Sharing Helpful and Insightful Tips (was The Tea Party)

[Shohei]

Re: Sharing Helpful and Insightful Tips (was The Tea Party)

Be there with rings and bells on

Gassho
Shohei

[Myozan Kodo]

Re: Sharing Helpful and Insightful Tips (was The Tea Party)

Hi. Have a cup for me! Have friends for dinner tonight. Catch you again.
Gassho
Soen

[Dosho]

Re: Sharing Helpful and Insightful Tips (was The Tea Party)

Hi all,

Here's this past week's tea party report:

Sounds of Spring were well represented on the call as the birds were singing in Virginia on Sunday! Although one person reported still having a fair amount of snow on the ground. After our usual chants and short sit, it was quite the variety pack of topics. We discussed the December retreat in Brussels, hunting and eating meat, Christianity and morality, metta, political parties that apparently like tea, and the different environments where each of us has lived. There were some connection issues that made it difficult to hear at times, but as usual we had a deep discussion that was seemingly enjoyed by all.

Hope to talk to some folks on this week's call!

Gassho,
Dosho

[Tb]

Re: Sharing Helpful and Insightful Tips (was The Tea Party)

Hi.

A reminder of the Treeleaf teaparty ,sunday 21.00 (swedish time ) on skype.
Contains a short ceremony and some friendly talks.
If you want to join, unless you already have, pm Fugen or Shohei your skypename.

Everybody's welcome.
Same time, same place.
Thank you for your practice.

NOTE: There will be some special things happening this Teaparty, so if you can, please join in.

Gassho & Mtfbwy
Shohei and Fugen

[Dosho]

Re: Sharing Helpful and Insightful Tips (was The Tea Party)

Hi all,

Here is this past week's tea party report:

In attendance for the call were our original batch of priest trainees in addition to myself and a newcomer to Treeleaf. After the customary meal chant, robe verse, and short sit we moved on to matters of practice. One person described the complex emotions in meeting a blood relative who had been adopted some years ago. It was actulally their second meeting, but first since the adoptee's infancy. Another member discussed how their reactions to life events had changed since beginning zazen a few years ago. Also discussed was the path through Tibetan buddhism taken by our newcomer and his interest in shikantaza leading him to Treeleaf. A recent blog post by a zen priest created much discussion on the forum as well as on this week's call with some voicing strong opinions and others staying quiet on the matter. We then ended with a discussion of Jundo's "Blue Sky" metaphor and what it means for those who have been sitting a long time as well as those just coming to zazen for the first time...all of us beginners.

I hope to see you on this week's tea party call!

Gassho,
Dosho

[Stephanie]

Re: Sharing Helpful and Insightful Tips (was The Tea Party)

I plan to be there this week. Gassho!

[Graceleejenkins]

Re: Sharing Helpful and Insightful Tips (was The Tea Party)

Hi all,

Here is this past week's tea party report:

In attendance for the call were our original batch of priest trainees in addition to myself and a newcomer to Treeleaf. . . . A recent blog post by a zen priest created much discussion on the forum as well as on this week's call with some voicing strong opinions and others staying quiet on the matter. . . .
I hope to see you on this week's tea party call!

Gassho,
Dosho

Sorry I've had to miss the last two weeks--life happens. Do you have a reference for the zen priest's blog that was discussed? My curiosity is piqued! Gassho, Grace.

[Tb]

Re: Sharing Helpful and Insightful Tips (was The Tea Party)

Hi all,

Here is this past week's tea party report:

In attendance for the call were our original batch of priest trainees in addition to myself and a newcomer to Treeleaf. . . . A recent blog post by a zen priest created much discussion on the forum as well as on this week's call with some voicing strong opinions and others staying quiet on the matter. . . .
I hope to see you on this week's tea party call!

Gassho,
Dosho

Sorry I've had to miss the last two weeks--life happens. Do you have a reference for the zen priest's blog that was discussed? My curiosity is piqued! Gassho, Grace.

Hi grace.

