June 2025

Photo by Zen Master Jeong Bong

Hold lightly the blossom.

Hold lightly to our love 

For the springtime flower.

If the flower never dies,

The plant never fruits,

The fruit never seeds.

No baby plant, no fruit pie.

We may come to take for 

Granted the delicate, 

Intricate, lovely, 

Fragile for-now flower. 

Hold lightly the blossom.

Hold lightly to our love 

For the springtime flower.

- Meg Critchlow

Three Day Retreat with Paul Gulick, JDPSN

Friday-Sunday, June 20-22, 7am-4:30pm

Beginning Friday, June 20, we will gather our online and in-person communities for 3 days of group practice, a Dharma talk, and personal Dharma Dialogues with Paul Gulick, JDPSN.

We welcome you to join us for all or part of the 3-day retreat.

Click here for more information and retreat registration.

Death Café at the Shoreline Senior Center

Thursday, June 5, 6:15-8:15pm

What is a Death Café?

At a Death Café people, often strangers, gather to eat cake, drink tea, and discuss death. The objective is 'to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives.'

A Death Café is a group-directed discussion of death with no agenda, objectives, or themes. It is a discussion group rather than a grief support or counseling session.

Death Cafés are offered:

• On a not-for-profit basis
• In an accessible, respectful, and confidential space
• With no intention of leading people to any conclusion, product, or course of action
• Alongside tea and cake (or cookies)!

Blue Heron Zen Community member Sahara Pirie is facilitating Death Cafés and welcomes anyone interested to join. The next one is on Thursday, June 5, 6:15-8:15pm at the Shoreline Senior Center, 18560 1st Ave NE, Bldg G, Shoreline, WA 98155.

Please RSVP to deathcafe@pirielabs.com as space is limited.

June In-Person Sessions

All in-person practices are open for walk-in attendance (no need to sign up in advance). In-person practice is not streamed, unless otherwise noted.

Sessions:

• Sunday 10-11:30am (Also streamed online)
• Tuesday 7-8:30pm
• Wednesday 10-11:00am
• Friday 10-11:00am

Newcomer Orientation:

• Sunday 9:30-9:50am

Sunday Morning In-Person Activities: (Online participation is welcome!)

• First Sunday of the month—In-person Dharma Dialogues
• Second Sunday of the month—Kwan Seum Bosal and Ji Jang Bosal chanting
• Third Sunday of the month—Dharma talk
• Fourth Sunday of the month—Retreat

To attend, simply show up 5 to 10 minutes before any practice time. The building will be open for those practices. Use the ground floor entrance from the back yard.

Dharma Dialogues

Dharma Dialogues are an opportunity to meet one-on-one with our teachers to discuss your Zen practice and optionally engage in Kong-an exchanges. Zen Master Jeong Bong is offering online Dharma Dialogues. Sign up here.

Our Senior Dharma Teachers offer online Dharma Dialogues if you would like to discuss your practice and ask questions. Please get in touch with them individually to schedule an appointment if you would like a one-on-one Zoom meeting.

• Jeff Tipp, JDPSN jefftipp@gmail.com
• Greg Eisen, JDPSN eisengn@gmail.com
• Paul Gulick, JDPSN paul@blueheronzen.org
• John Craycraft, SDT johnc@blueheronzen.org
• Jim Peacey, SDT jim@blueheronzen.org

Looking Forward

9-Day Retreat: August 16-24, 2025