Death's Tiny Tea House - Diving into Impermanence

The Buddha’s teachings on impermanence and death are fundamental:

“I am of the nature to die,
there is no way to escape death.“All that is dear to me and everyone I love
are of the nature of change;
there is no way to escape
being separated from them.”

The Five Remembrances

And, at the same time, we live and practice in a culture that generally discourages discussion of dying, death, and grief. Death’s Tiny Tea House will provide the community an opportunity for an open conversation about death and related topics.

Discussion at this Monday afternoon Tea House will start from Chozen Bays Roshi’s Dharma Talk “Diving into Impermanence”. Please listen carefully to this talk prior to the Tea House. What does Chozen Roshi teach with respect to impermanence and fairness? Karma? Change? Wabi-sabi?

The Tea House conversation will be facilitated by Temple Priest Kodo and ZCO member David Seikan Snyder. Hopefully the discussion of Roshi’s Dharma Talk will embrace our personal questions, confusions, and fears. Hopefully the discussion will touch on our practice as well.

Each Tea House will open with a short period of Zazen. We will introduce ourselves and explain what brought us to the Tiny Tea House. After that, we will just allow the discussion to flow. At the end of the Tea House, everyone will have an opportunity to express how they are feeling or anything that is on their mind and heart.

Tea and cookies will be served. Questions? Email thayandi@live.com.

Date: February 2, 2026
Time: 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Location: Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple. In-person only.

Price: Free/by donation Specify any amount; $20 suggested donation