5-year ANNIVERSARY! (Your contribution is very welcome!)

[Tb]

Hi.

Treeleaf "Sharing helpful and insightful tips"-party is an integral piece of Treeleaf, and many Treeleafers have passed by on sundays to do ceremonies and talk.
At may 31, at the Treeleaf "Sharing helpful and insightful tips"-party, we'll be "celebrating" the 5-year anniversary of the Treeleaf Teaparty (aka Treeleaf "Sharing helpful and insightful tips"-party).

As part of the anniversary i would like to ask you to post a memory of the Treeleaf Teaparty or something integral to your practice during these 5 years in this thread, which we then will make an part of the ceremony on may 31st.

If you would like to join the Treeleaf Teaparty or our other events on Google + heres a link on how to do that:

http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?10200-How-to-Join-GOOGLE-for-Zazenkai

Thank you for your practice.

Mtfbwy
Fugen

#Sat2day

[Jundo]

Thank you, Fugen, for helping to keep this going all these years. It is really a warm and welcoming place in our community, where people can drop in and be at home. I hope everyone will visit.

I tend to keep my nose out of the goings on there (intentionally), but I am always there in heart.

Here is to the next 5 years!

Gassho, Jundo

SatToday

[Jishin]

5-year ANNIVERSARY! (Your contribution is very welcome!)

The first rule of Treeleaf Teaparty: You do not talk about Treeleaf Teaparty. The second rule of Treeleaf Teaparty: You do not talk about Treeleaf Teaparty. Third rule....

Gassho, Jishin, ST

[Yugen]

..... Third rule (continued) What happens at Treeleaf Teaparty stays at Treeleaf Teaparty!

Deep bows
Yugen


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jika]

For me, the Teaparty has an important mixture of ceremony, dharma, and fun elements.
I'd love if all of these elements could be represented.
If possible, chanting the Heart Sutra together (in English) with its G+-specific chaotic effect would be great; to me this feels like really creating a web of sound around the world, is highly meaningful and absurd at the same time.
Then, as the Teaparty and its inventor(s) are famous listeners, there should be a listening part.
Maybe there could be a moment of wordlessness, as this was the second place (other than with German village farmers) I felt immediately comfortable with silence. Knowing I don't have to entertain a conversation.
With the usual suspects, I am not worried that fun will fall short.
I could contribute the topic of acoustic misunderstandings.
I never knew how to pronounce "sewing" and I probably make a lot of funny language mistakes.
Same goes for understanding people's accents, like when somebody with a Southern (?) accent was enthusiastically talking about "poem" and I misheard the word.

Thanks to Fugen and the Gang for being there, ears eyes and hearts wide open.

Gassho,
Danny
#sattoday

[Nengyo]

This tea party thing sounds fun. Do you guys ever talk about star wars, Japanese movies, or how much fun sewing a rakusu is? if so, I'm in!

[Joyo]

Hello, I have not attended the tea party in a very long time as it is on Sunday afternoon, a time which I am usually resting or outside. But I do remember going and being very, very shy and everyone started talking about the sexual misconduct precept (it was the week we were studying it here at Treeleaf) so I went from shy to embarrassed. But soon I lightened up and we all started to laugh and have a good (very respectful) conversation. It was very refreshing, coming from my strict Mennonite (all sex is bad sex) background. Thank you, Fugen and all for the memory.

Gassho,
Joyo
sat today

[Tb]

Hi.

Just adding my thoughts and feelings.

Plz, post a memory of the Treeleaf Teaparty or something integral to your practice during these 5 years in this thread.

https://youtu.be/vybbUaVpDHk

Thank you for your practice.

Mtfbwy
Fugen

[Myosha]

Hello,

Limited access only accentuates the friendly camaraderie, honest talk and multiple senses of humor to be found every Sunday. Truly, one of the best S.H.I.T. occasions available in Treeleaf and totally worthless. Anxious to return soonest.


Gassho
Myosha sat today

[Mp]

Thank you Fugen and all of Treeleaf for being an integral part of life and practice, I am very thankful. =)

Gassho
Shingen

#sattoday

[Erik de Heiden]

Amazing that you do this already for five years every sunday. Respect!
Be sure, I will be happy to be there one day.

SAT2day

[Sekishi]

Dear Fugen and friends,

I do not have a particular memory of the Treeleaf Teaparty to share. But never the less, I would like to say that it is integral to my practice because it is a vital expression of a facet the three jewels: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.

Buddha is Buddha (what can be said?). Between the recommended reading list, the book club, Jundo's talks, and general forum discussion, I think most of us have pretty amazing access to the Dharma (perhaps moreso than most practitioners throughout history). And certainly in the forum and from daily G+ sittings we get a feeling of Sangha. But for me, the Treeleaf Teaparty is also a critical expression of "Sangha".

This tea party thing sounds fun. Do you guys ever talk about star wars, Japanese movies, or how much fun sewing a rakusu is? if so, I'm in!

Nengyo is being sarcastic here, because he knows - yes, sometimes "this tea party thing" is fun, and we definitely talk about Star Wars, Star Trek, Studio Ghibli, Kurosawa, and sewing. But it is also a face to face glimpse of our brothers and sisters in this practice. In the past we've even watched "Cooking with Yugen", and have chatted with Jiken / Daido while listening to the police radio in the background. Children and pets, chores and homework, and laugher and tears are all common visitors to the tea party: in the frame; unfiltered.

The forum is clearly an important aspect of our Sangha, but it is by definition "filtered". Writing generally gives us all an opportunity to take a step back, reconsider, edit, and generally sound wiser, more knowledgeable, and appear better looking than our friends and family know us to be. And thats ok too. I'm constantly amazed at the wisdom and civility of the Treeleaf Forum! But I think that as human beings, we do relate well to form: the sound of a laugh, the twinkle of an eye, the warmth of a parent hugging a child (even if only seen on a screen), or the little folds around the eyes as sadness touches a friend. And those moments are part of what helps create a sense of Sangha, at least for me.

Gassho,
Sekishi
#sattoday

[Nengyo]

I love the teaparty. It's true that I have a disproportionate love of the joking, the goofy conversations, and the silly stuff. However, I also love to see everyone from all over the world sitting and talking about ordinary life over a cup of tea. I love listening to the very serious dharma questions, I love hearing the unsui give the new people guidance (we can all use reminders), and I love hearing about the trials and tribulations of rakusu sewing.

Along with attending the retreat and dosho's late night sits (to which I will hopefully soon return) I feel attending the tea party to be one of the best decisions I've made at treeleaf (I was quite hesitant to join at first. I'm pretty socially awkward at times...ok all the time. )

There are too many memories to keep straight, but sekishi hit a few like listening to Jiken / Daido's police radio while talking about dharma or cooking with yugen. For me I'll add the great "treeleaf goat" discussion, staring at all of fugen's wonderful books, and joining the tea party many times from school while taking study breaks.

[Graceleejenkins]

The Treeleaf Tea party is just like a loving, fun home. Here you can always come home, for laughter, support, and learning. Always. I have been supported by its participants more than I can say. One member even sent me a book of zen haiku when I was sitting with my dying brother and in the depths of despair. I have always heard something said in these tea parties that I take with me and I repeat to myself when I need wisdom, comfort, or bravery. Every time you come here, you are always welcomed and always happier in the present. It is one of the most wonderful jewels of Treeleaf.

Thanks to all who have come and shared over the last five years and our host, Fugen, and co-host, Dosho. All of you, past and present, will always be in my heart. Gassho, Grace.