PRELIMINARY PLANNING: DHARMA TRACKS Across AMERICA WEST (August 2017)

[Geika]

What a great trip! I'm excited to meet with you both.

Gassho, sat today

[M.C. Easton]

If you do make it up to Washington state, I'd be delighted to show you and Leon around Seattle for half a day--or just meet for tea or coffee with you both. Good luck with the planning! Sounds like a whirlwind tour!

Gassho,
M.C.
SatToday

[Jundo]

HOBART INDIANA (July 28th)
to
CHICAGO
to
OMAHA NEBRASKA
to
DENVER COLORADO
to
SALT LAKE CITY/OGDEN UTAH
to
SAN FRANCISCO CA (arrive Emeryville Sta.)
At this point, rent a car and drive up and down California. Likely route:
to
Eureka CA (NOTE: I was hoping to get up to Oregon and Washington state, west Canada, and right now it is looking hard due to time and distance. I am still trying to consider how. My son has limited time until school begins, and that is my only issue.)
to
Santa Cruz CA
to
Los Angeles CA
to
(Possibly) San Diego CA
to
LOS ANGELES CA (back on the train!)
to
MARICOPA ARIZONA (nearest station to Phoenix)
to
DEMING NEW MEXICO (nearest station to Los Cruces, possible visit to Ruldoso)
to
ALPINE TEXAS (possible visit to Lubbock)
to
AUSTIN TEXAS
to
DALLAS or HOUSTON TEXAS (likely finish late August)

Gradually contacting all the folks at the above stops, juggling train schedules and plane fares, passport renewals and car rentals, AirBB and all the fun ...

... I was longing for a bit for the freedom of ancient Zen monks, wandering freely in pilgrimage, not a care in the world.

Then I read this on the realities of the past.

Once a monk [in Song Dynasty China] had managed to obtain his proper certificates, he had to make sure that he had them on hand any time he traveled. In fact, even before he set out on a trip, he had to submit a detailed travel plan to the local authorities, along with letters of recommendation attesting to his good character. If the local authorities judged his paperwork to be in order, he would be issued a travel permit for that very specific trajectory, a trip that had to be accomplished in a set amount of time. If he traveled without such papers, or if he took too long a time on the road, he risked being arrested, caned, and defrocked. Even abbots had to travel with this kind of paperwork in hand. Here, the state’s goal was to minimize movement of the clergy and to keep very close tabs on their whereabouts at all times. Obviously, once one realizes how this kind of state-control impinged on all monks and their basic freedoms, one has to rethink stock images in Song literature of the carefree monk who floated, from monastery to monastery, like a drifting cloud. Against that fantasy we have to see that to be a Buddhist monk, whether one was involved with Chan ideas or not, was to know and abide by a very clear set of state-given rules and regulations. To do otherwise was to put one’s clerical career in jeopardy, while also potentially threatening one’s superiors as well, since, in good Chinese fashion, they would be held responsible for the ethical lapses.
https://www.amazon.com/Patriarchs-Pa...ct_top?ie=UTF8

Not to mention that the roads were filled with bandits, tigers, storms and all the rest.

I suppose I have it easy.

Gassho, J

SatToday

[Kyousui]

Obviously, once one realizes how this kind of state-control impinged on all monks and their basic freedoms, one has to rethink stock images in Song literature of the carefree monk who floated, from monastery to monastery, like a drifting cloud.
Gassho, J

Maybe that's what influenced all the ritual that is added to basic Zazen.

[treebeard]

I would be interested in the Maricopa Az meetup. I realize my complicated family life precludes me from participating live in zazenkai's very often but I do very much feel like this Sangha is my spiritual home so to speak.

Paul
Gassho
Sat today


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[Jundo]

Pleased to announce that the trip, and the Zazen, will actually begin two days earlier than planned, on July 28th, in Hobart Indiana (thank you Myogan Marc! who is picking us up at Ohare to drive back to Indiana). From there, off to Chicago ...

Hobart apparently is a big beach town on the shores of Lake Michigan. I did not know ... Heck, looks like California already!



The trip will finish August 29th in Austin Texas. So far, all arrangements set for Omaha, Denver, Ogden Utah, SF and Eureka California ... will be contacting other folks today ...

Gassho, J

SatToday

[Jundo]

I would like to offer a special thank you and all gratitude to Jakuden who has generously donated enough miles points to rent a very large house in central San Francisco for three nights,from August 9th to 12th, so that I (with family in tow), Shingen, Jakuden (who is also flying all the way to California to join), Hoko and Seimyo (making special cameo appearances) can stay and Practice and hang together.

There would be no Buddhism or Zen without donors, and sometimes we should recognize a special kindness.

Endless Bows, J

SatToday

[Mp]

I would like to offer a special thank you and all gratitude to Jakuden who has generously donated enough miles points to rent a very large house in central San Francisco for three nights,from August 9th to 12th, so that I (with family in tow), Shingen, Jakuden (who is also flying all the way to California to join), Hoko and Seimyo (making special cameo appearances) can stay and Practice and hang together.

There would be no Buddhism or Zen without donors, and sometimes we should recognize a special kindness.

Endless Bows, J

SatToday

Yes, deep bows and much gratitude to Jakuden for her kindness ... it is going to be so wonderful to come together to sit, laugh, share, and grow ... very exciting. =)

Nine bows
Shingen

s@today with a BIG smile

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[Jakuden]

So glad to be able to help and can't wait to meet you all!! It really is a small thing in return for everything this Sangha does and has done for me.[emoji120]
Gassho
Jakuden
SatToday


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[PClark1]

I know that I am new to the community, but I would very much h like the opportunity to meet you when you are in Chicago.

Gassho,

Paul
Sat today

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[Jundo]

Hi Paul,

That would be lovely.

I will be in nearby Hobart Indiana visiting Myogan Mark from the evening of 8/28 through 8/29, and I likely (not definite yet) will be participating at Taigen Dan Leighton's Sangha in Chicago on Monday night July 31st. Hope we can sit together somewhere there.

Gassho, Jundo

SatToday

[Geika]

If you will be bypassing Southern California, I will be happy to try and join you all in San Francisco! Just a day's drive from me, and the more members I can meet in person, the better!

Gassho, sat today

[Mp]

If you will be bypassing Southern California, I will be happy to try and join you all in San Francisco! Just a day's drive from me, and the more members I can meet in person, the better!

Gassho, sat today

Hey Geika,

There is going to be a bunch of us Zenny folks in SF ... yes, it would be great to have the gang get together. =)

Gassho
Shingen

s@today

[Jakuden]

Bumping this thread as a kind of "last call" for the Streetcars of San Francisco! Anyone that would like to either join us to stay in "Treeleaf House" from August 9-12 or to drop by for a visit, please message me. All aboard!

Gassho,
Jakuden
SatToday

[Jundo]

Bumping this thread as a kind of "last call" for the Streetcars of San Francisco! Anyone that would like to either join us to stay in "Treeleaf House" from August 9-12 or to drop by for a visit, please message me. All aboard!

Gassho,
Jakuden
SatToday

Please do! We need to do some things which require confirming who is coming, like plan food and make arrangements for Zazen at San Francisco Zen Center, so need to know about people.

Even "spontaneous" Zen needs some planning! (A Koan)

Gassho, J

SatToday