Quick Scan - This Month's Headlines

Breaking News

Notable Passing: Philip Kapleau

Upcoming Local Events

Vesakha volunteers needed for service on May 23 at CSU

A few places remain for Soto Zen retreat in Cuyahoga Valley June 4-9; some scholarships available

CloudWater hosts Reiki lecture and demo May 15

CBT Toban (temple cleaning) set for Saturday, May 15

CloudWater's rained-out Animal Release Service rescheduled for next Sunday, May 16

CloudWater holds monthly Pure Land Service May 19

Saturday, May 22: the director of the Chicago Zen Center will lead an Introduction to Zen Buddhism workshop in Cleveland Heights

Cleveland Shambhala prepares to welcome Acharya Eric Spiegel on May 23

CBT holds Animal Memorial Service on June 6

Local News

New beginner meditation class offered at Richfield yoga studio

Jewel Heart starts third module of its "Odyssey to Freedom" series on May 12

Be sure to leave room in your May and June plans for "The Buddha Project"

International News

Dalai Lama concludes his visit to Canada

Malaysian reporter chronicles a pilgrimage to Indian and Nepali holy sites in words and pictures

Culture and Arts

Cedar-Lee will show new Korean film on Buddhism starting June 4

Reference Shelf

New book chronicles the Dalai Lama's 1997 encounter with Western physicists and philosophers

Breaking News

Notable Passing: Philip Kapleau

The renowned author and teacher, Philip Kapleau, died in Rochester, NY on Thursday, May 6, at the age of 91. He had suffered from Parkinson's disease for many years.

In 1965, Kapleau wrote The Three Pillars of Zen one of the modern American classics on Zen Buddhism. In 1966, he founded the Rochester Zen Center.

Funeral services will be held on Sunday, May 23rd at 11:00 am. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Rochester Zen Center, 7 Arnold Park, Rochester, New York 14607. See RZC's tribute page.

Read a feature-length commemoration from the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, published May 7. It describes how Kapleau's work as a court reporter during the military tribunals in Germany and Japan after WWII drove him to the study of Buddhism.

Upcoming Local Events

Vesakha volunteers needed for service on May 23 at CSU

The Vesakha Planning Committee is looking for volunteers to assist with the May 23 community Vesakha day celebrations to be held this year at Cleveland State University's University Center Building.

Vesakha (aka Wesak) is the annual commemoration of Buddha's birth, enlightenment and parinirvana. It is celebrated at different times and in different ways by virtually all Buddhist cultures and traditions. In Northeast Ohio, it has become traditional for Buddhists from various traditions to come together for this one celebration each year.

Assistance is needed as follows:

• three people to do readings at the Vesakha service
• children of Buddhist families to do an offering during the service
• adults to assist the children
• greeters and information providers
• Buddhist items for the altar

Attendees area also encouraged to bring a vegetarian potluck dish to share. If you are interested in volunteering and/or bringing food, please e-mail Ven. Shih Ying-Fa: or Susan Rakow.

Read about how Buddhists in Malaysia celebrated Wesak Day on May 2 in Penang with a 10 mile parade: "Temples full on Wesak Day," The Star (Malaysia), May 4, 2004.

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A few places remain for Soto Zen retreat in Cuyahoga Valley June 4-9; some scholarships available

The Northeast Ohio Soto Zen Group (NEO SZG) has already registered 21 participants for the June 4-9 retreat with the San Francisco Zen Center's senior Dharma teacher, Reb Anderson. The Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center in the heart of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park can accommodate as many as 10 more students.

Some full and partial scholarships are available and payment plans can be arranged. The fee for the retreat is $375. This includes five days of meditation and instruction with Reb (including access to private student/teacher consultations called dokusan), all vegetarian meals and sleeping accommodations.

If you are seriously interested in studying Zen with one of America's finest teachers, and financial considerations are the only impediment, e-mail Nancy Wolf or Jennie McMullen.

Names of individuals wishing to attend less than the full sesshin will be placed on a waiting list with preference being given to full-time participants.

The retreat is being cosponsored by NEO SZG and the Stillpoint Zen Practice Community.

Short bio from Reb's Web site: Reb Anderson, Tenshin Roshi is a lineage-holder in the Soto Zen tradition. Born in Mississippi, he grew up in Minnesota and left advanced study in mathematics and Western psychology to come to the San Francisco Zen Center in 1967. He practiced with Suzuki Roshi, who ordained him as a priest in 1970 and gave him the name Tenshin Zenki ("Naturally Real, The Whole Works"). He received Dharma transmission in 1983 and served as abbot of San Francisco Zen Center's three training centers (City Center, Green Gulch Farm and Tassajara Zen Mountain Center) from 1986 to 1995. Tenshin Roshi continues to teach at Zen Center, living with his family at Green Gulch Farm. He is author of Warm Smiles from Cold Mountains: Dharma Talks on Zen Meditation and Being Upright: Zen Meditation and the Bodhisattva Precepts.

