Latest News

28th March

New style website

As promised at the last Sangha Weekend in September, and just in time for the next one in April, the European website has been redesigned and updated.  We hope you like the new layout and find it easy to navigate.  In the new layout there are three columns: links to the main sections are on the left hand side, and include a direct link to our extensive collection of articles (mostly transcription of Dharma talks) in twelve languages.  All the material we had in these languages in the previous design of the website can be found here, in the form of downloadable pdfs, though the web pages are all English now.  There is a also a new link to a Resource Library, which we are planning expand and deepen soon, to provide easy access to the resources that Zen groups need.  As you navigate around, the right hand column gives access to subpages like calendars, or to outside sites like the websites of our national sanghas. 

If you have any suggestions, comments or ideas for how the website can be made more useful, easier to navigate, clearer or more beautiful, please contact the webmaster or any member of the office team with your ideas. 

#7: Posted by Peter Voke at 7:26 on 28/3/10         | Permalink |

 

20th March

Paramita Tour: complete

The tour by Zen Master Soeng Hyang (Bobby Rhodes) through Europe and Israel went wonderfully, with every Dharma talk and retreat going according to plan.  In most cases many more students attended than we hoped.  All of us who enjoyed talks, practice and interviews with ZM Soeng Hyang appreciated her wisdom and compassion.  Audio and video recordings of ten of the Dharma talks, along with some pictures, will be found on the 'Galleries' tab at the tour website, so if you missed any, you can find them there.

#6: Posted by Peter Voke at 19:09 on 20/3/10         | Permalink |

 

12th January

Paramita Tour: fine details

We are rapidly approaching the arrival of Zen Master Soeng Hyang (Bobby Rhodes) in Europe, and her tour through seven countries giving Dharma Talks and leading retreats.  Nearly all the details have been finalized now and the Paramita Tour website has been updated with all the times, locations, topics and moves.  All members and friends, please try to attend any talk or retreat you can — you will not regret it, as Zen Master Soeng Hyang is one of our most loved and most inspiring teachers.

If you noticed some odd error messages and disruption on any of our website pages recently, don't worry: these appeared as our host upgraded its system and it took a few days to get the programs that run the sites upgraded in line.  Already, or very soon, everything should be back to normal, but if you see something persistently incorrect, please inform me, webmaster kwanumeurope org.  Thanks.

#5: Posted by Peter Voke at 11:00 on 12/1/10         | Permalink |

 

23rd November 2009

Our New Teachers

The Webmaster's Blog, which some of you may have enjoyed following over the past couple of years, is going to stop as its functions are being taken over by this blog, "Latest News".  The last item there will be posted today, but the second-to-last item posted is of some interest, so here is the same information, brought up to date.

Many members will know that two long-time members of the European sangha received inka in Warsaw in September.  They are now known as Ja An JDPSN and Oleg Šuk JDPSN.  Each of them has been active in founding and running more than one Zen Center, in Poland, Slovakia or London.  Now they are both well into their six-month training periods and so you may meet them in retreats, sitting alongside Zen Masters during kong-an interviews.  Zen groups and abbots can invite them to lead retreats independently after about March or April 2010 (use the Retreat Booking System - you will find their names there now).

Here are some pictures of the inka ceremony on Warsaw.  For more pictures, follow the link on the right. 

#4: Posted by Peter Voke at 10:03 on 23/11/09         | Permalink |

 

9th November 2009

Tour by Zen Master Soeng Hyang

Our international School Zen Master, Soeng Hyang SSN (ZM Bobby Rhodes) will be coming to Europe in early 2010 and visiting nine of our centers, including Israel.  The tour goes to Won Kwang Sa, Bratislava, Brno, Prague, Dresden, Paris, Warsaw, Berlin and Tel Aviv, between January 22 and February 22 2010.  Zen Master Soeng Hyang will give dharma talks on the six Paramitas (and three more talks), so this tour is called the Paramita Tour.  There will be retreats with ZM Soeng Hyang at most of the locations, too — longer ones at Won Kwang Sa, Warsaw, Berlin and in Israel, shorter ones in Paris and Dresden.

Members and friends of the school are welcome to attend any of the events, or travel with ZM Soeng Hyang — Bobby — for all or part of the tour.  All the details you need for joining in will be found at www.paramita-tour-2010.org, which is now up to date with tour and travel information.  This is the main online site to bookmark for the latest updates on the Paramita Tour 2010.

#3: Posted by Peter Voke at 10:50 on 9/11/09         | Permalink |

 

2nd November 2009

Winter Kyol Che: New Zen Hall

The ninety-day Winter Kyol Che that starts on January 3rd 2010 will be held at Won Kwang Sa temple in Hungary, as in the last two years.  But this time there will be much more room, as the beautiful Korean-style Zen Hall will be ready for use along with the visiting teachers' room and robe-room off the same corridor.  With the extra facilities, more visiting teachers will be coming to lead the retreat, including Zen Master Soeng Hyang, Zen Master Wu Bong, and Dharma Masters Muchak and Jo Potter, each for one week, as well as Chong An Sunim JDPS, the resident teacher and abbot of Won Kwang Sa.  (We expect some other teachers may also come.)

If you want to know more, or are interested in participating in the Winter Kyol Che from a minimum of one week up to ninety days, check out the links on the right.

#2: Posted by Peter Voke at 10:49 on 2/11/09         | Permalink |

 

28th October 2008

London Zen Centre: More Space

Over the summer, the London Zen Centre Abbot acquired a separate flat close to the current Zen Center, about five minutes walk away.  That brought a chance to accommodate two or three additional people who would like to live with a practicing community and thus support their own practice as well as the Sangha.  There is practice every day, morning and evening, and monthly retreats with the Sangha and teachers.

With new residents recently moving in, the London Sangha will be able to keep this rental flat, but there is still room for more people to come and join us.  Anyone who is interested in helping or moving to LZC as a resident Zen student, please contact the Abbess, Ja An JDPSN, at jaansah gmail com (+44 0207 263  5579).

Further information is also available on the London ZC webpage, http://london.kwanumeurope.org.

#1: Posted by Katka Grofova at 9:12 on 28/10/08         | Permalink |