Practicing Together, Maintaining Sangha

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  • Bion
    Treeleaf Unsui
    • Aug 2020
    • 4342

    Practicing Together, Maintaining Sangha


    Hello, everyone.

    Given the online nature of Treeleaf, and the fact that the number of members here rises and falls like the tides, I figured it would be a nice idea to write a little about all the ways in which we can practice together here.

    The Buddha spoke in his teachings of three treasures, three refuges, that were essential to all: buddha, dharma and sangha. Equally important, neither one was to be neglected. I wanted to focus on the third one, in this case: sangha.
    All of us ended up here, at Treeleaf, because we were searching either for a teacher, a place or a community to practice with. We were technically looking for refuge, from our solitary attempts at engaging in the Way, from a dull practice, from boredom or some times, desperation. We were looking for likeminded people, kindred spirits, friends with which to share our excitement about the dharma and the practice of the Way. So, now that we are here, what does it really mean to practice together?

    At Treeleaf we try to make sure there are plenty opportunities to practice and interact with each other. Our main practice opportunity as a sangha is the weekly (and monthly) Zazenkai. That means zazen meeting. Zazenkai happens every Friday/Saturday (because... time zones ) and it is a wonderful opportunity to sit a few periods of zazen together, to engage in kinhin (walking meditation), to listen to a dharma talk and have a short ceremony, as done in the Soto Zen tradition. This meeting is open to everyone, does not require any previous experience. and is offered absolutely free. Joining in for zazenkai live, whenever possible, is a wonderful opportunity to get to know members of the sangha, to get to know Jundo, as our guiding teacher, and it offers a unique opportunity for each of us to set the tone. A kind smile, a word of hello, a gassho as someone enters the Zoom room, can help create the warm, familiar environment in which we can all practice. A bow given wholeheartedly can be responded from a different corner of the world. The way we sit, move and act can be a valuable encouragement for someone else watching or participating.
    Of course, time zones and life do not always work in our favour, and that is why we record and stream the zazenkai to YouTube. Anyone wishing to sit with the sangha can do so at their own convenience thanks to these recordings, effectively eliminating any barriers of space and time. We are actually encouraged to forget that it is a recording, and wholeheartedly engage in the practice: bow as if you were there, care for the forms as if you were seen, be as attentive as if there was a camera on you as well. These recordings can all be found on our YouTube page HERE>>An announcement of the coming zazenkai is made weekly, where we find all the information needed to join the meeting. You can keep up with those announcements HERE>>

    Of course, practice is not limited to one day a week. As a matter of fact, we are all encouraged to take the time to sit some zazen daily, if possible. And, in order to support everyone's efforts, we host various daily sits, that are much simpler than the zazenkai and might work well for different schedules. A list of all the daily sittings can be found on our PRACTICE CALENDAR which can be found HERE>>At Treeleaf, we are all encouraged to check and see whether we can join one of the group sits. Practicing together helps build relationships, it gives us the chance to motivate each other and to find motivation in others. The scheduled sittings usually happen in our Zoom SCHEDULED SITTING ROOM, which can be found HERE>>

    Sometimes, though, our schedules really don't align with the organized sittings. For those situations, we have what we call the FREE SITTING ROOM (FSR) which can be found HERE>> Think of the FSR as an always open Zendo. Sometimes we may find ourselves sitting there alone, and other times someone might already be there sitting, or might come in as we are sitting. Think of the wonderful opportunity to open our practice to the sangha that this is. We generously offer our presence for anyone that might need it. A simple gesture, such as turning on Zoom and sitting in the FSR rather than on our own, turns us into an offering of compassion. Someone might be sitting there, having joined looking for a friend to sit with it. Or imagine the joy someone might feel as they come to the FSR hoping to find someone to sit zazen next to, and we are there, practicing. Sure, no words are exchanged, not even a glance most of the time, but what is hidden or unseen in zazen?

    Sangha means also good friends along the way, and friendships are created and nurtured through fellowship, conversations and sharing. That is why we have our weekly Tea Houses , informal gatherings that usually last roughly an hour, where we can really get to know each other, and hopefully forge lasting friendships. The Tea Houses are, as of now, set up to cater to both European and North American time zones. You can find the schedule for the Tea Houses, again, on our Practice Calendar, linked above. The Tea Houses happen in our Zoom MEETING ROOM >> .

    These are all things we can engage in right now, things we can do weekly, or as often as our schedule allows. Each of us, individually, is also sangha. Our involvement, practice, presence and generosity are what form and maintain sangha, and sangha in return nurtures and maintains us. We are inseparably dependent on each other. If we remember that, it is probably easier to realize that we get from the sangha what we put in it.

    I hope to see you around and I hope this is helpful to you and your practice!

    Apologies, everyone , for running so very long!

