The White Lotus Haven Zen of Connecticut, located in Canton, CT, is dedicated to providing accessible training in Zen Buddhist meditation practices and dharma study. The sangha community is made up of individuals who are committed to cultivating wisdom and meditation. White Lotus Haven Zen was founded by The Venerable Shim Bo, a Zen Buddhist Monk serving as the Abbot and Spiritual Director. His duties include meditation instruction, sutra study, spiritual guidance and support, chanting instruction, and zen liturgy. Venerable Shim Bo has provided spiritual guidance for fifteen years, beginning his career with the United Buddhist Church and now acting as Buddhist Chaplain at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut, and is a Dharma Mentor/Teacher with the Buddhist Association of the United States Prisoner Correspondence Course. Other Sangha members include Reverend Bo Deok, Reverend Bo In, Reverend Bo Gam Sunim, and Reverend Bo Gon Sunim. WLHZ values community, resilience, equality, cultural diversity, and loving-kindness.
WLHZ provides a foundational understanding of Buddhist schools (Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana, and Zen), and religious, philosophical, cultural, historical, and educational contexts of the Way of Buddha — drawing upon teachings found in the Pali Canon, Prajna Paramita Sutras, and the Zen Teaching Records/Commentaries of ancient and contemporary Buddhist masters. Community members learn from Buddhist ideologies such as the Triple Gem, Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path, and the four Bodhisattva Vows.
White Lotus Haven Zen is a non-sectarian Buddhist community with lineage masters from Korean, Vietnamese, and Zen traditions. The community is guided by the Most Venerable Sunyananda Dharma, an extensively trained Buddhist teacher authorized in Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese Zen schools. Sunyananda holds titles in the Il Bung Zen tradition and Lâm Tế Thiền lineage, and has a diverse background in teaching, martial arts, academia, and pastoral counseling.
For members of the WLHZ sangha, there are many opportunities to put their beliefs into practice. Every Sunday, they hold a two hour long Zen meditation practice. This incorporates chanting, bowing, sitting, walking, listening, and learning the self with intention. Members can participate in bowing practice by Zen Master Dae Bong, or chanting meditation with Zen Master Seung Sahn.
Bowing practice at White Lotus Haven Zen is a means to unify the body and mind. It aids in ridding lazy, desire-driven, and angry thoughts. Through the ritual of bowing, practitioners aim to align their consciousness and body. The tradition involves performing 108 bows, a symbolic number representing defilements or compartments in the mind. Each bow serves as a repentance ceremony, clearing away bad thoughts from waking hours or in dreams. The direction and intention of bowing emphasize transcending the self, uncovering one’s true nature, and aiding all beings in alleviating suffering. Bowing, essential for aligning body and mind, offers an alternative for those unable to sit in meditation due to health constraints or excessive mental activity. Consistent practice, with higher bowing repetitions, strengthens one’s center, enabling better control over personal tendencies and contributing to personal and global well-being.
At White Lotus Haven Zen, daily Kido chanting is a meditative practice that uses breath, sound, and vibration to foster self-surrender and open the mind-heart in gratitude. The chanting involves mantras from ancient Sanskrit, transliterated into various languages including Korean. These mantras emphasize humility, repentance, renewal, devotion, healing, and peace for the suffering and deceased. The chanting service, open to all, constitutes an essential daily practice involving invocations, sutras, dedications, and sitting meditation. According to Zen Master Seung Sahn, chanting meditation helps one perceive one’s true nature, fostering a strong sense of centeredness and emotional control.
At White Lotus Haven Zen, Zen practice extends into art as a means of expressing oneself. This involves observing reality without the filters of craving, aversion, or self-centered projections. Ancient Zen masters captured the essence of nature through minimalist ink paintings and calligraphy, a tradition carried on still today. The community encourages Zen practice through art, offering Lotus Arts workshops that encompass various forms of creative expression like art, music, poetry, and cooking. The aim is to enable individuals to connect with Zen principles through artistic endeavors, fostering a contemplative and uncontrived approach to self-expression. The provided artworks showcase this, capturing the essence of peace in the ordinary.
