The 2024 precepts cohort is now closed
Our next study group will be offered in 2025, though you are always welcome to speak with Red Cedar Zen teachers and practice leaders regarding this foundational aspect of Zen practice.
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The Red Cedar Zen Community is offering a monthly study group focused on the Zen Precepts. The group will be led by Kanho Chris Burkhart and IkuShun Desiree Webster with support from Nomon Tim Burnett.
This class is for all Red Cedar Zen Members and non-members interested in precepts studies. Students should have the intention to attend all 7 evening meetings and the half-day retreat. Students moving towards Jukai are expected to attend all sessions plus the Jukai ceremony on November 10th at the Fall Samish Sesshin.
Note: If you are interested in receiving Jukai this year, please see the Going Further page on the website and speak with a teacher for information on the process.
Note that this course is completely online via Zoom.
Meetings
Each group meeting will include discussion, experiential exercises, and reflection in small groups on what these precepts mean for us as human beings and students of Zen and in reflection of the teachers' comments.
A second monthly meeting is self-organized by smaller study groups to discuss the readings and further reflect on how the precepts show up in their lives. Responses can be written, artistic, or verbal.
The study group concludes with a half-day retreat in early October.
Texts Used
Being Upright by Reb Anderson,
Waking Up to What you Do by Diane Rizzetto
Mind of Clover by Robert Aitken.
Schedule
Wednesday evening meetings plus a Saturday half-day retreat.
3/27 - 6:30-8:00pm About the precepts, taking refuge
4/24 - 6:30-8:00pm Pure precepts
5/22 - 6:30-8:00pm Precepts 1 & 9
6/26 -6:30-8:00pm Precepts 2 & 3
7/24 - 6:30-8:00pm Precepts 4 & 5
8/28 - 6:30-8:00pm Precepts 6 & 7
9/25 - 6:30-8:00pm Precepts 8 & 10
10/12 - 9am - 1pm Half-day retreat
Teachers
Our Tanto (Practice Leader), Kanho Chris Burkhart, is an ordained priest and was shuso, head student, in 2014 and completed her priest's training with Dharma Transmission in April 2019.
IkuShun Desiree Webster has been a practitioner for many years and prior to her practice in the Soto Zen tradition practiced in the Plum Village tradition. She was shuso for the winter practice period 2023, and led the sangha on a journey through The Heart of the Buddha’s Teachings, bringing with her the flavor of Thich Nhat Hanh’s understanding. Her formal teacher is Ryushin Andrea Thach from the Berkeley Zen Center.
