NEWSLETTERS
05 November 2025
Calling all you hungry hearts
Everywhere through endless time
You who wander, you who thirst
I offer you this bodhi mind.
Calling all you hungry spirits
All the lost and the left behind
Calling all you hungry hearts
Everywhere through endless time
Gather round and share this meal
Your joy and your sorrow, I make it mine
Good Afternoon Bodhisattvas –
We meet in-person this upcoming Tuesday and Saturday, November 8, is SEGAKI DAY. Our Memorial Day of the Dead celebrates those family and friends we have lost this year, or before, and to make sure we feed and take care of the hungry ghosts. We will share lunch together, please consider your offering for tea and/or lunch. AND please bring offerings for the altar in remembrance of those still on your mind/heart. Their favorite dish? Drink? Flowers and fruit?
And with the national crisis due to the defunding of SNAP, please bring donations of shelf-stable food items with you on Tuesday evening or Saturday morning. You can certainly bring these items for the altar on Segaki Day and we will transfer everything to Udumbara’s donation immediately thereafter.
Jukai class meets on Zoom following our regular gather - November 15
We were visited by Vicki Garlock who practices in Asheville NC. She was on a major journey. Below is her note…. How fun is that!
Guinness Award: Vicki Garlock recently wrote to thank Udumbara for being part of her Guinness world record attempt. She now holds the official title for the Most Places of Worship Visited in One Month. And the new record is...185!! "It was an amazing month in the beautiful city of Chicago, but the most lasting memories, by far, have been all the wonderful people I met along the way. Big thanks to Myoshin Tricia for her wonderful hospitality and encouragement!"
Our meeting location will shift in late November and December due to the church’s hosting of the homeless shelter. We’ll make sure you are alerted of which room we will meet.
I have much to share with you in the upcoming week after returning from the Soto Zen conference. I learned a lot.
Below are our meeting dates for the remainder of the year.
November
Saturday, November 1 9:00 -11:00 a.m.
Tuesday, November 4 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 8 Segaki Day of Practice
9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m
November 11, 15 ZOOM (Tuesday, 6:30, Saturday, 9:30 a.m.)
Tuesday, November 18 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 22 9:00- 11:00 a.m.
Tuesday, November 25 ZOOM (Tuesday, 6:30, Saturday, 9:30 a.m.)
THANKSGIVING BREAK
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 26 – MONDAY DECEMBER 1
December
Tuesday, December 2 6:30 p.m.
Friday, December 5 Rohatsu - 6:30 p.m.– 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 6 Rohatsu - 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
**WE WILL ALSO CREATE TIME FOR RAKUSU SEWING
DURING THESE DAYS OF PRACTICE
December 9, 13 ZOOM (Tuesday, 6:30, Saturday 9:30 am.)
Tuesday, December 16 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 20 9:00 a.m.
WINTER BREAK
DECEMBER 22 - JANUARY 3 2026
29 September 2025
Good afternoon, Bodhisattvas –
I hope you are enjoying this pretty day. [See Schedule page] for the final quarter of 2025. As I type this, I’m amazed by how fast this year has gone AND what we have accomplished in our practice together.
The church will be hosting the homeless shelter the month of December so we will be meeting downstairs except for Rohatsu when we will be meeting in the sanctuary. and Please note that our December Rohatsu Sesshin will begin on Friday evening 6:30 – 8:00, and all day on Saturday.
29 August 2025
Dear Bodhisattvas-
Some quick reminders for the next few days and the month of September. Joe will be out of town starting September 8, please remember we will need to all rally to set up the zendo on the days we meet in-person.
We are off tomorrow, Saturday, August 30, for the Labor Day Holiday weekend. Please enjoy your time, and my deepest gassho for your great labors.
Next Saturday, September 6, is a day of practice with our regular Saturday morning 9:00 and 9:25 zazen period followed by a dharma talk and lunch. Please think about your lunch offering.
This day of practice includes an art showing and the accompanying dharma talk. I hope you will make the time to attend. I’m excited to share this art project with you.
September
Tuesday, September 2 6:30 p.m. IN PERSON
Saturday, September 6 9:00- 2:00 p.m. IN PERSON
ART EXHIBIT
A THOUSAND BUDDHAS: IMAGININGS OF THE DUNHUANG CAVES
Dharma Talk - 10:30 – 12:00 p.m.
Tuesday, September 9 6:30 p.m. ZOOM
Saturday, September 13 9:30 a.m. ZOOM *Jukai class to follow
OFF Tuesday, September 16 OFF
Saturday, September 20 9:00 a.m. IN PERSON
Tuesday, September 23 6:30 p.m. ZOOM
Saturday, September 27 9:30 a.m. ZOOM
Tuesday, September 30 6:30 p.m. IN PERSON
August-September 2020 newsletter
February 2020 newsletter
January 2020 newsletter
November 2019 newsletter
05 November 2025
Calling all you hungry hearts
Everywhere through endless time
You who wander, you who thirst
I offer you this bodhi mind.
Calling all you hungry spirits
All the lost and the left behind
Calling all you hungry hearts
Everywhere through endless time
Gather round and share this meal
Your joy and your sorrow, I make it mine
Good Afternoon Bodhisattvas –
We meet in-person this upcoming Tuesday and Saturday, November 8, is SEGAKI DAY. Our Memorial Day of the Dead celebrates those family and friends we have lost this year, or before, and to make sure we feed and take care of the hungry ghosts. We will share lunch together, please consider your offering for tea and/or lunch. AND please bring offerings for the altar in remembrance of those still on your mind/heart. Their favorite dish? Drink? Flowers and fruit?
