Oakville Zen Meditation
OakvilleZen does require you to open an account, and it is totally free of charge.
The teacher
About the teacher:
George. Arnaud Painvin, MD, FRCSC, retired cardiac /transplant surgeon is a Zen Master & Dharma teacher. His transmission name is Ven. Ji Gong Sunim ( Korean lineage).
Arnaud was born in Paris France he moved to Canada with his wife following their MD graduation. After post-graduation training in Toronto, he became a cardiac surgeon, transplant surgeon, and critical care specialist and practiced in Houston, Boston, and Toronto before retiring a few years ago. He is married to Catherine. They have lived in Oakville since 1985 and their 2 sons are married. Following a severe stress-related depression and PTSD in 1989, he decided to explore the therapeutic value of Mindfulness Meditation (MM) based on the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn and took 6 months of formal training in MM in 2001 at the Toronto General Hospital. He was so impressed with the medical benefits of MM regarding stress that he decided to practice daily meditation and started teaching this wonderful therapy in 2002. The therapeutic value of meditation led Arnaud to become interested in its spiritual Oriental aspect. He became a Zen Buddhist in 2006 after 5 years of practice. After 7 years, In 2013, he received the spiritual transmission from his teacher, the late Zen Master Venerable Hwasun Yangil, and became a Zen Master by the name of Ji Gong Sunim in Toronto.
The Late Zen Master Hwasun Yangil Sunim
Arnaud practices and teaches simple, down-to-earth Eastern philosophy adapted to our Western civilization with an emphasis on mindfulness meditation and awareness practice. Our classes are friendly w/o exotic rituals.
Our Associate teacher is Miranda Murphy:
Miranda discovered meditation in 2007 through the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. Inspired by the positive changes in her life, she sought to deepen her understanding of meditation, yoga, and Buddhism through various trainings, retreats, and readings. She is actively involved with Oakville Zen Meditation, where she continues to deepen her practice under the guidance of Zen Master Ji Gong (Arnaud Painvin).
After a fulfilling 35-year career in education, primarily as a teacher and administrator in public schools, Miranda has retired and is now cherishing more time with her family and more opportunities to relish the outdoors. She enjoys immersing herself in nature through hiking, camping, swimming, and kayaking. Additionally, her dedicated daily meditation practice has been a cornerstone of her life for several years, helping her cultivate a deeper awareness of her physical and emotional states and navigate life. Miranda is a wonderful Dharma teacher for the benefit of our students, visitors, and...... myself. 🙂
About our meditation classes:
We are practicing the purest and most genuine mindfulness meditation called Zen ( Zen is the Japanese word for meditation). No guided meditation which is a North American invention!, non music, non Matra.
Silent sitting meditation for 50 minutes. during which we focus on our breathing to anchor our restless minds. We sit on chairs.
When a thought is popping out,- as it always will- we acknowledge it and go back to our anchor. Struggling to focus on our breathing ( sitting meditation) or each step ( walking meditation) is the norm even among the "pro". After more than 65 years of practice, the Dalai Lama told me that if he is not struggling while meditating, he is not meditating! The beneficial effect of meditation is cumulative, regardless of its quality. So: never judge how well or badly you are meditating. If you do, you will quit.
Following meditation, the Zen Master, associate teacher, or invited member gives a Dharma talk that is teaching. You have the list of all Dharma talks.
Click on "DHARMA LECTURES" on our website , then:
On the right upper corner you will find a window . Type theZen teaching you are interested on , and click. Over 600 teachings since 2014 are listed in various topic and format.
OUR CLASSES: WHEN WHERE & HOW?
Click on Venue Schedule Format for detailed information
For more information or help to join on line please contact us and I will answer
email: helloarnaud@gmail.com Text: 416 565 2433