WLHZ offers Lotus Buds, a program designed for children ages six to nine to provide instruction and education on the history and practices of Buddhism. This program teaches the importance of loving-kindness through meditation practices and engaging activities. There are annual events such as Zen Meditation Retreats, Buddha Day Celebration, Celebrations of WLHZ devotional figures, anniversary of the founding, and more.
The Lotus Root Training is a year-long program designed for individuals new to Buddhist practice or those seeking to deepen their understanding and discipline. It focuses on fundamental teachings and practices of Buddha-dharma.
Key components of the program include:
- Establishing personalized and disciplined meditation and contemplative practices
- Weekly one-on-one student-teacher meetings to discuss individual practice.
- Introduction to Buddha, various Buddhist schools, principles, and Sutra study from the Pali Canon.
- Training in Zen Buddhist practice forms and active participation in group meditation.
The program requires personal commitment and dedicated practice application. Its primary goal is to help practitioners build a foundation in meditation.
The Profession of Lay Vows is available to students enrolled in the year-long Lotus Root Training program after completing Refuge & Precepts Study. This ceremony involves taking Three Refuge and Five Precepts vows to mark one’s formal entry as a Buddhist lay disciple. This ceremony symbolizes a dedication to the Buddhist path and its ethical principles.
The Lay Vows Profession at White Lotus Haven Zen encompasses two levels of commitment on the Lay Path:
Lay Profession: Members of the community share in the life and character of professed monks without the added commitments of clergy. They complete the 1-Year Lotus Root Training, attend weekly communal practice sessions, make Three Refuge and Five Precepts vows, and receive a Dharma name and a single stripe yellow kāṣāya, signifying their connection to the monastic sangha. This commitment, while resembling a mutual fidelity promise, does not entail permanent vows. Oblates embrace monastic discipline to their capacity and support the monks in manifesting their shared charisma in the world.
Aspirancy Period: This period involves intentional conversation and discernment moderated by an appropriate Clergy Leader. Aspirants explore their spiritual, emotional, and social maturity through increased personal spiritual practice, reading, reflection, and discussions. This phase serves as a time of discernment before potentially moving towards a professed vocation.
Additionally, there’s a progression to the Diaconate Profession. Here, aspirants expressing a desire to move towards a professed vocation may be invited into the diaconate. They commit to increased presence and practice within the community, receiving the Eight Precepts and a basic daily habit. This commitment initially spans one year and can lead to various outcomes, including transitioning to the monastic novitiate, continuing as a permanent deacon, or returning as an oblate based on their discernment and community agreement. Each precept is recited during the monthly Uposatha observance, with reflections on the ethical commitment and its implications. The vows highlight a dedication to living in harmony with Buddhist ideals, fostering compassion, truthfulness, and mindfulness in daily actions and interactions.
WLHZ actively supports the Buddhist Global Relief. BGR sponsors global projects targeting food relief and poverty reduction by partnering with organizations in various communities and raising funds through events like the Walk for Hunger. They prioritize screening and collaborating with effective partners, sharing project outcomes to raise awareness and mobilize action among Buddhists, addressing world hunger and related social justice issues like climate change.
The Prisoner Correspondence Course Program by the Buddhist Association of the United States addresses prisoners’ requests for structured Buddhist study, aiming to unify essential Buddhist teachings across diverse traditions. It focuses on familiarizing inmates with Buddhism’s core principles, encouraging their integration into daily life, and fostering qualities like equanimity and compassion through meditation practices. WLHZ Diaconate students, with maturity and Abbot consent, can apply as mentors for this program, extending their practice to aid incarcerated individuals.
Financial donations made to White Lotus Haven Zen of Connecticut are used solely to support teachings and programs, liturgical ceremonies, and events throughout the year. A portion is also used to provide limited retreat scholarships for those experiencing financial difficulty.
sources: https://wlhz.org