Wellington

We are a small friendly sitting group that meets on Wednesday evenings from 7.15 to 8.45, at St Anne's parish hall, Emmett Street Newtown. (Emmett St is off Riddiford street, at the city end of Newtown. The end of Emmett St is a car park for St Anne's church and hall, - go into the carpark and the parish hall is on the right.)

We have 2 rounds of 25 minute sitting, with a 5 minute slow meditation walk (kinhin) in between. Following this we chant a sutra and the 4 Great Vows. We finish with a cup of tea, reading and discussion.

Everyone is welcome and you can sit on a cushion or on a chair, whatever is most comfortable.

While we have no resident teacher, we have experienced practitioners who can offer basic instruction and guidance on meditation. We are also privileged to have visits and guidance from our 3 teachers in New Zealand, Mary Jaksch Roshi (based in Nelson), and Arthur Wells, Sensei (based in Christchurch) and Glenn Wallis Sensei (currently based overseas).

If you want more information please get in touch with us.

Contacts: Deb (04) 9342932 or Scott & Caroline 04 934 0653

Nelson

We welcome all meditators and interested parties, whatever there background , to join the Maitai Zendo in Nelson.

We sit each Monday evening at 7.30 at Fairfield House, Nelson. We sit upstairs in the small cottage like building to the left of the main building. Go past the first door, into the little library and up the stair/ladder.

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Christchurch

The Christchurch Diamond Sangha Zen Group meets on Wednesdays between 7 and 9 pm at the home of Shona Pierce and her husband Ray, 53 Heathcote Street, Woolston. This is on the Sumner bus route, only a short walk from the Woolston shopping area in Ferry Road. Please walk round to the back of Shona and Ray's house, and come in from the timber patio.

Contacts: Shona (03) 981 9377 or Arthur (03) 348 4656

The group is led by Arthur Wells Sensei, who was authorised as a Diamond Sangha teacher in February 2008. Every Wednesday evening Arthur offers "dokusan" or individual interview, the purpose of which is to give personal guidance for sitting practice, to answer questions about Zen and to work closely with those people studying koans or practicing shikantaza.

All are welcome to the evening meetings, public talks, workshops and retreats that we run. Basic instruction in Zen meditation is given each time there are any newcomers. People may choose to sit in chairs or on the cushions supplied. Cushions are available to purchase for home practice. We ask for a gold coin donation for participating in the Wednesday evening meetings to support the group's activities and our NZ teachers.

Each Wednesday evening, after words of welcome and introduction, there are two 25 minute sitting rounds, with slow walking meditation for about five minutes after each round. This is followed by chanting the Heart Sutra or one of the other chants commonly used in Zen. After this there is a short talk from Arthur or one of the experienced members of the group, then discussion over tea and biscuits about the theme of the talk and any questions people wish to raise. The evening concludes with chanting "Great Vows for All" and three full bows.

Some prefer just to observe these ritual aspects of Zen, without participating, which is fine. You can catch the spirit of it just by watching. The Diamond Sangha is a lay lineage of Zen (i.e. non-monastic) that retains some traditional elements of Zen, not for the sake of being formally correct but because these practices powerfully alter the way our mind separates from experience. For example, in chanting we join our voice to others and become part of the great assembly of all beings, and in bowing we practice dropping separate ego and entering the vast, compassionate mind of a buddha.

Dunedin

The Dunedin Zen Group meets each Wednesday at 6.00pm at 215 North Road. This is in North East Valley, on the corner of North Road, and Carr Street. This is one kilometer from the shops at the Gardens. For further details or to get in touch please contact Jim Hegarty at (03) 473 7090 (or 473 8359).