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CloudWater hosts Reiki lecture and demo May 15

There will be a free Reiki lecture and demonstration on Saturday, May 15 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm at CloudWater Zendo. The event will be lead by Ven. Shih Yun-Shan (Rick Fertal).

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CBT Toban (temple cleaning) set for Saturday, May 15

On May 15, beginning at 8:30 am, the Cleveland Buddhist Temple (CBT) welcomes volunteers for its monthly Toban (temple cleaning) service. In the past, the elderly members of the Japanese community performed this service. Now CBT members and others who benefit from the temple are being asked to participate in this form of meditation practice. To volunteer or to obtain further information, phone Craig Horton, the Resident Temple Coordinator, at 216/287-9524. The next Toban is scheduled for June 19.

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CloudWater's rained-out Animal Release Service rescheduled for next Sunday

CloudWater Zendo had to cancel its May 2 Animal Release Service due to rain, bitter cold and three feet waves at Edgewater Beach. They even got mentioned in the Plain Dealer's May 3 story on the unusually bitter weather.

CloudWater has rescheduled the service for Sunday, May 16 at 12:00 noon. Location: far west beach of Edgewater Park. Participants are encouraged to bring their pets as well as their pictures and other mementos of deceased pets. A potluck lunch will be shared following the service.

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CloudWater holds monthly Pure Land Service May 19

CloudWater Zendo holds its monthly Pure Land Buddhist Service May 19 at 7:00 PM Pure Land practitioners and anyone interested in learning about Pure Land teaching are welcome. E-mail Ven. Ying Fa for more information.

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Saturday, May 22: the director of the Chicago Zen Center will lead an Introduction to Zen Buddhism workshop in Cleveland Heights

The Cleveland Zazen Group, an affiliate of the Rochester Zen Center, is sponsoring a workshop called Introduction to Zen Buddhism with Sensei Sevan Ross, director of the Chicago Zen Center. Ross is a teacher in the lineage of the Rochester Zen Center's founder, Philip Kapleau Roshi.

Following a talk on Zen and Buddhism, the first half of the workshop will include a posture demonstration, two rounds of zazen (sitting meditation), a question and answer period, and lunch. Sensei Ross will also lead an afternoon session that will be determined by the participants' needs.

The workshop be at the Unitarian Society on Lancashire Rd. in Cleveland Heights. The charge is $35 for the half-day and an additional $15 for the afternoon session. For more information and a registration form, please contact Susan or Larry Rakow, 216-932-3084 or e-mail susanrakow@earthlink.net.

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Cleveland Shambhala prepares to welcome Acharya Eric Spiegel on May 23

The Cleveland Shambhala Meditation Group (CSMG) will welcome Shambhala Mediation Center of New York's Acharya Eric Spiegel in May.

May 21 there will be a public talk; May 22 a seminar; refuge and boddhisatva vows will be given May 23.

In preparation for the visit, CSMG is holding a series of free discussion classes based on Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche's book "Turning the Mind into an Ally".

The series will start in Cleveland at the Bratenahl Community Center on Tuesday May 11th following sitting practicw. It will start in Akron at the Episcopal Church of our Savior on Thursday May 13th following sitting practice. Participants are requested to bring their own books. For more information on the discussion sessions, e-mail Sujata Burgess: or Virginia Purcell.

Anyone interested in taking the refuge or boddhisatva vows on May 23 needs to participate in some preparatory work, including a three-hour class the weekend of May 15-16 (time TBA). E-mail Virginia Purcell as soon as possible. For more information on Acharya Eric Spiegel's visit, e-mail Richard Weiner.

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CBT holds Animal Memorial Service on June 6

Kent Zendo's Tim McCarthy will be at the Cleveland Buddhist Temple (CBT) Sunday, June 6 at 10:00 am for a period of sitting meditation and at 10:30 am for the semiannual Memorial Service for Animals.

Anyone of any faith who wishes to express love, sympathy, and respect for animals who have died is welcome to attend. The service allows participants to show gratitude for the unconditional love of pets, acknowledge our dependence on animals for food, pay honor to animals used in medical research and mourn the loss of wildlife.

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Local News

New beginner meditation class offered at Richfield yoga studio

Jennie McMullen, a yoga teacher and a student with both Cleveland Shambhala and NEO Soto Zen Group, is offering a Wednesday night meditation class from 6:00 to 6:30 pm at the Namaste Yoga Studio in Richfield. The class will cover basic sitting meditation techniques and how to use the breath to relax the mind and body. Namaste is only 20 minutes from downtown Cleveland. The drop-in fee is $5. Please arrive 15-20 minutes early to give yourself enough time to get set up. For more information, e-mail Jennie, or visit her Web site, www.peacefulwarrioryoga.com.

