SIT-A-LONG with Jundo: The Non-Bucket List

[Jundo]

Well, thought I could cross one item off the BUCKET LIST this morning, as a TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN passed above our town in Japan. Except, I soon found out, it was technically -not- a "total eclipse", but something called an "annular eclipse". That means that, because of the distances between sun, moon and earth, the moon does not completely block out the sun's rays, though in turn producing a most spectacular golden ring around the moon (as in the photo). I'd never even heard of an "annular eclipse" before this morning!

It is a pretty rare event (the next won't pass through here for a few hundred years), and thoroughly spectacular nonetheless. Our town was about as close to the central path as possible, making for a most lovely ring, a solar ENSO in the sky! Still, I was rather annoyed that it was not TOTAL ... a bit less than "total" ... thus not quite up to the demanding standards of my Bucket List of things to experience in life "before I kick the bucket".

Oh well, life is always filled with disappointments ... even when it comes to otherwise spectacular, rare eclipses! How silly are we human beings who, in the face of a cosmic miracle, might demand the heavens to put on even a more pleasing show simply for our enjoyment! Aren't we like that about so many of the events, experiences, people and encounters in our lives?

Fortunately, Zen Practice also affords us a "Non-Bucket List" ... or a "Bottom Fell Out of the Bucket List" ... all items checked off from the start!


Today’s Sit-A-Long video follows at this link. Remember: recording ends soon after the beginning bells; a sitting time of 15 to 35 minutes is recommended

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWU8W8qZ3YY

[Yugen]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with Jundo: The Non-Bucket List

Jundo,
Thank you so much for this talk. I get the sense it was also a very heartfelt one for you as well.

Gassho
Yugen

[Shujin]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with Jundo: The Non-Bucket List

Thank you, Jundo. Still loving the new camera -- it makes a big difference. Thank you to whoever donated it as well.

gassho,
Shujin

[Jinyo]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with Jundo: The Non-Bucket List

Thank you Jundo - that deeply resonated during a less than perfect start to our holiday.

Gassho

Willow

[Dokan]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with Jundo: The Non-Bucket List

Wonderful talk. Thank you.

Gassho,

Dokan

PS - Up on podcast!

[RichardH]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with Jundo: The Non-Bucket List

Thank you, Jundo.



One time there was an annular eclipse here in Toronto. It was about twenty years ago. I was sitting on my lunch break from an uninspiring factory job, in the paved back lot. The lot was empty except for a big old tree in the middle. When the eclipse formed a perfect ring, and the world was a silvery half-light. Hundreds of little gaps in the tree's crown acted like camera-obscura apertures, projecting hundreds of perfect little rings of light on the pavement in a big circle. It was a moment of pure magic in a very un-magical place.



Gassho, kojip.

[Myozan Kodo]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with Jundo: The Non-Bucket List

Gassho
Myozan

[Mp]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with Jundo: The Non-Bucket List

Jundo,

Thank you for the warm talk ... I enjoyed it very much. Was not able to see the eclipse here in Vancouver Island, we had that beautiful white fluffy clouds spending time with us.

Also, the new camera is very nice.

Gassho,
MIchael

[andyZ]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with Jundo: The Non-Bucket List

Beautiful talk, thank you.

[Myoshin]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with Jundo: The Non-Bucket List

pretty eclips :-)
In fact, the orbit of the moon is not a circle but an ellips pointing to the same direction, when the position of the moon is far to earth, the moon appears smaller than sun, that's why we have this phenomena, but if the distance of the moon is close from earth we have a total eclips beacause the moon appears bigger, and we can have that because by a great fortune the sun is 400 times bigger than moon but the distance between moon and sun is 400 times the distance between earth and moon, so we have this balance. normally after a sun ecplips, we have a moon eclips 15 days after (the time for moon to do its half orbit)because the earth is between sun and moon, ant it takes place the night with an orange moon. (orange because the lihts of sun are passing through the atmophere who deforms its wavelength.

Just sharing what I adored when I was a teenager.

Gassho to all and Jundo's video

[Shokai]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with Jundo: The Non-Bucket List

The inscription which appears on this tsukubai (stone basin) found in Shokai's backyard is a visual pun in which each of four characters shares the same central square component. It can be read many ways, including "Ware tada taru wo shiru," or, "I know what 'just enough' is." IMO,This famous Zen saying encapsulates essence of Jundo's non-bucket list recent teisho.

Immediately, after listening to this talk and thinking, 'ah yes, the cosmos was aligned from the Tsukuba (Jundo's location) perspective', I went to my backyard and took this picture. In the presence of an overcast sky, I am reminded of our dependence on the sun for highlights and shadows which add color and dimension to our experience of reality.

Thank you Jundo-oso

[Gary]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with Jundo: The Non-Bucket List

Thank you Jundo,

Bucket List, Non Bucket List?
To save all sentient beings, though beings numberless
To transform all delusions, though delusions inexhaustible
To perceive Reality, though Reality is boundless
To attain the Enlightened Way, a Way non-attainable

With gratitude,
Gary

[Marek]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with Jundo: The Non-Bucket List

I needed teaching like this at this moment, to be honest. Thank you Jundo for remind me about Buddhist ,,non-bucket" list.

_/_

[Kyotai]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with Jundo: The Non-Bucket List

Thank You for this talk. The video was very clear today.

Gassho,

Shawn

[Onken]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with Jundo: The Non-Bucket List

Always comes at the right time.