Mary has asked me to post the reading from Master Dogen below, and that you read it before the Zazenkai ...
Dear All,
I am pleased to announce that Rev. Mary Mocine, guiding the Clear Water Zendo/Vallejo Zen Center in California, will be offering a very special Zazenkai and Talk NEXT SATURDAY AUGUST 15th, LIVE from Vallejo and Treeleaf Tsukuba. This will be a special united event, as we will actually be participating in the Saturday Morning weekly Zazenkai at Clear Water with their members.
For those who don't know about Mary ...
Mary Mocine (born February 21, 1944) is a Soto Zen priest in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki-roshi currently leading the Clear Water Zendo at the Vallejo Zen Center in Vallejo, California. A Dharma heir of Sojun Mel Weitsman of the Berkeley Zen Center, Mary began her Zen practice in 1988 at Berkeley Zen Center and Green Gulch Farm after 18 years of practicing law. She took three months off from her law practice in 1989 to devote herself more fully to Zen practice and never did return to her job as an attorney. In 1990 she entered Tassajara Zen Mountain Center and spent the next four years in monastic training, ordaining as a Soto priest in 1994 under Sojun-roshi. In addition to her studies with Sojun-roshi, Mary has also studied with Zoketsu Norman Fischer, Yvonne Rand, Zenkei Blanche Hartman and Tenshin Reb Anderson. During the winter practice session of 1998 at Tassajara, Mary served as shuso (head monk or head student). This is a position where an individual assumes more responsibility as a priest, giving lectures and participating in Dharma discussion with students. After serving as shuso Mary was invited to give Dharma talks and teach classes, also continuing to provide individual practice discussion with students.
Mary has also served at all three SFZC locations in a variety of senior staff positions, including tenzo (head cook), shika (guest manager), ino (head of the Meditation Hall), and director. In 1999 she undertook formal training in hospice care at the Zen Hospice Project in San Francisco, a project that was initiated by the SFZC. She also provides meditation instruction for those incarcerated at Solano State Prison in Vacaville, California. In 1998 she formed a meditation group in Vallejo, California which grew in size by 1999 and in 2000 Clear Water Zendo at Vallejo Zen Center opened. In 2005 Mary received Dharma transmission from her “root” teacher, Sojun Mel Weitsman. Among her many endeavors as a Soto priest, Mary sometimes offers retreats specially designed for lawyers.
Interview at SweepingZen:
http://sweepingzen.com/mary-mocine-interview-2/
Mary has also served at all three SFZC locations in a variety of senior staff positions, including tenzo (head cook), shika (guest manager), ino (head of the Meditation Hall), and director. In 1999 she undertook formal training in hospice care at the Zen Hospice Project in San Francisco, a project that was initiated by the SFZC. She also provides meditation instruction for those incarcerated at Solano State Prison in Vacaville, California. In 1998 she formed a meditation group in Vallejo, California which grew in size by 1999 and in 2000 Clear Water Zendo at Vallejo Zen Center opened. In 2005 Mary received Dharma transmission from her “root” teacher, Sojun Mel Weitsman. Among her many endeavors as a Soto priest, Mary sometimes offers retreats specially designed for lawyers.
Interview at SweepingZen:
http://sweepingzen.com/mary-mocine-interview-2/
The festivities will begin at 9:30 AM CALIFORNIA TIME SATURDAY (that is 12:30pm in New York, London 5:30pm and Paris 6:30pm, all SATURDAY AUGUST 15th).
Our sitting schedule will look like the following although please be prepared for some flexibility and the possibility to run a little long: perhaps 30 minutes of Zazen, a little Kinhin, a Talk by Mary for 30 minutes or so, and some Questions from our Treeleaf and Clear Water participants. I anticipate the the event will be about 90 minutes to 2 hours.
I would like to fill our hangout and show Mary a big turnout. I NEED AS MANY FOLKS AS POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY THOSE FAMILIAR WITH HANGOUTS, WHO CAN COMMIT TO JOIN US LIVE FOR THIS ZAZENKAI! If you are interested and can come, please EMAIL (jundotreeleaf[@]gmail.com) or PM me (Jundo). It will be worth your time.
I will post immeditately below more information on our Hangouts and a list of folks committing to attend.
Let's all get together to welcome Mary! I believe this is her first experience with this kind of netcast Zazenkai, or with a "not bound by walls" Sangha like ours, so I would like to make a nice impression.
Gassho, Jundo
PS - It would be polite for those participating to offer a little donation to Clear Water Zendo for their support and in gratitude to the Teacher. Below a link for donations, and I am going to ask all our Treeleaf members who benefit from Mary's visit (not only the folks joining live, but those who will sit later or just listen to his words), to offer a donation for their upkeep there.
As well, here is the link toVallejo Zen Center, where there is also a link and more information: http://www.vallejozencenter.org/
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The reading for this Zazenkai:
Shobogenzo EIHEI KOSO HOTSUGANMON by Dogen Zenji
We vow with all beings, from this life on throughout countless lives, to hear the true
dharma; that upon hearing it, no doubt will arise in us, nor will we lack in faith; that
upon meeting it, we shall renounce worldly affairs and maintain the buddha-dharma;
and that in doing so, the great earth and all living beings together will attain the
buddha way.
Although our past evil karma has greatly accumulated, indeed being the cause
and condition of obstacles in practicing the way, may all buddhas and ancestors who
have attained the buddha way be compassionate to us and free us from karmic effects,
allowing us to practice the way without hindrance.
May they share with us their compassion, which fills the boundless
universe with the virtue of their enlightenment and teachings. buddhas and ancestors
of old were as we; we in the future shall be buddhas and ancestors. Revering buddhas
and ancestors, we are one buddha and one ancestor; awakening bodhi-mind, we are
one bodhi-mind. Because they extend their compassion to us freely and without limit,
we are able to attain buddhahood and let go of the attainment. Therefore, the Chan
Master Lung-ya said:
Those who in past lives were not enlightened will now be enlightened.
In this life, save the body which is the fruit of many lives.
Before buddhas were enlightened, they were the same as we.
Enlightened people of today are exactly as those of old.
Quietly explore the farthest reaches of these causes and conditions, as this
practice is the exact transmission of a verified buddha. Confessing and repenting in
this way, one never fails to receive profound help from all buddhas and ancestors. By
revealing and disclosing our lack of faith and practice before the buddha, we melt
away the root of transgressions by the power of our confession and repentance. This is
the pure and simple color of true practice, of the true mind of faith, of the true body of
faith.
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