About the HBS Zen Group
Announcement: Due to the risk of spreading Coronavirus, Zen Group meetings have been suspended until further notice.
The other events described below are also subject to cancellation - please contact us for up to date information. Enquires by email and phone are still welcome though and there are books and online resources we can help you with if you want to learn more.
The Zen Group of the Hampshire Buddhist Society is affiliated to the Zen Centre, which has temples in London and Luton and offers a structured training programme. The Zen Centre is closely associated with the Buddhist Society. The head teacher of the Zen Centre is Martin Goodson, who was appointed by our founder, Venerable Myokyo-ni. Venerable Myokyo-ni, then known as Dr Irmgard Schloegl, trained in Japan for twelve years during the Sixties and early Seventies at Daitoku-ji temple in Kyoto and qualified as a Zen Master. She died in 2007 and is now formally known as Master Daiyu Myokyo. The training she established continues and has very firm traditional roots.
The Zen Centre assumes that new students are already familiar with the basic principles of Buddhism but this should not discourage those new to Buddhism from attending our local meetings. Buddhist principles can be learned at the Group’s meetings and by study but the Buddhist Society’s correspondence course is recommended for a systematic approach. Two members of the Group are correspondence course tutors.
When the coronavirus has passed we plan to resume our weekly meetings in Southampton on Monday evenings. Details will be published in the web site calendar and in the Society’s newsletter. The meeting format varies: sometimes formal with chanting and zazen (sitting meditation), sometimes with a recorded talk or video, sometimes discussion. The last meeting of every month is an “open meeting”, which is the least formal and gives new members a chance to learn about the Group.
[see note above on Coronavirus] Once a month there is an opportunity to attend an all-day Sunday meeting at the Buddhist Society in London, usually led by Dr Desmond Biddulph, President of the Buddhist Society and a senior student of Venerable Myokyo-ni, and by Venerable Sogen of Fairlight Zen Buddhist Temple in Luton. There are usually two practice talks and instruction in zazen. Group members share cars for these trips, so they aren’t expensive.
[see note above on Coronavirus] Every summer there is an opportunity to attend the Buddhist Society’s residential Summer School. This lasts for a week and is held at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester. Martin and other senior members of the Buddhist Society conduct the course.
For those “older” in the training, the Zen Centre offers a range of sesshins (retreats) ranging from one to five days for more intensive training. All of this might seem a bit daunting for the newcomer! There is no need to jump in feet first and try to do all of it. The best place to start is usually one of our monthly “open meetings”, which will give you a chance to meet some of the Group members informally and ask questions.
The meetings are held at a private house in Shirley, Southampton. If you would like to come, please contact us for details.
Announcement: Due to the risk of spreading Coronavirus, Zen Group meetings have been suspended until further notice.
The other events described below are also subject to cancellation - please contact us for up to date information. Enquires by email and phone are still welcome though and there are books and online resources we can help you with if you want to learn more.
The Zen Group of the Hampshire Buddhist Society is affiliated to the Zen Centre, which has temples in London and Luton and offers a structured training programme. The Zen Centre is closely associated with the Buddhist Society. The head teacher of the Zen Centre is Martin Goodson, who was appointed by our founder, Venerable Myokyo-ni. Venerable Myokyo-ni, then known as Dr Irmgard Schloegl, trained in Japan for twelve years during the Sixties and early Seventies at Daitoku-ji temple in Kyoto and qualified as a Zen Master. She died in 2007 and is now formally known as Master Daiyu Myokyo. The training she established continues and has very firm traditional roots.
The Zen Centre assumes that new students are already familiar with the basic principles of Buddhism but this should not discourage those new to Buddhism from attending our local meetings. Buddhist principles can be learned at the Group’s meetings and by study but the Buddhist Society’s correspondence course is recommended for a systematic approach. Two members of the Group are correspondence course tutors.
When the coronavirus has passed we plan to resume our weekly meetings in Southampton on Monday evenings. Details will be published in the web site calendar and in the Society’s newsletter. The meeting format varies: sometimes formal with chanting and zazen (sitting meditation), sometimes with a recorded talk or video, sometimes discussion. The last meeting of every month is an “open meeting”, which is the least formal and gives new members a chance to learn about the Group.
[see note above on Coronavirus] Once a month there is an opportunity to attend an all-day Sunday meeting at the Buddhist Society in London, usually led by Dr Desmond Biddulph, President of the Buddhist Society and a senior student of Venerable Myokyo-ni, and by Venerable Sogen of Fairlight Zen Buddhist Temple in Luton. There are usually two practice talks and instruction in zazen. Group members share cars for these trips, so they aren’t expensive.
[see note above on Coronavirus] Every summer there is an opportunity to attend the Buddhist Society’s residential Summer School. This lasts for a week and is held at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester. Martin and other senior members of the Buddhist Society conduct the course.
For those “older” in the training, the Zen Centre offers a range of sesshins (retreats) ranging from one to five days for more intensive training. All of this might seem a bit daunting for the newcomer! There is no need to jump in feet first and try to do all of it. The best place to start is usually one of our monthly “open meetings”, which will give you a chance to meet some of the Group members informally and ask questions.
The meetings are held at a private house in Shirley, Southampton. If you would like to come, please contact us for details.
Main image copyright Roberta Mansell. Text copyright Hampshire Buddhist Society unless otherwise stated. All rights reserved.