Zen At Fordham | UPDATE

Roshi Robert Kennedy, S.J., will now be joining us on Tuesday, November 16 (rather than November 9), to sit, give a talk and take questions about interfaith Zen practice.

Sensei Ray Ruzan Cicetti of Empty Bowl Zendo in Morristown will visit on Tuesday, November 30, to give a talk and take questions. A dharma heir of Roshi Kennedy, he is a psychotherapist in private practice.

Sensei Michael Holleran, a Fordham alumnus and former Carthusian monk, joins us on the fourth Tuesday of every month to give a talk and daisan. He is a parish priest in New York City and a dharma heir of Roshi Kennedy.

Zen practice is held every Tuesday evening from 6:10 to 7:45 p.m., in the Blessed Rupert Mayer Chapel at the Lowenstein Center at Fordham's Lincoln Center campus.

Free and open to all, no registration required. Beginner instruction is given whenever ecessary.

For more information on this branch of the White Plum Asanga, visit www.kennedyzen.org.

The Fordham Interfaith Zen Sitting Group is based on the teaching of Robert Kennedy, S.J., Roshi, who began his Zen practice in Japan when he was sent there as a young priest. He and his dharma heirs support the Fordham Sitting Group by coming to teach each semester.

Sensei Paul Schubert, also a dharma heir of Roshi, joins us the first Tuesday of every month. Sensei Paul was a research chemist, recently taking early retirement to teach science to high school kids. He and his wife Peggy run City Tiger Zen and a sitting group at Xavier.

Roshi Kennedy was interviewed by Tom Fox at the National Catholic Reporter last year: listen to the podcast, in which he describes how he first came to Zen.

For More Information:
Roshi Kennedy: www.kennedyzen.org
Michael Holleran
Paul Schubert

Free and open to all, no registration necessary. Sponsored by the Office of Campus Ministry.

Fordham Interfaith Zen

On Tuesday, December 1, Roshi Robert Kennedy, S.J., will sit, give a dharma talk and take questions at Fordham's Interfaith Zen Group, in the Blessed Rupert Mayer Chapel, Room 221 Lowenstein Center, Lincoln Center campus, from 6:10 to 7:45 p.m.

For this visit, Roshi Kennedy will speak on the question, "What is it when the story ends?" He will bring to this his uniquely seamless experience of both Zen and Catholic practice, a subject very much in the air since Paul Knitter's book, Without Buddha I Could Not Be a Christian.

When interviewed by the National Catholic Reporter in 2007, Roshi Kennedy said:

"I was talking with a Chinese Zen master once and he said one of the difficulties of dealing with Catholics is that they love their spiritualities ... as if it was a parallel life," Kennedy tells Tom Fox. Buddhists root us in this moment, he said. "Buddhists would say, 'If God isn't present in this moment, where is he? You meet God in doing the deed of this moment in front of you. Never withdraw from it.' "

The podcast is available at: 'I wanted a faith that was deeper': Jesuit priest and Zen master

Beginner instruction will be given during the first sitting period. Roshi will then speak and take questions from the group as a whole rather than the usual daisan (individual meetings with the teacher).

More information on this branch of interfaith Zen meditation is available at kennedyzen.org.

Sheila Ross, Facilitator, Fordham Interfaith Zen

Fordham Interfaith Zen Sittings

Here are the Fordham Interfaith Zen Sittings for November:

November 3: Sensei Paul Schubert
November 10: Roshi Robert Kennedy, S.J.
Location: The Blessed Rupert Mayer Chapel, Room 221, Lowenstein Center, Lincoln Center campus

November 17: Brenda Shoshanna
Location: To be announced

Time for all events: 6:10 - 7:45 p.m.

Senseis Michael Holleran and Paul Schubert are both dharma heirs of Roshi Robert Kennedy, S.J. Roshi Kennedy studied with the Japanese Zen masters Yamada Roshi and Maezumi Roshi before returning to the tri-state area to study with Bernie Glassman Roshi of the Zen Peacemakers Order. It was Glassman Roshi who decided that it was not necessary to be a Buddhist to become a Zen master. He has given dharma transmission to men and women of a variety of faiths, including Catholics, Jews and Sufis (www.zenpeacemakers.org/about/vision.htm).

Roshi Kennedy's Jesuit mission and Zen teaching and practice are seamless: both are contemplation leading to compassionate action (www.kennedyzen.org). He recently retired as Chair of Theology at St. Peter's College in Jersey City. He is the author of two books: Zen Gifts to Christians and Zen Spirit, Christian Spirit. People of many faiths and none sit with him, including Catholic religious and priests.

Sensei Paul Schubert was a research chemist until he took early retirement in order to teach chemistry (and Zen) in the high schools. He sits with us the first Tuesday of every month, saying a few words and giving daisan (individual meetings to discuss practice).

Sensei Michael Holleran is a Fordham alumnus who became first a Jesuit and then, for 22 years, a Carthusian monk. The Carthusians are an order of hermits who were recently the subject of a documentary, Into Great Silence. Michael's Zen studies with Roshi Kennedy began when he left the order. He is now working as a parish priest here in Manhattan. He visits Fordham Zen group on the fourth Tuesday of every month, giving a talk and daisan.

Brenda Shoshanna is from a different Zen lineage. Raised an orthodox Jew in Borough Park, Brooklyn, she is a Zen student of the Japanese master Eido Roshi. For her recent book, The Jewish Dharma, Roshi Kennedy wrote: "Dr. Brenda Shoshanna flies on two wings: A deep love of orthodox Jewish faith and her Zen practice of 36 years. Her vision embraces both traditions with fidelity and beauty." (www.jewishdharma.com).

Our sittings are free and open to all, no registration required. Beginner instruction is given whenever necessary.

We are sponsored by Campus Ministry. Inisfada, the interfaith Zen center at St. Ignatius Retreat House in Manhasset, continues to loan us cushions for this practice, for which we again thank director Russ Ball. We also thank Roshi Kennedy for his continuing guidance and teaching.

Fordham's Westchester campus now also has a Zen group, sponsored by Campus Ministry Westchester, under the guidance of Carol Gibney and Russ Michel, a dharma student of Roshi Kennedy. Carol can be contacted at (914) 367-3420.

Sheila Ross, Facilitator, Fordham Interfaith Zen