    Gassho
    sat and lah
    Last edited by Bion; 08-16-2024, 09:11 AM.
    "Stepping back with open hands, is thoroughly comprehending life and death. Immediately you can sparkle and respond to the world." - Hongzhi
  • Onkai
    Treeleaf Unsui
    • Aug 2015
    • 2998

    #2
    Thank you, Bion!

    Gassho, Onkai
    Sat lah
    ​​​​
    美道 Bidou Beautiful Way
    恩海 Onkai Merciful/Kind Ocean

    I have a lot to learn; take anything I say that sounds like teaching with a grain of salt.

    Comment

    • Onkai
      Treeleaf Unsui
      • Aug 2015
      • 2998

      #3
      Could this be made a sticky thread, or do you think being sticky had something to do with it disappearing before?

      Gassho, Onkai
      Sat Lah
      美道 Bidou Beautiful Way
      恩海 Onkai Merciful/Kind Ocean

      I have a lot to learn; take anything I say that sounds like teaching with a grain of salt.

      Comment

      • Bion
        Treeleaf Unsui
        • Aug 2020
        • 4342

        #4
        Originally posted by Onkai
        Could this be made a sticky thread, or do you think being sticky had something to do with it disappearing before?

        Gassho, Onkai
        Sat Lah
        I'll make it sticky, yeah.

        Gassho
        sat and lah
        "Stepping back with open hands, is thoroughly comprehending life and death. Immediately you can sparkle and respond to the world." - Hongzhi

        Comment

        • Doowahn
          Member
          • Jun 2024
          • 3

          #5
          Thank you Bion.

          Gassho,
          Dwayne

          Sat Lah

          Comment

          • Ramine
            Member
            • Jul 2023
            • 121

            #6
            Thank you for this Bion.
            Gassho,
            Ramine

            Sat and lah

            Comment

            • Brett
              Member
              • Mar 2024
              • 97

              #7
              I so agree on attending zazenkai if you are able. Over the last few months I missed one, just due to exhaustion and sleeping through, but I don’t feel anyone demands perfection. But you should make an effort if you can because frankly it is worth it. Being able to see everyone practicing together helps strengthen your own practice in many ways and you are helping everyone in the sangha with your presence. Just be there, it builds so much unity around what I think fundamentally everyone is here for deep down, connection with other zen Buddhists from around the world. With good people trying to do good things, it’s amazing to be a part of that.

              St/lah
              Gassho
              Brett

              Comment

              • Tai Shi
                Member
                • Oct 2014
                • 3401

                #8
                Thank you Jundo,
                Deepest Bows
                Gassho
                Noted
                SAT/LAH
                Peaceful, Tai Shi. Ubasoku; calm, supportive, for positive poetry 優婆塞 台 婆

                Comment

                • MalleableGirlParts
                  Member
                  • Jul 2024
                  • 46

                  #9
                  Originally posted by Bion
                  Hello, everyone.

                  Given the online nature of Treeleaf, and the fact that the number of members here rises and falls like the tides, I figured it would be a nice idea to write a little about all the ways in which we can practice together here.

                  The Buddha spoke in his teachings of three treasures, three refuges, that were essential to all: buddha, dharma and sangha. Equally important, neither one was to be neglected. I wanted to focus on the third one, in this case: sangha.
                  All of us ended up here, at Treeleaf, because we were searching either for a teacher, a place or a community to practice with. We were technically looking for refuge, from our solitary attempts at engaging in the Way, from a dull practice, from boredom or some times, desperation. We were looking for likeminded people, kindred spirits, friends with which to share our excitement about the dharma and the practice of the Way. So, now that we are here, what does it really mean to practice together?

                  At Treeleaf we try to make sure there are plenty opportunities to practice and interact with each other. Our main practice opportunity as a sangha is the weekly (and monthly) Zazenkai. That means zazen meeting. Zazenkai happens every Friday/Saturday (because... time zones ) and it is a wonderful opportunity to sit a few periods of zazen together, to engage in kinhin (walking meditation), to listen to a dharma talk and have a short ceremony, as done in the Soto Zen tradition. This meeting is open to everyone, does not require any previous experience. and is offered absolutely free. Joining in for zazenkai live, whenever possible, is a wonderful opportunity to get to know members of the sangha, to get to know Jundo, as our guiding teacher, and it offers a unique opportunity for each of us to set the tone. A kind smile, a word of hello, a gassho as someone enters the Zoom room, can help create the warm, familiar environment in which we can all practice. A bow given wholeheartedly can be responded from a different corner of the world. The way we sit, move and act can be a valuable encouragement for someone else watching or participating.
                  Of course, time zones and life do not always work in our favour, and that is why we record and stream the zazenkai to YouTube. Anyone wishing to sit with the sangha can do so at their own convenience thanks to these recordings, effectively eliminating any barriers of space and time. We are actually encouraged to forget that it is a recording, and wholeheartedly engage in the practice: bow as if you were there, care for the forms as if you were seen, be as attentive as if there was a camera on you as well. These recordings can all be found on our YouTube page HERE>>An announcement of the coming zazenkai is made weekly, where we find all the information needed to join the meeting. You can keep up with those announcements HERE>>

