The Florida Community of Mindfulness welcomes Ben Connelly, author of Inside the Grass Hut, as he invites us to enter the mind and practice of Zen by applying the insights of one of Zen’s classic poems to your life—here and now.

Shitou Xiqian’s “Song of the Grass Roof Hermitage” is a remarkably accessible work of profound depth; in thirty-two lines Shitou expresses the breadth of the entire Buddhist tradition with simple, vivid imagery. Ben Connelly's commentary on the poem unpacks the timeless poem and applies it to contemporary life. His book delivers a wealth of information on the context and content of this eighth-century work, as well as directly evokes the poem's themes of simple living, calm, and a deep sense of connection to all things. Ben will be sharing this teaching with us in a nonresidential retreat which begins 7 to 9 pm on Friday evening, February 8, and continues on Saturday from 9 am to 4 pm. 

Ben began Zen practice at Minnesota Zen Meditation Center (MZMC) in 2001, was ordained in 2009, and received dharma transmission in 2015. He teaches regularly at MZMC and at Zen centers across the US. He also teaches secular mindfulness in a variety of contexts such as police training, addiction recovery groups, and wellness groups. Ben is also a musician by profession: a singer and songwriter, guitar teacher, film composer and multi-instrumentalist. His first book, Inside the Grass Hut, Living Shitou's Classic Zen Poem (Wisdom Publications) was published in 2014, and his second Inside Vasubandhu's Yogacara: A Practitioner's Guide, was published by Wisdom in 2016. His most recent book is Mindfulness and Intimacy, which he will discuss at our weekly Sunday meditation on February 10. 

The suggested donation for the retreat is $60, or $30 for those needing a reduced rate. Retreat registration will close on February 3.