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Jewel Heart starts third module of its "Odyssey to Freedom" series on May 12

Jewel Heart Cleveland offers the third module in its "Odyssey to Freedom" series beginning Wednesday, May 12, 7:15 - 8:45 pm at the group's Tremont location.

Odyssey to Freedom is Gehlek Rimpoche's step-by-step guide to the Buddhist path. Each evening will include a brief videotaped talk by Rimpoche, discussion, and guided meditation and practice advice. The course costs $80 for nonmembers. It is free to Jewel Heart members at the supporting level and above. Financial arrangements can be made in cases of hardship by contacting Anne Warren, 440/576-1190.

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Be sure to leave room in your May and June plans for CSU's "The Buddha Project"

We gave a pretty complete run down of The Buddha Project (TBP) in the last issue -- so just a reminder to check out the schedule and get out to some of these interesting events. It will be a very long time before anyone organizes a Buddhism-related event of this magnitude in our region.

TBP is a series of related lectures, art exhibits, musical recitals, films and practice sessions that will take place between May 14 and July 3. Local and regional teachers will lead practice focus days on Zen, Pure Land, Insight Meditation and Tibetan schools of Buddhism.

The Buddha Project is curated by Jeanne Grossetti and Robert Thurmer and Cosponsored by Cleveland State University's Center for Sacred Landmarks. Project partners include: Arts Collinwood, The Cleveland Buddhist Temple, Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland Shambhala Meditation Group, Cleveland Zazen Group, CloudWater Zendo, Gallery U, Insight Meditation of Cleveland, Jewel Heart Cleveland, Jijuyu-ji Zen Group of Cleveland, Performers and Artists for Nuclear Disarmament, Thrive: An Artspace, and West Shore Unitarian Universalist Church.

International News

Dalai Lama concludes his visit to Canada

Here are some of the many headlines from the Canadian press about the conclusion of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama's visit to Canada:

"Dalai Lama wows them in Toronto," Globe and Mail, April 26, 2004.

"Canada PM defies China, meets Dalai Lama," AFP via Yahoo News, April 26, 2004.

"Cultivate calm mind, Dalai Lama urges; Compassion good for physical health, spiritual leader tells U of T audience," Toronto Globe and Mail, April 28, 2004.

"Dalai Lama ends visit with mass initiation," Toronto Star, May 5, 2004.

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Malaysian reporter chronicles a pilgrimage to Indian and Nepali holy sites in words and pictures

Many of us dream of a chance of visiting some of the great historic sites of Buddhism. One Malaysian reporter recently published a pictorial journal of his pilgrimage to sites in India and Nepal.

Foong Thim Leng visited Bodh Gaya's Mahabodhi Temple and several other historic sites on a trip led by a Theravadin Buddhist monk. He recently published pictures and a touching description of the trip in Malaysia's The Star. It's worth a click!

"On the path to enlightenment," by Foong Thim Leng, The Star (Malaysia), May 1, 2004.

The Arts

Cedar-Lee will show new Korean film on Buddhism starting June 4

A new film about Buddhism from Korea is coming to Cleveland's Cedar-Lee Cinemas starting June 4. "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring" recently opened on both coasts and in Canada and is gaining loads of critical acclaim. Here's a quote from the film's description from Cedar-Lee's Web site:

"Writer/director/editor Kim Ki-duk has crafted a totally original yet universal story about the human spirit, moving from Innocence, through Love and Evil, to Enlightenment and finally Rebirth."

Some of the many positive reviews:

"Korean film suggests virtues of Buddhism," Star-Ledger (NJ), April 2, 2004.

"A stunning tale of now and Zen," Boston Globe, April 16, 2004.

"Korean film follows a boy and his Buddhist master," Denver Post, April 23, 2004.

Reference Shelf

New book chronicles the Dalai Lama's 1997 encounter with Western physicists and philosophers

If you're interested in modern science and its intersection with Buddhist thought, you'll be interested in a new book chronicling a 1997 conclave of Western philosophers and scientists organized by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

The New Physics and Cosmology: Dialogues With the Dalai Lama (Oxford University Press) recounts a five-day conference held at Dharmasala, India in 1997. A detailed review of the book recently appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle. Here's an excerpt from the review, by William Kowinski:

"The resulting dialogue between the Dalai Lama, several other Buddhist scholars and a group of Western physicists and philosophers ... makes up physicist Arthur Zajonc's graceful and insightful new book. ... Zajonc's 'New Physics' suggests the dramatic quality of the dialogues and the emotional impact of the conference experience. ... The nuanced Buddhist ideas of 'dependent arising,' which explore relationships of perception, expectations and reality, were particularly intriguing to both physicists and mind scientists."

For more, see the complete review ("The science of Tibetan Buddhism Neuroscientists, physicists have questions, the Dalai Lama answers," San Francisco Chronicle, April 11, 2004). The review also mentions several other books that chronicle some of the Dalai Lama's other scientific symposiums.