Antaratma & Adi Shakti kirtan band Saturday 21st of January, 17:30 – 19:30. Kirtan is powerful yogic practice. It combines mantra chanting with music and rhythm, with a profound effect on the emotional level. Kirtan has its roots in the Vedic tradition and is a “call and response” song type. The term kirtan means “narrate” or “describe” and refers to the repetition of melodic mantras, accompanied by musical instruments and the response of those present. ​Mantra means: “That which broadens the mind and perception.” What is unique about kirtan: ​ The uniqueness of the kirtan lies in the creation of…

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Dear friends of Zen Center Athens. The first introductory Zen class of the year will take place on Tuesday, January 10, 19:30 – 21:00. At Zen Center Athens we practice zazen because we believe it is beneficial for all people, regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion or social class. In Zen, you don’t add anything, nor do you take anything away; you simply experience wholeness. For more information & registration please contact us at [email protected]  

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Every asana is a gateway to the earth and sky. This is a reality, a seemingly simple fact, but at the same time, it is a truth that constantly eludes us. Vanda Scaravelli has studied yoga in depth over a long period of time and has come to some highly fundamental conclusions. We will work on these conclusions by asking the right, pertinent questions and not looking for easy answers. THE TEACHER Alexandra Sotiropoulou has been practising yoga since 1996 and teaching since 2003. She was trained in the systems of Satyananda and Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. She studied with Diane Long, a close…

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Dear friends. We invite you to this series of events with kirtan and meditative music. With Antaratma & Adi Shakti. The next dates are: 19/2, 19:30 – 21:30 18/3, 17:30 – 19:30 Participation: 10 euros For registration please email us at [email protected]  

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Dear Zen Center Athens Sangha, We inform you that the next Zen Day will take place on Sunday, 18th of September, from 10:00 to 18:00. The program includes six zazen periods with Kinhin (meditative walking) in between, and lunchtime. During the Zen Day of September, there will be no Dharma Talk with Koten Roshi. Instead, in this Zen Day we will read chapters 6.14 to 6.17 from the book Shobogenzo – zuimonki which you can download here. (On the Audiovisual Material page you can watch the previous dharma talks.) Regarding your participation Please, arrive at the Zen Center strictly by…

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Dear Zen Center Athens Sangha, We inform you that the next Zen Day will take place on Sunday, 17th of July, from 10:00 to 18:00. The program includes six zazen periods with Kinhin (meditative walking) in between, and lunchtime. During the Zen Days of July and August, there will be no Dharma Talks with Koten Roshi. Instead, in this Zen Day we will read chapters 6.8, 6.9 & 6.10 from the book Shobogenzo – zuimonki which you can download here. Regarding your participation Please, arrive at the Zen Center strictly by 10:10. After zazen starts, and once the door to…

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Dear friends and members, we inform you that the program “Introduction to Zen” that was scheduled for the 5th of July is postponed. The new date is Tuesday, 12th of July 2022.  For more information regarding our weekly schedule, please visit our calendar. Thank you for your understanding.

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  I, here and now,  the blue of the sea without limit   Santoka Taneda  

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Four monks decided to do two weeks of silent meditation. On the first night the candles flickered and went out. The first monk said: “No! The candles went out.” The second monk said: “We’re not supposed to talk.” The third said: “Why are you talking?” The fourth laughed and said: “Ha! I’m the only one who didn’t talk.” Each monk broke the silence for a different reason and each one is also a common obstacle we encounter in zazen practice. The first one became distracted from what was going on around him (the candles) and lost focus. The second was…

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  A student asked Shunryu Suzuki: “How much ‘I’ do we need?” “As much as it takes to not get run over by a bus.”   A student asked Shunryu Suzuki about the rule of silence during meals. “Because you can’t eat and talk at the same time.”   A student said: “I compare myself with other students and feel inadequate. I haven’t read enough about Buddhism.” “Yes! That’s the best way to do zazen,” replied Shunryu Suzuki.   One day a student complained to Shunryu Suzuki that his mind would not stay steady and kept talking to him when…

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