Uposatha practice at Treeleaf?

[Sekishi]

Before settling in to the Soto tradition here at Treeleaf, I used to set aside a Uposatha / Upavasatha day on the weekend of the full moon. Uposatha practice takes a number of different forms in different countries and traditions, but the basic idea is that it is a day (a few times a month) to deepen and renew dedication to practice. For myself, it meant once a month, observing a day of silence, long sittings in the morning, work-practice during the day, and long sittings in the evening.

I always found it to be beautiful (observing noble silence while moving through the world is particularly touching), and feel drawn to renew it in my own life. After attending the retreat this month, I promised myself I would take it up again.

1. Is there anything analogous in our tradition? I am most familiar with the Theravada practices (laypeople taking precepts for the day, monks reviewing the Vinaya, etc.), but I understand that similar practices exist in some Mahayana traditions. Are there any analogous practices in the Soto way?

2. Regardless of historical precedent, is there any interest from others in the Sangha in practising some form of "mini-retreat" on a monthly basis? The obvious choice is to try to make it coincide with the monthly Zazenkai (perhaps either beginning or ending with the Zazenkai). I do not think it would have to be anything too elaborate or "organized". Examples could include simply a commitment to try to sit a little more, to try to connect with fellow Sangha members (sit in one or more hang-outs on G+ for example), observe a day of silence if personal circumstances allow, treat work for the day as samu, and check in with the precepts.

I would like to pick this practice up again, and would be delighted to join with others if interested.

Any feedback from the Sangha, our teachers, or Unsui would be most appreciated.

Gassho,
Sekishi

[Jundo]

Hi Sekishi,

First, a little more information on what you mean.

The Uposatha (Sanskrit: Upavasatha) is Buddhist day of observance, in existence from the Buddha's time (500 BCE), and still being kept today in Buddhist countries. The Buddha taught that the Uposatha day is for "the cleansing of the defiled mind," resulting in inner calm and joy. On this day, lay disciples and monks intensify their practice, deepen their knowledge and express communal commitment through millennia-old acts of lay-monastic reciprocity. On these days, the lay followers make a conscious effort to keep the Five Precepts or sometimes the 8-precepts. It is a day for practicing the Buddha's teachings and meditation. ... In Mahayana countries that use the Chinese calendar, the Uposatha days are observed six times a month, on the 8th, 14th, 15th, 23rd and final two days of each lunar month. ... For example, on those days lay followers would abstain from all sexual conduct and not merely sexual misconduct.

http://www.chinabuddhismencyclopedia.com/en/index.php?title=Uposatha

http://books.google.co.jp/books?id=s...%20zen&f=false

I would say that this is not so common among Western Zen groups for their lay members (and I have not seen much emphasis in Japan), BUT that the days of longer or "all day" Zazenkai participation in Japan and the West are meant to have this same role of a bit of intensive Practice. So, yes, I would invite everyone to sit our monthly Zazenkai "live" (or with the "any time" recorded version), and also to combine that with some or all of the added Practice you mention such as treating work for the day as Samu.

On the other hand, well, we should ideally treat about any day so!

Our upcoming Ango 90 Day "Special Practice" Season is also such a time, and I will provide information on that this week.

I will leave the question of undertaking celibacy for that time to each of you, but avoiding "sexual misconduct" is the vow in our Way.

Gassho, Jundo

[Sekishi]

On the other hand, well, we should ideally treat about any day so!

Of course! But it is also my experience that with a little periodic renewed practice, actualizing the way in each moment of each day comes just a little more naturally.

Thank you Jundo.

Gassho,
Sekishi

[Sekishi]

Uposatha practice at Treeleaf?

I hope this isn't too presumptuous, but how does the following sound as a rough idea?

- Try out a "mini-retreat day" on the day of / day after (depending on your timezone) each of the long Zazenkai of Ango, and see if it has enough momentum to continue after Ango. If so, wonderful, if not, wonderful too.

- Much like the various Google+ sittings we have now, loosely organize around timezone and send out invitations (to those who would like to be invited) for three hangouts on the retreat-day, say 4 hours apart (for simplicity in scheduling).

- One half-hour Zazen the morning (for example, 9:00AM EST so folks EST - PST can sit together).

- One half-hourish Oryki in the late morning to early afternoon (1:00PM EST). Maybe one of the folks who have done Oryoki can talk through the ceremony a little to help folks who have not done it.

- One half-hour Zazen in the late afternoon to early evening. (5:00PM EST).

- Optionally, one hangout somewhere during the day for silent sewing or other stationary samu.

What happens the rest of the day, is up to the participant. Some may practice silence, samu and additional sitting, some may not.

Anyhow, just an idea.

Gassho,
Sekishi

[Jundo]

Hi Sekishi,

It sounds like a lovely suggestion. How about we keep this activity rather informal for now, see how it goes? If folks are interested in participating, they can post in this thread or PM you. Then, you can organize this privately as a group here ...

http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/group.php

Go for it! Times of more intensive Practice can only be a good thing! (Sometimes, we need to practice a bit more intensively all to realize the attaining of nothing to attain, the polishing of nothing to polish). Please report to me on how it does go, so we can see if the experiment works.

I will also be announcing our 90 day Ango in a few days, and hope that all our members will join into that. That will be a time of more intensive Practice for all!