Here's the link to the discussion on Treeleaf, the bloglink is at the top there.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3626

Mtfbwy
Fugen

[Nenka]

Re: Sharing Helpful and Insightful Tips (was The Tea Party)

Hey, sorry I left early. I was having a hard time getting (and staying!) back in and I had to get dinner ready anyway. It was neat hearing everybody for the first time!

Gassho

Jen

[Tb]

Re: Sharing Helpful and Insightful Tips (was The Tea Party)

Hi.

Yes, it was nice hearing from u to, even though the connection broke from time to time...

Thank you for coming.

Mtfbwy
Fugen

[Dosho]

Re: Sharing Helpful and Insightful Tips (was The Tea Party)

Hi all,

Here is this past week's tea party report:

We had a good turnout this week with half a dozen sangha members on the call. After our traditional meal chant, robe verse, and short sit we turned to matters of practice. A number of folks reported that either they hadn't been sitting in quite some time or that they were sitting around 10-15 minutes a day. Even though the recommendation is closer to 30 minutes here at Treeleaf, one of our priests in training said that the intention with which you practice zazen is the point no matter how long you are able to sit. Not forcing it was another idea discussed, especially given the fact that life can give you an "uphill climb" at times. Our "special" event, no more special than any other event but still of note, was Fugen talking about parachuting and learning to fly. To know more, you just have to stop by our next call! After the talk the discussions included the different "flavors" of life, how sharing our experiences at the tea party and on the forum is helpful to others' practice, how we can being authentic with ourselves and others' worldviews, one member's time in a monastery, and the reasons we don't sit.

Hope to chat with some folks on the call this Sunday!

Gassho,
Dosho

[Jundo]

Re: Sharing Helpful and Insightful Tips (was The Tea Party)

Even though the recommendation is closer to 30 minutes here at Treeleaf, one of our priests in training said that the intention with which you practice zazen is the point ...

Just a point of note ...

The "official" recommendation here is "15 minutes to 30 minutes per day, with lots and lots of 'Insta-Zazen ... plus longer Zazenkai, retreats and Sesshin from time to time ... all with good intention and sincerity ...

So, 15 minutes is fine if that is what someone can sit, and if coupled with all the rest.

Gassho, Jundo

[Dosho]

Re: Sharing Helpful and Insightful Tips (was The Tea Party)

Even though the recommendation is closer to 30 minutes here at Treeleaf, one of our priests in training said that the intention with which you practice zazen is the point ...

Just a point of note ...

The "official" recommendation here is "15 minutes to 30 minutes per day, with lots and lots of 'Insta-Zazen ... plus longer Zazenkai, retreats and Sesshin from time to time ... all with good intention and sincerity ...

So, 15 minutes is fine if that is what someone can sit, and if coupled with all the rest.

Gassho, Jundo

Sorry about that. ops:

[Dosho]

Re: Sharing Helpful and Insightful Tips (was The Tea Party)

Hi all,

Here is this week's tea party report:

This week's group was a small one with three of our priests in training and a couple others in attendance. After our traditional meal chant, robe verse, and short sit (which was dedicated to the father of Fugen's friend slapsko) Fugen discussed a recent sesshin he had attended. After that we discussed a number of topics such as those who claim to have experienced kensho but still seem to be out of touch with their own shortcomings, the effect of environment vs. genetics on how we develp through childhood, personality types developed through themes originally from Carl Jung, and the nature of love and compassion in different religiuous contexts. It was a wide ranging and very personal discussion that can really only be understod by being there!

I hope to see some folks at this weekend's tea party!

Gassho,
Dosho

[Tb]

Re: Sharing Helpful and Insightful Tips (was The Tea Party)

Hi.

A reminder of the Treeleaf teaparty ,sunday 21.00 (swedish time ) on skype.
Contains a short ceremony and some friendly talks.
If you want to join, unless you already have, pm Fugen or Shohei your skypename.

Everybody's welcome.
Same time, same place.
Thank you for your practice.

Gassho & Mtfbwy
Shohei and Fugen