Soshimsa Fellowship RUTGERS UNIVERSITY CHAPTER Schedule Change Effective November 6, 2012 Due to some logistical complications related to our ongoing meditation research study the Tuesday Meditation Classes will be suspended until further notice. If you are interested in scheduling a workshop or a lecture we will still be actively operating on campus. However the current classes will only be open to the participants of the study. TO SCHEDULE A WORKSHOP, LECTURE OR FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT US AT: INFO@SOSHIMSAFELLOWSHIP.ORG INFO@SOSHIMSA.ORG or 908 377-9803
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Rutgers University Chapter and NYC Chapter of the So Shim Sa Fellowship are launching the new semester of Meditation classes. Beginning Sep. 13, 2012 the NYC Chapter will hold classes every Thursday 4:15-5:15PM at the Sacred Sound Yoga Studio in New York City ( NYC Chapter Web page ). The Rutgers Chapter classes will begin on Sep. 25, 2012 and are to be held every Tuesday 6:30-7:30PM at the Cook Campus Center in room 202B. ( Rutgers Univ. Chapter Web page ). The Rutgers Chapter is considering more programs and activities such as monthly on-campus Sunday Service and volunteer opportunities for students. We will also continue to push forwards with our meditation research study.
On Tuesday, August 7, 2012 The Somerset County Cultural Diversity Coalition held a memorial candlelight vigil at the Gurudwara Sikh Temple in Bridgwater. So Shim Sa was only one among the many representatives form the interfaith community who were present to show their support to victims of the Oak Creek shootings. A spokesperson for the Somerset County Cultural Diversity Coalition stated that the victims “and Central New Jersey must know that the New Jersey community people have them in their thoughts and prayers, and our hearts go out to the families and friends of those who were killed and wounded. Please keep our Sikh community members in your prayers.”
Those of you who follow our activities know of our community outreach efforts and just how much we emphasize giving back. As a monk one does not possess much of material goods but sharing the teachings is one of the primary task of a monastic life. To this extent we make the best effort to accept all invitations from the community to provide teachings via lectures, workshops and presentations. One of our presentations initially given at Drew University seems to have struck a note with the public library circuit. On July 24, So Shim Sa gave a presentation at the Sparta Public Library entitled Get to Know Yourself; Mind, Body and Soul. The 1.5 hour presentation received a thunderous ovation and plans for more programs were discussed. Piscataway Public Library has scheduled a four-part Stress Reduction training workshop to be held in Nov. If you or your organization is interested in any of the programs we offer feel free to contact the Zen Center at 908 377-9803 or via email at info@so
On May 6, 2012 So Shim Sa was invited to participate in Vesak and Peace Day Celebration. The event was organized by Somerset County Cultural Diversity Coalition and took place at the Princeton Buddhist Vihara. The Ceremony combined a number of wonderful elements. It opened with walking meditation let by Ven. Duhk-Song, followed by a Pali blessing chant by the resident monks of the Vihara. Ven. Myong-Ahn delivered a brief speech on Buddha's teachings on peace as on of many addresses from the representatives of participating organizations. There was a parade of flags from countries around the world and a Peace Pole dedication led by the World Peace Prayer Society. The event closed with prayers from all religious traditions present, including Jewish, Hindu, Muslim and native African. Ven. Mooh-Sang offered the Buddhist prayer in English. All in all, it was a beautiful sunny day and a wonderful ceremony. Thank all of you who came out to participate and support the Zen Cente
A Rutgers University Dean's Grant has funded a research study on the effects of meditation and exercise on depression. This study is a collaborative work between So Shim Sa and Rutgers University. So Shim Sa created the curriculum for meditation education to be used in the study, while the University's Recreation Department provided the exercise curriculum. Also involved are the Psychology Dept., Dept. of Alcohol Studies and CAPS Health Services. The projected length of the study is 3 years. We hope that the collected data will help reinforce the therapeutic effects of meditation and that our program of meditation and exercise can become standardized as an intervention to alleviate the suffering of people with depression.
When a correspondent from New York's Korea Daily (중앙일보) found out that there was an American Zen Monk auditing Korean language classes at Rutgers University she contacted Ven. Myong-Ahn for an interview.The article was published on page 4 of the January 30, 2012 edition of Korea Daily (중앙일보)under the heading "예불 위해 한국어 배워요". An Internet version is available at: http://www.koreadaily.com/news/read.asp?art_id=1346886. (Only Korean language version is available.)
During the 2012 Lunar New Year celebration So Shim Sa Zen Center launched Deer Park Academy. The Academy serves as the educational branch of the Zen Center and will offer a variety of courses and workshops. Currently the courses are divided into three categories: Dharma Courses, So Shim Sa Fellowship Certification Courses and Enrichment Courses. The very first course to be offered soon is the CPR & AED Certification. A valid CPR certification is required of all So Shim Sa Sunim (Monks) as well as Chapter Presidents and Meditation Class Facilitators of So Shim Sa Fellowship chapters. The mission of Deer Park Academy is to help children, youth and first-generation adult Buddhists establish a working knowledge of Buddhism and develop a healthy spiritual life. To learn more about Deer Park Academy, its logo and the meaning of the name go to: http://soshimsa.org/index/Deer_Park_Academy.html
On Sunday Jan 15, 2012 So Shim Sa Fellowship issued its first Meditation Class Facilitator Certificate to Dr. Tracey Shors. Tracey has been a member of the Zen Center for over two years. She will lead additional classes at our Rutgers Chapter. Dr. Tracey Shors is Professor II in the Department of Psychology and Center for Collaborative Neuroscience at Rutgers University. The Fellowship and the Zen Center have been working closely with Dr. Shors on developing therapeutic applications of meditation as well as a number of research studies.
We would like to thank all of our members and friends who have contributed to last month's Toy Drive. Your donated toys and gift cards have put a smile on many young faces. Thank You. Special thanks to Genevieve and her Girl Scout troop for their generous support as well as Aimee for serving as the coordinator between So Shim Sa Toy Drive and Goryeb Children's Hospital. With Joined Palms, Ven Duhk-Song Sunim Director of 1000 Hands Outreach So Shim Sa Zen Center