                  Of course, practice is not limited to one day a week. As a matter of fact, we are all encouraged to take the time to sit some zazen daily, if possible. And, in order to support everyone's efforts, we host various daily sits, that are much simpler than the zazenkai and might work well for different schedules. A list of all the daily sittings can be found on our PRACTICE CALENDAR which can be found HERE>>At Treeleaf, we are all encouraged to check and see whether we can join one of the group sits. Practicing together helps build relationships, it gives us the chance to motivate each other and to find motivation in others. The scheduled sittings usually happen in our Zoom SCHEDULED SITTING ROOM, which can be found HERE>>

                  Sometimes, though, our schedules really don't align with the organized sittings. For those situations, we have what we call the FREE SITTING ROOM (FSR) which can be found HERE>> Think of the FSR as an always open Zendo. Sometimes we may find ourselves sitting there alone, and other times someone might already be there sitting, or might come in as we are sitting. Think of the wonderful opportunity to open our practice to the sangha that this is. We generously offer our presence for anyone that might need it. A simple gesture, such as turning on Zoom and sitting in the FSR rather than on our own, turns us into an offering of compassion. Someone might be sitting there, having joined looking for a friend to sit with it. Or imagine the joy someone might feel as they come to the FSR hoping to find someone to sit zazen next to, and we are there, practicing. Sure, no words are exchanged, not even a glance most of the time, but what is hidden or unseen in zazen?

                  Sangha means also good friends along the way, and friendships are created and nurtured through fellowship, conversations and sharing. That is why we have our weekly Tea Houses , informal gatherings that usually last roughly an hour, where we can really get to know each other, and hopefully forge lasting friendships. The Tea Houses are, as of now, set up to cater to both European and North American time zones. You can find the schedule for the Tea Houses, again, on our Practice Calendar, linked above. The Tea Houses happen in our Zoom MEETING ROOM >> .

                  These are all things we can engage in right now, things we can do weekly, or as often as our schedule allows. Each of us, individually, is also sangha. Our involvement, practice, presence and generosity are what form and maintain sangha, and sangha in return nurtures and maintains us. We are inseparably dependent on each other. If we remember that, it is probably easier to realize that we get from the sangha what we put in it.

                  I hope to see you around and I hope this is helpful to you and your practice!

                  Apologies, everyone , for running so very long!

                  Gassho
                  sat and lah
                  Hi,

                  Thank you for this! I read it a while ago, but now I particularly needed to read it again. I had forgotten about the Free Sitting Rooms! I haven't been able to recently sit in any scheduled Zazen, either due to being (in my mind) too tired or my kids running around. I will definitely visit the open rooms to sit.

                  I will say, I'm very thankful that I have been sitting every day, usually two and sometimes three times a day. I'm happy that I'm doing that and happy that I'm truly looking forward to it every day and any time I have a scheduled or unscheduled break I'm often choosing to sit. I'm feeling like I need it and I look to it for respite from whatever's going on in my life. Perhaps that's not the ideal approach, but I think it's more important for me to use what I can to cultivate the habit rather than getting caught up, as I often do, in the technical aspects of right and wrong.

                  Anyway, I'm thankful for this Zendo and don't want to lose the connections and support.

                  Gassho

                  Jenn

                  Sat Lah
                  Gasshō Jenn
                  Sat Lah

                  Comment

                  • Bion
                    Treeleaf Unsui
                    • Aug 2020
                    • 4342

                    #10
                    Originally posted by MalleableGirlParts

                    Hi,

                    Thank you for this! I read it a while ago, but now I particularly needed to read it again. I had forgotten about the Free Sitting Rooms! I haven't been able to recently sit in any scheduled Zazen, either due to being (in my mind) too tired or my kids running around. I will definitely visit the open rooms to sit.

                    I will say, I'm very thankful that I have been sitting every day, usually two and sometimes three times a day. I'm happy that I'm doing that and happy that I'm truly looking forward to it every day and any time I have a scheduled or unscheduled break I'm often choosing to sit. I'm feeling like I need it and I look to it for respite from whatever's going on in my life. Perhaps that's not the ideal approach, but I think it's more important for me to use what I can to cultivate the habit rather than getting caught up, as I often do, in the technical aspects of right and wrong.

                    Anyway, I'm thankful for this Zendo and don't want to lose the connections and support.

                    Gassho

                    Jenn

                    Sat Lah
                    Thankful to have you around, Jenn, and grateful we can support each other´s practice. There are times for the FSR, times we need to sit alone, times we can join others. We do our best everyday.

                    Gassho
                    sat and lah
                    "Stepping back with open hands, is thoroughly comprehending life and death. Immediately you can sparkle and respond to the world." - Hongzhi

                    Comment

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