Events

Overview

Zen Buddhism is famously described as a tradition of meditation practice that does not rely on words and letters. Instead, it encourages a direct and unfiltered experience of our reality. Seated meditation (zazen) is an ‘open door’, an invitation to dissolve the distance between our self and another. Zen practitioners practise zazen to cultivate a natural and unforced compassion, inspiring a life of service. This spontaneous compassion that expresses itself in service is called the bodhisattva ideal, a way of being in the world for the benefit of all beings. Each of us has something unique to offer, and Zen is the ongoing commitment to discovering what this is.

What attendees can expect

This course will explore the teachings of Zen as they relate to everyday life. The emphasis will be on zazen (seated meditation), not-knowing, the experience and practice of the bodhisattva ideal, and Zen’s affinity with Indigenous wisdom. Each week will take up a different theme and examine it in depth in zazen. The focus will be on cultivating a personal experience of the dharma (teachings) to reveal how Zen relates to compassion and love of the many beings of the world.

Schedule

This guided meditation will run online via Zoom every week from Wednesday 5 March – Wednesday 26 March 2025. Please register once to indicate your attendance throughout the series, or register for the individual sessions you plan to attend. If the registration button does not appear, please click on View other times for this event.

Your wellbeing

• No activity is without potential risks. To help you decide whether this session is right for you, read the CSC Guided Meditation FAQs.
• The Contemplative Studies Centre at The University of Melbourne is not a health provider.
• This guided meditation session is not the provision of a health service by the Contemplative Studies Centre at The University of Melbourne.
• This guided meditation session is a CSC Service offered under the CSC Terms and Conditions. By clicking on the Registration button below to participate in this session, you are indicating that you have read, understood, and agree with the full CSC Terms and Conditions.