And with the national crisis due to the defunding of SNAP, please bring donations of shelf-stable food items with you on Tuesday evening or Saturday morning. You can certainly bring these items for the altar on Segaki Day and we will transfer everything to Udumbara’s donation immediately thereafter.
Jukai class meets on Zoom following our regular gather - November 15
We were visited by Vicki Garlock who practices in Asheville NC. She was on a major journey. Below is her note…. How fun is that!
Guinness Award: Vicki Garlock recently wrote to thank Udumbara for being part of her Guinness world record attempt. She now holds the official title for the Most Places of Worship Visited in One Month. And the new record is...185!! "It was an amazing month in the beautiful city of Chicago, but the most lasting memories, by far, have been all the wonderful people I met along the way. Big thanks to Myoshin Tricia for her wonderful hospitality and encouragement!"
Our meeting location will shift in late November and December due to the church’s hosting of the homeless shelter. We’ll make sure you are alerted of which room we will meet.
I have much to share with you in the upcoming week after returning from the Soto Zen conference. I learned a lot.
Below are our meeting dates for the remainder of the year.
November
Saturday, November 1 9:00 -11:00 a.m.
Tuesday, November 4 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 8 Segaki Day of Practice
9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m
November 11, 15 ZOOM (Tuesday, 6:30, Saturday, 9:30 a.m.)
Tuesday, November 18 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 22 9:00- 11:00 a.m.
Tuesday, November 25 ZOOM (Tuesday, 6:30, Saturday, 9:30 a.m.)
THANKSGIVING BREAK
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 26 – MONDAY DECEMBER 1
December
Tuesday, December 2 6:30 p.m.
Friday, December 5 Rohatsu - 6:30 p.m.– 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 6 Rohatsu - 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
**WE WILL ALSO CREATE TIME FOR RAKUSU SEWING
DURING THESE DAYS OF PRACTICE
December 9, 13 ZOOM (Tuesday, 6:30, Saturday 9:30 am.)
Tuesday, December 16 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 20 9:00 a.m.
WINTER BREAK
DECEMBER 22 - JANUARY 3 2026
29 September 2025
Good afternoon, Bodhisattvas –
I hope you are enjoying this pretty day. [See Schedule page] for the final quarter of 2025. As I type this, I’m amazed by how fast this year has gone AND what we have accomplished in our practice together.
The church will be hosting the homeless shelter the month of December so we will be meeting downstairs except for Rohatsu when we will be meeting in the sanctuary. and Please note that our December Rohatsu Sesshin will begin on Friday evening 6:30 – 8:00, and all day on Saturday.
29 August 2025
Dear Bodhisattvas-
Some quick reminders for the next few days and the month of September. Joe will be out of town starting September 8, please remember we will need to all rally to set up the zendo on the days we meet in-person.
We are off tomorrow, Saturday, August 30, for the Labor Day Holiday weekend. Please enjoy your time, and my deepest gassho for your great labors.
Next Saturday, September 6, is a day of practice with our regular Saturday morning 9:00 and 9:25 zazen period followed by a dharma talk and lunch. Please think about your lunch offering.
This day of practice includes an art showing and the accompanying dharma talk. I hope you will make the time to attend. I’m excited to share this art project with you.
September
Tuesday, September 2 6:30 p.m. IN PERSON
Saturday, September 6 9:00- 2:00 p.m. IN PERSON
ART EXHIBIT
A THOUSAND BUDDHAS: IMAGININGS OF THE DUNHUANG CAVES
Dharma Talk - 10:30 – 12:00 p.m.
Tuesday, September 9 6:30 p.m. ZOOM
Saturday, September 13 9:30 a.m. ZOOM *Jukai class to follow
OFF Tuesday, September 16 OFF
Saturday, September 20 9:00 a.m. IN PERSON
Tuesday, September 23 6:30 p.m. ZOOM
Saturday, September 27 9:30 a.m. ZOOM
Tuesday, September 30 6:30 p.m. IN PERSON
August-September 2020 newsletter
February 2020 newsletter
January 2020 newsletter
November 2019 newsletter
Other News
|
In this guided journal, Beth Jacobs,
PhD—who has taught and written extensively on both Buddhist psychology and therapeutic writing-- pairs meditation practices and Buddhist principles with journaling exercises to help center your mind, tap into your inner tranquility, and deepen your practice. Whether you're a first time meditator (or journaler!) or a seasoned Buddhist practitioner, A Buddhist Journal is a vehicle for personal insight and inner stillness, and the perfect antidote to a hectic world. |
Abhidharma, The Original Buddhist Psychology, available through Amazon
Beth Jacobs will be doing selected readings and teachings, check for further details.
Photos from the Spring Arts Festival:
Zen in America by Yining Zhou
Yining Zhou(周逸寧) is from Shanghai, China, and became interested in Buddhism while a graduate student at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. This video project was crafted to look at Zen Buddhism in the American cultural context, particularly as it relates to meditation practice.
Check Out Paper Sky:What Happened After Anne Frank's Diary Ended by Beth Jacobs
