Dear All.
THE TIME HAS almost!! ARRIVED to begin our 2017 DHARMA WHISTLE STOP & SIT ACROSS AMERICA WEST! Starting with Japan departure next Friday, 7/28, I will be posting UPDATES IN THIS THREAD, as well as links to HANGOUT NETCASTS OF ZAZENKAI (EVERY FEW DAYS, SEE SCHEDULE BELOW in this thread) with the Sangha friends I am visiting along the way. PLEASE NOTE THAT WE PLAN TO CLOSE MOST OF THE TREELEAF FORUM DURING THE DAYS OF THE SAN FRANCISCO (Oakland) RETREAT (Aug 9-12) as all our attention and Practice will be focused there, and we hope to live netcast many portions of that as well.
Please come sit along!
I will be heading to the Airport here in Japan to commence our second "DHARMA TRACKS Across AMERICA" (Our first "Dharma Tracks Trip in 2014 covered a wide area of America and Canada East). From July 28th to August 31st, as we (Jundo and his 14 year old son, Leon, sometimes joined with wife Mina and little Chao Chao) follow the Amtrak far and wide from Indiana to Chicago to Nebraska to Colorado to Utah to California (then driving from SF to Eureka in the North to LA in the South) to Arizona to New Mexico to Texas and home to Japan ... getting to know and bringing a little Retreat to our members. Especially, August 9th to 12th, a bunch of Leafers and I will be gathering for a SESSHIN in SAN FRANCISCO (really, Oakland!!). featuring among many other events, our 2017 SHUKKE TOKUDO 'HOMELEAVING' ORDINATION CEREMONY. DETAILS HERE. It is now planned that many portions of the San Francisco (Oakland) Sesshin will be NETCAST LIVE at various times, see schedule below in this thread (as well as available for viewing later), so please do all you can to attend portions of this special event online from home.
This is all part of our mission, for folks who due to health, work or family need cannot join in a Zazenkai or Retreat so easily, to bring a little Retreat to you!
HERE IS THE SCHEDULE SO FAR, AND WHO WE WILL BE VISITING. I will be announcing exact retreat times, and updating the schedule below in this thread. The Zazenkai will be of various lengths, starting times will vary and need to be flexible for sudden changes, so please check back often (SCHEDULE CLICK HERE). Will will also be having shorter informal sits from time to time without notice. I will try to vary times so that our folks in Europe might join in live sometimes.
+ July 28 to early July 30 - with Myogan, joined by Shokai and Shugen, in HOBART, INDIANA
+ July 30 to July August 2 - Jundo family visit, and Dharma Talk at Taigen Dan Leighton's Zen Center (Ancient Dragon Zen Gate) in CHICAGO
+ August 2 to August 3 - with Matt, joined by Tom Shulte and Tai Shi, in OMAHA, NEBRASKA
+ August 4 to August 6 - with Banto, joined by Seido, in the mountains near DENVER. COLORADO
+ August 6 to August 8 - Personal Visit (but I will get some Zazen in there somewhere) in SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH
+ August 9 evening to early August 12 - SAN FRANCISCOakland RETREAT with MANY LEAFERS (including Geika, Hoko, Seimyo, Shingen, Kyonin, Byokan, Shoka, Jakuden, and Kokuu live from the UK)!
+ August 12 to August 14 - with JamesVB, joined by Kyonin, in EUREKA, CALIFORNIA
(then, a little family time for Mina and me and the kids)
+ August 18 evening, and August 20 with Shoka (joined by some folks from Brad Warner's DSLA) in LOS ANGELES
+ August 21 (featuring a TOTAL almost ECLIPSE OF THE SUN) to August 23 with ANZAN in the desert somewhere a couple of hours from MARICOPA, ARIZONA
+ August 24 to August 25 with Doshin, joined by Jishin, in the mountains somewhere near DEMMING NEW MEXICO
+ August 26, a special day with Treeleaf friend DAIHO HILBERT ROSHI, joined by Jishin and maybe Doshin, in LOS CRUCES, NEW MEXICO
+ August 27 to August 28, ROAD TRIP with Jishin to visit Lorax Jim in MARFA/ALPINE, TEXAS (home of the mysterious Marfa Lights) ...
+ August 29 with Meishin in AUSTIN, TEXAS (featuring Zazen at the Elvis Memorial!)
+ August 30 ... plane back to Japan ...
I sincerely apologize to the several people who were very kind to extend an invitation I could not meet this time due to the routing.
(Here are the general Amtrak route maps to give an idea where we are heading)
Other than sitting Zazen, the only plan is to "hang out", nothing fancy, sit on the porch and get to know each other, share some time. Maybe see some nature, show my son Leon a bit of American culture that he does not know (being raised in Japan)
(One other reason I am making this trip with my son is that Leon does not know America very much, so this is a chance to show him some of that part of his culture at the same time. I am hoping to show him some American history, life and nature along the way ... especially as he is going to have to be stuck tagging along with his dad those weeks! I am hoping that, on the way to visit our Treeleaf members, I can show him some of that.)
The Buddha walked barefoot hundreds of miles across northern India. In the old days, Zen folks wandered from temple to temple looking like this ...
My boy and I will pretty much be a t-shirt clad father and son with a couple of backpacks and a tired look from 15 hour train trips! Thanks to Mina too, who will be helping out with the SFOakland Retreat)
This is another great experiment for this "Sangha beyond here or there" with many people who due to health concerns, living in remote areas, or work, childcare and family needs, cannot attend a Sitting easily, as we see if the Sangha & Sittings can come to them!
My son and I (Mina and Chao Chao too) would very much look forward to meeting so many of you, sharing some time and sitting Zazen together!
AND VERY ESPECIALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK SEVERAL DONORS, WISHING TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS, WHO HAVE DONATED FUNDS VERY GENEROUSLY AND WARMLY TO MAKE THE SANGHA RELATED PORTIONS OF THIS TRIP, INCLUDING THE RETREAT AND VISITS TO LEAFERS, POSSIBLE. OTHERS HAVE DONATED THEIR TIME, DRIVING, FOOD, HOMES and SIMPLE FRIENDSHIP. Many are traveling from far away. All of this trip is dedicated, with thanks, to you.
"WHISTLE STOP & SIT" Gassho, Jundo
SatTodayLAH
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