The Way of Council

Published on July 28, 2022

Zen Peacemakers' Way Of Council

The Way of Council is a core practice with the Zen Peacemakers, along with meditation, the Three Tenets, and social action. It is a staple practice in our Bearing Witness retreats. All members are invited to join, listen and share; Council meetings are open to all.

 

Dear Peacemakers,

Our Way of Council is one of the core practices of Zen Peacemakers. Council is an essential aspect of our bearing witness and street retreats, and we also offer Council sessions regularly online. 
I encourage everyone to take the opportunity to participate. 

Though doing so in person is powerful, our online sessions have continued to be rich, with deep sharing and intimate connections. It is possible.

Following our Peacemaker meditation period this morning, I shared with the group how much I appreciate meeting weekday mornings and how the stillness we create and hold among us is tangible, tactile, and present. I asked, "We all feel it. So, where is this stillness?"

Before joining Zen Peacemakers I had not experienced Council practice, but since, it has become so dear to me. The power of deep listening and the connections we can form from speaking from the heart instead of telling our stories and expounding opinions are profound. When we are called to speak from our hearts spontaneously, without preparation or planning, we are indeed stepping off the hundred-foot pole, trusting one another, embracing the one body.
Please join!

Peace to all
Geoff Shōun O'Keeffe

  CLICK HERE FOR CURRENT COUNCIL SCHEDULE  

 

"Council practice, speaking from the heart and listening from the heart,

means for me to be fully awake in this moment and alive.

Connected in being fully human together.

I feel such a big gratitude to share this practice with others." -  Barbara Wegmueller

 

"The Circle is able to hold all and everything: joy and grieve, unity and diversity.

Its center is deep, empty, and abundant.

We align up around this all-encompassing center, where since timeless times a fire is burning.

Sitting side by side, listening to each other, we are one.

And there is space between us for the unseen and unheard to settle in.

We welcome it with open mind, open heart, open hand."  - Kathleen Hoetsu