Happy New Year!

To one and all the very best in the coming new year.Keep your feet warm and your head cool, and remember, I’ll be watching you!  

Red Rock National Park, Nevada

One of the great national parks is just 20 minutes west of Las Vegas. This is a late summer photo taken after a thunderstorm.

New post with photos

Hi Ya’all, I’m testing to see how photos show up on the blog. 

Welcome Sangha Members

This is an example of a blog. We’re considering using this format to announce events that take place at Vista Zen Center, make available podcasts and video blogs, and also to create an arena where members can voice opinions about practice. The blog you’re looking at is just an example of what is possible. Categories can be created for whatever interests you. You will be able to write whatever, whenever. You can post a poem you wrote, say “Hello” to friends, complain about the teacher, propose ideas for social action, review books and movies — gosh darn anything you can think of can be added to this blog. This blog would also take the place of the announcements that Jake emails every week. He’s still email a quote encouraging practice, but the “nuts and bolts” of all the different programs would be here.Think of this as a website, except that now you can add your “Two-cents” to the pot.I’ve chosen this particular theme just to illustrate what is available. More themes can be seen at www.wordpress.comPlease take a minute to check this blog out and if you like or dislike the idea, let Jake know. Communication is the cornerstone of, well, eh — communication, and if nobody lets us know what the think then – oh, what a lonely world it will be.ThanksScott 

Hi Jake –

Hi Jake,This is an example of how well a blog can work for the center. Each of these posts can be designated to one or all of the categories listed on the right hand side of this page.click the FOUR VOWS DISCUSSIONYou can also add photos and all kinds of stuff.I’ve set this up with a lot of filler just to show how it would look.If you go to WordPress.com you can select any one of 50+ themes.Let me know what you think.Quite frankly, this will eliminate a large amount of time on your part returning calls about events and programs and you’ll only have to post the information once.Scott 

Coming events

• No sitting here Christmas morning, but we will be here the rest of the week. 
• Our New Year’s Eve sitting begins at 9:00 p.m. with music and socializing followed by zazen at 11:00 taking us into the New Year. About 12:15 we’ll share a potluck of whatever strikes your fancy to bring if you can join us. If you can’t be here with us in person,I highly recommend meditating through the midnight hour. It’s been a tradition of mine for almost forty years and I can think of no other way better to start off the New Year.
• Our beginning of the year sesshin starts January 2 and will finish with a Jukai ceremony January 6. The ceremony will start at 10:30 a.m. after our regular 9:00 a.m. Sunday morning zazen practice. Linda, Steve, and David will be taking Jukai and I invite you all to join us. 
• If you are planning on attending New Year’s Eve, any part of the sesshin, or the Jukai ceremony, would you please contact me and let me know of your specific plans.

Holiday Greetings

Holiday Greetings and Happy Winter Solstice,I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season. I know many of you will be traveling this year to wonderful places like Hawail and Italy, just to name two I know of, and I certainly hope everything goes smoothly. We will not be sitting here Christmas morning, but we will be here the rest of the week.Our New Year’s Eve sitting begins at 9:00 p.m. with music and socializing followed by zazen at 11:00 taking us into the New Year. About 12:15 we’ll share a potluck of whatever strikes your fancy to bring if you can join us. If you can’t be here with us in person,I highly recommend meditating through the midnight hour. It’s been a tradition of mine for almost forty years and I can think of no other way better to start off the New Year. Our beginning of the year sesshin starts January 2 and will finish with a Jukai ceremony January 6. The ceremony will start at 10:30 a.m. after our regular 9:00 a.m. Sunday morning zazen practice. Linda, Steve, and David will be taking Jukai and I invite you all to join us.If you are planning on attending New Year’s Eve, any part of the sesshin, or the Jukai ceremony, would you please contact me and let me know of your specific plans.I’ve asked Linda, as part of her practice, to help me out by sending me a couple of quotes each week that I might use. When you see her mentioned as the source of the quotes she is doing so to help me and to help deepen her understanding. Any one of you may send a quote at any time and I will very likely use it. It’s a great practice and will take you into areas of study you do not expect. If you are interested in this as a personal practice, please let me know and we’ll make it happen.Today’s quote from Linda:From The Diamond Sutra translation by Red Pine, in the commentaries“In our thoughts, the moon may be full or new, bright or dim, present or not present, but the moon itself has none of these characteristics. The moon is just the moon.”May your holiday season be filled with joy, Jake

Hello world!

Welcome to the Vista Zen Center web blog. This site will take the place of a traditional web site and allow the membership to participate in the various forums soon to be launched here.My name is Jake Gage and I am the resident teacher at Vista Zen Center. One of the ongoing practices at Vista Zen Center is the examination of creative pursuits as they pertain to traditional zen practice. We’ve launched an ongoing movie night, coupled with the ever popular pot luck dinners.