Gassho, Jundo

[Tb]

Hi.

Sekishi, i too have been practicing this sort of having a "special day" each month dedicated to deepening, and renewing, the practice, usually the last sunday each month, depending on circumstances.
Even though each day should be treated this way, it is good to sometimes have an extra reminder of what we are doing, in much the same way as a squeaky floorboard or a loose floortile, and i look forward to an continuation on this.

Mtfbwy
Fugen

[Khalil Bodhi]

Hi Sekishi,

I think this is a great idea. I regularly observe the uposatha when circumstances permit so I'm all in. Do you want to start an informal group so we keep tabs on the dates?

Gassho,

Mike

[Sekishi]

Hi Sekishi,
It sounds like a lovely suggestion. How about we keep this activity rather informal for now, see how it goes? If folks are interested in participating, they can post in this thread or PM you. Then, you can organize this privately as a group here ...

http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/group.php

Thank you Jundo. I was definitely thinking about this as an informal affair.

I will work with Seimyo or Kyonin to create a group (I don't have permission to create one).

Deep bows,
Sekishi

[Amelia]

My first thought was, There are three months of that during Ango! but it is a worthy idea. Couldn't hurt.

Gassho

[Joyo]

Sounds like a wonderful idea, Sekishi!! I too have had thoughts lately of how to deepen my practice. Thanks for posting and please keep us updated on any plans you may have.

Gassho,
Joyo

[Sekishi]

Seimyo has kindly set up a group for us to discuss this idea further. Those of you who showed interest should have an invitation to join the group waiting as a PM. Anyone else who would like to join, please go to:

http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/group.php

And click the "+ Join" button to join us.

Gassho,
Sekishi

[Kokuu]

Before settling in to the Soto tradition here at Treeleaf, I used to set aside a Uposatha / Upavasatha day on the weekend of the full moon

This is wonderful, Sekishi. In the Tibetan traditions we used to do this twice a month, at new and full moons. The practice was to rise at dawn to reaffirm the precepts, only have one meal that day and set aside more time for practice. Any sexual activity was prohibited. It originated as time when lay people could live as monastics for a day.

Likewise, I have let this go since joining Treeleaf and think it would be a good thing to engage with again.

Thank you for your practice


Kokuu

[Byokan]

Hi Sekishi,

I do something like this at the full/new moons, did not know about Uposatha. Thanks for bringing it up!

Gassho
Lisa

[Amelia]

I have joined.

Gassho

[Jundo]

This is wonderful, Sekishi. In the Tibetan traditions we used to do this twice a month, at new and full moons. The practice was to rise at dawn to reaffirm the precepts, only have one meal that day and set aside more time for practice. Any sexual activity was prohibited. It originated as time when lay people could live as monastics for a day.

Likewise, I have let this go since joining Treeleaf and think it would be a good thing to engage with again.

Thank you for your practice


Kokuu

Hi,

Some Soto Zen Sangha in the West undertake a "Japanized" interpretation of this called "Ryaku Fusatsu". You can read more here. I have not done so at Treeleaf, and have kept with a recital of the "Verse of Atonement" at each Zazenkai. However, it is a lovely ceremony. If you do something like this, it would be nice to undertake along our Soto Way. It is basically an abbreviated version of the Jukai Ceremony ...

At Nebraska Zen Center / Heartland Temple, we perform an ancient chanting and bowing ceremony called Ryaku Fusatsu (Jap.) once a month. We also refer to this ceremony as our Precept Ceremony, for in it we re-affirm our commitments to live according to the Sixteen Bodhisattva Precepts, our Ethical Guidelines for everyday life. I'd like to explain what this ceremony is and how we perform it here.

Ryaku Fusatsu is indeed ancient. Its roots go back to Pre-Buddhist India, to ancient Vedic lunar sacrifices performed on the nights of the new and full moon. By Shakyamuni Buddha's time 2600 years ago, these sacrifices were no longer performed, but the new and full moon occurrences were still observed by Hindus as holy days of purification and fasting, days when the Gods came to dwell in the house. They became known as Upavastha(from the Sanskrit upa, near and vas, dwell).

Legend has it that Shakyamuni Buddha's followers also gathered on those days, perhaps because they didn't want to be left out. They would sit down and meditate together. Later, lay disciples –
in whose homes the monks and nuns would sometimes gather – wanted some teaching, so the monks began to recite the 227 rules of the Patimokkha discipline, the rules governing everyday conduct for monks and nuns (257 for nuns). This recitation developed into a confession and repentance ceremony, during which the monks and nuns would speak up if they had violated any of the rules and vow to do better in the future.

This ceremony is still performed today, at the same time and in the ancient way, by Theravadin monks and is called Uposatha in the Pali language, a variation of the old Upavastha, the, "near-dwelling" of the Gods on the ancient Hindu holy days. In Mahayana Buddhism, the spirit of the ceremony is preserved, but the 227 rules are not recited, because Mahayana sects have abandoned them. Instead of the confession being made to other monks, it is made directly to Buddha.

The ceremony was transmitted, with lots of changes and developments, from India through China to Japan and now has been transmitted to America as Ryaku Fusatsu, as it is known in Soto Zen Buddhism.

MORE HERE:

http://www.prairiewindzen.org/ryaku_fusatsu.html

Gassho, Jundo