountant to ZCP. Without his help, we would not have the clarity that we do. The ZCP Board is very grateful to him.

Please contact any Board member for additional information and to offer suggestions.

Yours in the Dharma,
Gary

Attachment: Zen Center of Pittsburgh 2009 Revised Budget

(Click link to view a PDF version of the budget. You can download Adobe Reader here for free.)
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FROM THE EDITOR

THE GREENING OF DEEP SPRING TEMPLE
 
Here at Deep Spring we have a committed effort to reduce energy consumption and our carbon footprint. We have reduced kilowatts usage by 30% and our natural gas usage by 35% even while we increased the number of people living here. Here is some of what we have done.

Indoors:
  • Insulate attic, floors, walls and doors
  • High efficiency boiler and water heater
  • Insulating wrap on hot water pipes and boiler runs
  • New double-pane windows; new glazing compound on remaining older windows
  • Caulk, caulk, and more caulk
  • Reduce thermostats to 50 degrees at night; 65 during day
  • Replace 89 standard light bulbs with florescent or added dimmer switches. (Of course, you have to turn them off as you leave the room!)
  • Added a timer to the bathroom vent fans

Outdoors:
  • Raise some of our own fruits and vegetables for eating and flowers for our altars
  • Carpools & reduced driving
  • Outdoor lights on timer
  • Use clothesline for drying clothes
  • Paper recycling
  • Composting
  • Planting trees for shade
SAVE THE DATE
  • June practice period will run from June 1st through June 21st.
  • Zen Center of Pittsburgh 10th Anniversary Week is August 18-23. Please mark your calendars to join us for a week of Zen! We are planning daily activities during that week with a special ceremony scheduled for Sunday, August 23rd.

UNTIL NEXT TIME

More information and last minute updates can be found at Zen Center of Pittsburgh. If you are new to Zen Center or just curious, please check the Just for Beginners page.

Please check out the latest edition of Prairie Wind Online, the quarterly newsletter offered by Abbot Rev. Nonin Chowaney.

To make a tax-deductible contribution to the Zen Center of Pittsburgh, please click the 'Make a Donation' button. We are deeply grateful for your generosity.

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