About
Zen?
Zen is a school of Buddhism which emphasizes the religious practice of meditation. The Buddha taught that Ignorance, created by our greed, hate, and delusion, prevents us from realizing that we are all enlightened. Zen Buddhism teaches that the practice of sitting in meditation (Jap.: zazen) directly manifests our inborn enlightenment, our Buddha Nature. In Zen practice, seated meditation and enlightenment are one. No preliminary training or long preparation is necessary to realize the Way.
From Dogen’s Fukanzazengi
“The zazen I speak of is not learning meditation. It is simply the Dharma gate of repose and bliss, the practice-realization of totally culminated enlightenment. It is the manifestation of ultimate reality. Traps and snares can never reach it. Once its heart is grasped, you are like the dragon when he gains the water, like the tiger when she enters the mountain. For you must know that just there (in zazen) the right Dharma is manifesting itself and that from the first, dullness and distraction are struck aside.”
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Meet Fugon
Rev. Fugon Cindy Beach began her study of Buddhism in 1965, and practiced meditation on her own until she began her formal Zen practice in 1996. She was Lay-Ordained in 1997 by Taitaku Pat Phelan at The Chapel Hill Zen Center in the Soto Zen lineage of The San Fransisco Zen Center and Shunryu Suzuki Roshi.
Cindy and her husband moved to Savannah, GA in 2001. The Minister Emeritus, Audry Vincent, of the UU Church of Savannah, welcomed Cindy’s offer to start a meditation group at the church. In 2002, Cindy began sewing zafus and zabutons for the Zendo, and the group took life. In 2004, she introduced the formal practice of Soto Zen to the then called, Savannah Buddhist Sitting Group, training members of the Sangha in the roles of Doan, Kokyo and Ino and Chiden. Since that time, the group has increased its practice to include weekday mornings and evenings and Sundays. Cindy has led four sesshins in that time and two more in the past two years led by Taiun Michael Elliston, Abbot of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center.
In 2007, Cindy made the decision to enter the Priest Path. As it was difficult to travel to North Carolina to study with her first teacher, Taitaku Sensei, Sensei gave her blessings for Cindy to study with Taiun Michael Elliston, Abbot of The Atlanta Soto Zen Center and in June of 2008, she was officially installed by the Abbot, as Head Teacher of the newly named Savannah Zen Center. At that time she assisted the Abbot in the Initiation Ceremony of three of her students. Cindy is also student to Seirin Barbara Kohn, Abbess of The Austin Zen Center.
She is now preparing to sew her Okesa and will begin Ango (3 month monastic practice) in 2010, to then be fully ordained Priest upon the completion of her monastic practice.
Rev. Fugon is a retired psychotherapist, whose private practice, Inner Balance Coaching, serves the community with spiritual, relationship and career coaching. Cindy has one son who resides in California.
Where & When
Location:
505 Blair St.
near East Braod St and Gaston St.
(Click the address above to go to Google Maps for more– it will even give you directions.)
Meditation Schedule
Sunday Morning
8 – 9:30 am (newcomers please arrive approx. 15 minutes early.)
Weekday morning sits and other study groups coming soon….
Reading
Zen is transmitted without words. Having said that, here are a bunch of words.
Books
There are many books available on Zen and on Buddhism in general. The following works are recommended either because they are particularly informative, or because they are relevant to the Soto School of Zen as practiced by the Savannah Zen Center.
Our Sutra Book
A special PDF version of our Sutra Book, containing the Heart Sutra, The Refuges, Dharinis, excerpts from the Metta Sutta, works by Dogen and Sekito Kisen and much more.
Seeing
zTV
The Zen of YouTube
Shopping
Shop Til You Drop-off (body and mind)
The Savannah Zen Center has made it even before fun to support our community. Thanks to the wonderful website CafePress.com, we are now able to offer Savannah Zen Center merchandise for your purchasing enjoyment. Buy for yourself, for those you love, or for complete strangers.
Below is just a sample of the products available. Visit cafepress.com/savannahzen to do your shopping.
