Are you anxious about life or struggle to be happy?
Modern life, with all its distractions, can be difficult to navigate. Cell phones, jobs, families and expectations distract us from what life is really about: living each moment fully and with purpose.
Zen Master Bon Soeng (Jeff Kitzes) will being giving a talk on June 16 on how Zen Buddhism can help you find happiness in our busy, modern world. Bon Soeng is a licensed psychotherapist and nationally recognized Zen Master dedicated to merging Zen with modern psychotherapy. Bon Soeng says we exhaust ourselves grasping for what we want and repelling what we don’t want, instead of living with what is here. Change takes practice and compassion, with Zen providing one possible solution.
Dharma Talk: June 16th at 7 p.m. at the Boise Institute for Buddhist Studies (or BIBs) at 901 N. 15th St. in Boise. The talk starts with a short meditation session and ends with time for questions.
Retreat: June 17th from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Boise Institute for Buddhist Studies (or BIBs) at 901 N. 15th St. in Boise and online. The all-day meditation retreat will include lunch for in-person participants and 1-on-1 interviews with Zen Master Bon Soeng. Space will be limited to nine people for the in-person retreat. The online retreat is open to everyone.
About Zen and Happiness
Many wellness experts and physicians discuss the benefits of meditation for reducing blood pressure or calming anxious feelings. The practice of Zen takes the practice of meditation further by extending it from the cushion to our lives.
Zen practice encourages the practice of mindfulness, which involves being fully present in the current moment without judgment. By training the mind to focus on the present, rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, the practice of mindfulness can help cultivate a deeper appreciation for the simple joys and beauty of each moment.
In this whole world everyone searches for happiness outside, but nobody understands their true self inside. Everybody says, “I” — “I want this, I am like that…” But nobody understands this “I.” Before you were born, where did your I come from? When you die, where will your I go? If you sincerely ask, “What am I?” sooner or later you will run into a wall where all thinking is cut off. We call this “Don’t Know.” Zen is keeping this “Don’t Know” mind always and everywhere.
Zen Master Seung Sahn
The practice of Zen encourages individuals to embrace their imperfections and the problems in the world around them. By accepting impermanence and the inherent flaws in life, individuals can find a deep sense of peace and happiness. Rather than striving for perfection, Zen encourages individuals to appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of each moment, just as it is.
About Jeff Kitzes (Zen Master Bon Soeng)
Since 1992, the Empty Gate Zen Center, in Berkley, CA, has been led by Guiding Teacher Jeff Kitzes (Zen Master Bon Soeng). Jeff began practicing Zen in 1975 and began practicing with Zen Master Seung Sahn in 1979. In December of 1992, Jeff received inka (authorization to teach kong-ans or koans). In 2001, he received dharma transmission from Zen Master Seung Sahn and was given the name Bon Soeng which means “Original Nature.” Jeff is also a licensed psychotherapist in private practice, specializing in the integration of Zen Buddhism and Western Psychotherapy.
Boise Institute for Buddhist Studies 