Calendar

Regular events

CWA Hall and Zoom Zendo

Every two weeks we alternate between regular full-day or half-day retreats at the CWA Hall (21 Elizabeth Street, Sawtell) and Zoom Zazen and Dharma Talks (see Calendar above for details).

Tuesday and Friday Mornings

Every Tuesday morning from 7:45am to 8:45am we alternate between silent meditation (Zazen) and guided meditations by Sono and our OzZen Dharma Facilitators.

Every Friday morning from 7:45am to 8:45am we have a short period of Zazen followed by the Reading Discussion Group.  This year we are reading the work of Barry Magid (see Calendar above for details).

Use this Zoom link (Meeting ID: 492 917 3299).

Individual interviews

Commencing in June 2024, Sono is offering 45 minute interviews during the week (Tuesday to Friday) on the basis of a value-based donation (dana). Students who are studying the precepts (and OzZen members in general) will be able to meet with Sono to have an in-depth discussion about our psychologically-minded approach to Zen practice. It is recommended that you make a commitment to attend meetings on a monthly basis, but one-off meetings are also fine.

If interested, please email Sono directly: atootell@gmail.com to book a date and time.

Special Events

Sesshins (Zen Retreats)

Each year we offer a four-day Autumn sesshin at Yarrawarra Aboriginal Cultural Centre, Red Rock, sometime during May and a four-day Spring sesshin in October or November.

All OzZen offerings are freely given to allow access to all people regardless of income. If you are able to give financial support, please access the donation button on the OzZen website under the Events section.

Dharma Facilitators

Elisabeth Barrett

I’ve been practising with the Gurdjieff work since 1972 in South Australia where I ran a Gurdjieff group. I moved to this area in 1996 and joined the Coffs harbour Theravadin Buddhist group. I was later asked to teach Buddhism at Karangi primary school, which I did before moving to Bellingen in 2010. I met Andrew a couple of years ago and joined the OzZen group.

Louise Cranny

I attended my first Vipassana retreat 37 years ago and felt I had come home. Since then, I have attended many retreats including several Zen retreats. I have been a cook for the local Vipassana Tallow wood sangha for over 20 years and attend around four retreats a year. While cooking at retreats, I attend the talks, the enquiry’s and some sits each day. After the death of a partner 6 years ago, I did a personal intensive retreat. Jack Kornfield challenges his students to be kind to themselves, every day. For a year. Then, he said you won’t want to stop. I decided to take the challenge. So, for the last five and a half years I have had a daily meditation practice. I also teach yoga.

This has resulted in a gradual change in focus in my life. I try to find joy in the little things by being present. Observing thoughts [observing emotions is harder] and not identifying with them too much, and being grateful, is also part of my daily practice. My reading has changed to mostly Buddhist and neuroscience literature, and I enjoy connecting with others and nature. I write haiku. I look forward to leading guided meditations as I like to share the things that bring me freedom from suffering. I would like to host small meditation and yoga retreats at my home beside the river, in the beautiful Kalang Valley in the near future, maybe in autumn.

David Harvey

I came to OzZen in 2020 with a lifelong interest in meditation and personal / spiritual reflection. I have practiced Tibetan and other forms of Buddhist meditation and teachings, TM (Transcendental Meditation), MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) amongst many other formal & informal meditation groups and practices.

I have trained as a psychotherapist, community and youth worker, as well as private practice in various body-oriented health modalities including Traditional Chinese Medicine and Zen Shiatsu.

I value the opportunity to sit in reflective awareness with others and extending the opportunity with others, and look forward to sharing & broadening my own practice in 2022.

Larry Nensho Hancock

I began sitting zazen in Kyoto, Japan in 1977 at Myoshinji temple. I also sat sesshins at Hanazono Rinzai University and at Shofukuji temple in Kobe.

In Sydney in the 90’s I sat once a week with a group called Queer Dharma and then in 2018, I started sitting with Ordinary Mind (OzZen) Soto Zen group in Sawtell.

Kate Koch

My background is in Yoga and meditation having had the honour of spending time with Swami Satchidananda of Integral YOGA, Ashram, Virginia. I travelled to India with him twice, videoing and documenting the trips. We spent time in Rishikesh where he was a disciple of Swami Sivananada in his younger days. I am co-founder of an eco/yoga centre called Ontos Yogaville, situated in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains. Situated on 2000 acres we had retreats and a small community of like-minded people experimenting with permaculture, growing food, orchards and held regular workshops.

It has been since purchased by a Tibetan Lama and is currently run as a Tibetan Centre called Siba Retreat Centre.

I have explored the mystical path of meditation with music in Sufism, self-inquiry with Vedanta insight meditation & Patanjali Yoga & Alan Watts on Zen. I organised Zen retreats for a visiting Zen Roshi, Jinen Roshi, of Annonji Temple Tokyo, in the Byron Bay area. He comes to Byron regularly and I have known him for 7 years.  My background is in event management, graphics, art and playing music. I was particularly drawn to the calligraphy and Sumi-e work that the Monks brought to us on the Zen retreats. I look forward to spending time in zazen and getting to know the OzZen sangha which I have become a part of for the past 2 years.

Phil Pisanu

Phil has been interested in Zen for a long period, initially researching the extensive literature on Zen concepts and stories of historical and modern Zen teachers. He has been practicing seriously since first going to Andrew’s small Zen group in Sawtell on the mid north coast. Now retired, Phil worked in ecology and land management for over 20 years and is interested in the interface between ecology and Zen practice. He lives in Coffs Harbour with his partner and is a keen surfer. He was the editor of the OzZen Journal and recently worked closely with Andrew to set up the OzZen study guide.

Pingala Walsh

Exploration into the deeper turnings of life and broader mysteries along with a strong affinity with our natural world has led me to practice and study Zen Buddhism and Druidry.

An early and ongoing involvement with the Satyananda Yoga community began in the mid-1970s. That, coupled with an attraction to Taoist thought and spiritual reflection contributed to an individual and eclectic spiritual path. Long time study and fascination with astrological and oracular knowledge has been grounded (we hope) with varied forms of meditation and somatic movement, including qigong and other health related practices. I also practise Reiki and am a member of the international Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. Having been involved with OzZen since 2019, I’ve enjoyed its creative nurturing and practices as well as involvement in its lovely community.

I’ve worked freelance for decades in graphic & web design, interpretation and illustration, consulting and working with individual clients and groups as well as nurturing my own fine art practice. Living and working in the natural paradise of my valley home in the Mid North Coast region of NSW, I’m an exhibited artist with hopes to reflect my deeper experiences, connections and insights in art, poetry and music. View my portfolio.

Jack Wicks

I have been a practising Buddhist since 2012. I have practiced in Vipassana (in the Goenka and Mother Sayamagyi traditions), and in the Western Insight and Early Buddhist traditions. My primary practice is Zen. I practice in the Ordinary Mind Zen School with Andrew Sono, and in the Sanbo Zen tradition doing formal koan studies with Arno Hess. I am a Zen Priest Candidate in the Suzuki Roshi lineage with Rev. Neti Mushin Parekh.

I teach mindfulness in prisons in South East Queensland. I have a blog at www.wannabepoet.com.