Welcome
Pathway Zen hosts weekly meditation and mindfulness practice groups in Brisbane. Our purpose is to offer a structured program that integrates and personalises Zen, as a practice-path, in daily life.
Why meditate?
Most of us seek out meditation or mindfulness practice as a means to relieve anxiety or to obtain other therapeutic gains. We want to be happy and content, learn to relax, reduce stress or perhaps tame the tyranny of our constant mind chatter.
Few people consider however, that the desire to change ourselves or our circumstances, while perhaps necessary, is also the root cause of anxiety itself.
Since our desires are inexhaustible, they constitute our main motivators and driving force in life. Thus, most of our energy and resources are directed towards satisfying our cravings resulting from our desires.
We constantly set preferences relating to our desires in the form of 'likes' and 'dislikes'. In fact, we always seek to gravitate towards one side of this ledger. The more 'likes' we have in our life, the more successful or happy we judge it to be.
When reality does not align with our preferences or desires, we usually suffer. We then seek relief through new preferences and this dualistic cycle continues.
Meditation and mindfulness practice, in its original Buddhist context, was never practiced as a means to feel better or to solely obtain therapeutic outcomes. While they are an important side-benefit of meditation, these aspects on their own simply feed back into our ledger of "likes" and "dislikes" and perpetuate the cycle of discontent.
Instead, meditation in a Zen-Buddhist context, is a practice path that aims to end suffering through direct personal insights into our own True-Nature. This is achieved through a direct experience and a personalisation process resulting from dislodging the hold our habitual discriminatory way of thinking has on our conditioned mindsets.
The goal of Pathway Zen is to guide anyone that is serious about the discovery of their True-Nature and cultivating Zen, as a practice-path, in their life. This is facilitated through a systematic program that includes aspects of both Rinzai and Soto Zen.
As a secular and non-profit organisation, everyone is welcome irrespective of their tradition, religious affiliation or none. Please feel free to come along to one of our regular events in Spring Hill or Samford. All newcomers are given an introduction to Zen on arrival.
Pathway Zen is guided by Arno Hess, an Australian and Brisbane based Dharma and Zen Buddhist teacher, certified both in Australia and through the Sanbozen lineage in Japan.
Upcoming Events and News:
Virtual Zoom Zendo now open Thursday evenings.
To compensate for the closure of our drop-in meditation venues, we are now functioning through our Virtual Zoom Zendo.
The format is the same as our regular sitting group program and consists of 3 x 25 minutes of meditation, interspersed by 5 minutes walking meditation. This group sits on Thursday evenings, 7pm to 8:30 pm. If you wish to join this group, please click on the Zoom link below by 6:55 PM. Please note that no introduction to meditation will be given during these evening meetings.
Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/313300296
Meeting ID: 313 300 296
Spring Hill and Samford venues now closed.
Please refer to our new online schedule.
19.7.2020
Zen in modern Australia: Introductory daylong retreat via Zoom
Pathway Zen is offering a daylong introduction to Zen retreat for newcomers to Zen. This retreat includes both the theoretical foundations and practice elements of Zen. The retreat program features the five introductory lectures usually given over a five week program. For more information and to register, see our events page.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83192499803?pwd=eDFKVkRCV2hSa1c3Y1QzTGg5VFFjdz09
Meeting ID: 831 9249 9803
Password: 668030
26.7.2020
Zenkai (daylong online meditation retreat)
Join us for some periods or all sitting periods of this daylong Zen-meditation retreat held via Zoom. The day consists of multiple 25 minutes of silent meditations interspaced by 5 minutes of walking meditation. A Teisho (Dharma talk on a Koan) will be given at 10:30 am. All welcome.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82245617283?pwd=L2xBNk9rVUZTR09hd2o5TnZNc1Y0UT09
Meeting ID: 822 4561 7283
Password: 269416
30.7.2020
Dharma talk in Virtual Zoom Zendo. Our regular monthly dharma talk will be presented during the evening (8PM) of our regular Thursday program followed by Q&A. All welcome. To log-in, please click on the Thursday evening Zoom Zendo link as above.
19.10 - 25.10.2020
Residential retreat (Sesshin). Registration is now open for our residential 7 day intensive retreat. See events page for more details.
Community engagement
Pathway Zen facilitates a weekly mindfulness based rehabilitation program (Inside Mindfulness) for prisoners in Brisbane correctional centres. Volunteers are always welcome to participate. For more information contact Arno Hess at Pathway Zen, e-mail: info@pathwayzen.org.au
