2020 Annual Report

As 2020 draws to a close, we would like to share with you Chicago Buddhist Meditation Group (CBMG)’s activities this past year, and to express our gratitude to those who have contributed in various ways.

The year began with our move into a new rental space, at the beautiful and zen-like Kiku Matsu Aikido Dojo. We are thankful to the Dojo for sharing their space with us once a week at a very reasonable rental cost, and providing us with different opportunities to promote CBMG.

Then came March, and the global pandemic. For the safety of our members and the community at-large, and to do our part in “flattening the curve,” we made a quick decision to switch to meeting online instead, and have been doing so ever since. Despite our original concern with the online format, it turned out that going virtual has allowed us to expand our reach – nationwide! We now have practitioners joining regularly not only from Chicago but also from California, Central Kentucky, far corners of Illinois, and, at times, Connecticut, Oregon, and other states. When we eventually return to in-person meetings, we plan to still offer an online option, so that members near and far can continue to join us!

This has been a trying year for everyone. The pandemic, police brutality, economic turmoil, natural disasters, the election, and more – further exposing the deep divide, and the racial and economic inequity and injustice, in our society. Many are experiencing not only physical fatigue or financial stress, but also mental and emotional anguish, with deep, underlying unease, grief, and a sense of helplessness. Now, more than ever, Dharma practice and study, and a supportive community, are needed. We are grateful to everyone who has attended our weekly practice, and those who have supported us in other ways, so that we may continue to offer this space for all who find it helpful.

To ensure everyone feels welcome and safe in our space, we have also enacted a simple but hopefully clear set of Code of Conduct – we invite you to review that at: https://chicagomeditation.org/coc.

As a Sangha that is, by design, not tied to any specific lineage, we have been able to study authentic Buddhist teachings from diverse traditions, hearing lectures from many teachers in Chan/Zen, Tibetan, and Theravada traditions. We also encourage diverse voices from within our Sangha, and are thankful to the following members who volunteered to present Dharma Sharing, facilitate Teachers’ Corner, and/or tell Dharma Stories from sutras and koans this past year: Alan, Belinda, Gloria, Kayla, Kimberly, Margaret, Phyllis, Pon, Stephen, and Trina!

With these volunteers’ help, in 2020, not only did we study key Buddhist concepts such as impermanence, dependent origination, and Bodhisattvas, we also investigated a wide range of other Dharma topics, including:

We try to balance study with some fun and socializing too! This year, we held a few special programs, including watching Buddhist movies followed by discussions, a Halloween Special on reviewing the Six Realms of Existence and hearing some scary ghost stories, a Thanksgiving Special of guided gratitude meditation, as well as inviting a guest teacher to teach yoga to our members from a traditional, spiritual yogic lineage that tied in nicely with our meditation practice.

In addition, partnering with Ancient Dragon Zen Gate (ADZG), our members folded cranes (“tsuru” in Japanese), a symbol for peace, to support Tsuru for Solidarity, a nonviolent, direct action project, which demands humane treatment of immigrants and inmates. CBMG members folded a total of 100 cranes, made into two banners, for this effort! A crane banner dedication ceremony was held at ADZG on October 16, and banners will be “deployed” in Tsuru for Solidarity actions in support of freedom and justice.