Scrooge...the name is almost always read as a synonym of greed! In Buddhism we speak of the three poisons of Greed, Hate, and Delusion. Dickens paints Ebenezer in dark tones with flashes of lighting striking out at others and society as a whole, and ah the most penetrating wound is to the heart of the man who lives the constant suffering of estrangement from his fellow creatures...it is a ponderous chain in deed! And, what about the four antidotes and don't forget the ghosts-hungry or not.

So join us on December 19, 2017 as we view this venerable sir through our practice of Zen. Great is the meaning of birth and death (the similarity between his mother and Fan) the creation of attachment so strong, that money becomes the idol of love replacing the woman he really loved. What exactly is a spiritual awaking to Dickens to Shakyamuni to you and to me?

Transformation beyond prisons and workhouses which Dickens himself experienced suggests a hint of the devils and demons Mara and Marley spoke about and what about Mr. Fezziwig and why is the maid at the door so central to Ebenezer passing through that Dharma gate of the moment?

All of this and more will be reveled, so be there as the clock strikes 7PM to sit in silence as is appropriate to the situation, because at the stroke of 8, we begin the tale...

May God Bless Us Everyone

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We will not meet on December 26, 2017

January 2018 events include:

Our annual financial report and,

A review of the basics of The Role of Ceremony in our Practice and,

Our Calendar of Events through June 2018 and,

If you have been attending FSZS for a year and wish to take Jukai, or initiate vows as a Buddhist, we begin the process in January culminating with Jukai in November, 2018.