January 3rd-4th, 2025 -OUR MONTHLY 4-hour ZAZENKAI- A Blue Cliff New Year

[Jundo]

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We welcome the New Year with some more timeless Koans of the ...
Blue Cliff Record
碧巌録
... looking at the meaning in our ordinary lives, and the passing of time ...

(text below)

Dear All,

Please sit our Monthly 4-Hour Treeleaf Zazenkai LIVE with Zazen, Heart Sutra and more. We meet virtually in our Zoom Scheduled Sitting Room here:
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JOIN ZOOM >>.
The password (if needed): << dogen >>

For local times, please check the Practice Calendar here: TREELEAF NOW >> (8am to noon Japan time Saturday morning, New York 7pm to 11pm, Los Angeles 4pm to 8pm, Friday night, London midnight to 4am and Paris 1am to 5am on early Saturday morning) and also sittable any time thereafter:
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However, "one way" live sitters are encouraged to come into the Zoom sitting, and just leave the camera and microphone turned off.
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Audio recordings of the Talks in this series are available here:
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Dharma Talk Audio / Podcast Episode:
LINK

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The Sitting Schedule is as follows:

00:00 - 00:50 CEREMONY (HEART SUTRA IN JAPANESE / SANDOKAI IN ENGLISH) & ZAZEN
00:50 - 01:00 KINHIN
01:00 - 01:30 ZAZEN
01:30 - 01:50 KINHIN

01:50 - 02:30 DHARMA TALK & ZAZEN
02:30 - 02:40 KINHIN & HOKEY-POKEY RITUAL

02:40 - 03:15 ZAZEN
03:15 - 03:30 KINHIN
03:30 - 04:00 METTA CHANT & ZAZEN, VERSE OF ATONEMENT, FOUR VOWS, & CLOSING

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ATTENTION: Everyone, when rising for Kinhin or Ceremonies after Zazen, get up slowly, don't rush, hold something stable, you won't be "late," so TAKE YOUR TIME! Make sure you are careful getting up!

Gassho, Jundo

STLah


PS - There is no "wrong" or "right" in Zazen ... yet here is a little explanation of the "right" times to Bow (A Koan) ...
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Chant Book is here for those who wish to join in: CHANT BOOK LINK

The other video I mention on Zendo decorum is this one, from our "Always Beginners" video Series:
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Sit-a-Long with Jundo: Zazen for Beginners (12) - Basic Zendo Decorum At Home
https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/show...093#post189093

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I also recommend a little Talk on why small rituals and procedures are so cherished in the Zendo:
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SIT-A-LONG with Jundo: Small Things in the Zendo
https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/show...s-in-the-Zendo

[Jundo]

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We welcome the passing of time with further timeless Koans of the Blue Cliff Record (碧巌録; Hekiganroku in Japanese) compiled in Song China in 1125 ... relevant for life today in 2025 ...

CASE 13:
A monk asked Pa Ling, "What is the school of Kanadeva?"
Pa Ling said, "Piling up snow in a silver bowl."

CASE 14:
A monk asked Yun Men, "What are the teachings of a whole lifetime? "
Yun Men said, "An appropriate statement."

CASE 17:
A monk asked Hsiang Lin, "What is the meaning of Bodhidharma's coming from the West?"
Hsiang Lin said, "Sitting for a long time becomes toilsome."

CASE 20:
Ya asked Lin Chi, "What is the meaning of Bodhidharma's coming from the West?"
Lin Chi said, "Pass me the cushion."
Ya took the cushion and handed it to Lin Chi; Link Chi took it and hit him.
Ya said, "Since you hit me I let you hit me. In essence, though, there is no meaning of Bodhidharma's coming from the West."

CASE 18:
Emperor Su Tsung asked National Teacher Hui Chung, "After you die, what will you need?"
The National Teacher said, "Build a seamless monument for me."
The Emperor said, "Please tell me, Master, what the monument would look like."
The National Teacher was silent for a long time; then he asked, "Do you understand?"
The Emperor said, "I don't understand."
...
[Hui Chung's Disciple] Tan Yuan said,
South of Hsiang, north of T'an ... In between there's gold sufficient to a nation. ...
Beneath the shadowless tree, the community ferryboat;
Within the crystal palace, there's no one who knows.

CASE 19:
Whenever anything was asked, Master Chu Ti would just raise one finger.

[Jundo]

We Dance with Boney M and their lyricist, Bobby Burns, the words of which make a nice Zen Teaching ... from New Years 1985! ** ...
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Days Long Ago (Auld Lang Syne)

Should old acquaintances be forgotten
And never be remembered?
Should old acquaintances be forgotten
and days long ago.

Chorus:
For days long ago, my dear,
For days long ago
We'll drink a cup of kindness yet
For days long ago!

And surely you'll have your pint tankard
And surely I'll have mine.
And we'll drink a cup of kindness yet
For days long ago.

Chorus
We two have run about the hills
And pulled the daisies fine
But we've wandered many a weary mile
Since the days long ago.

Chorus
We two have paddled in the stream
From morning sun till dinner-time
But the broad seas have roared between us
Since the days long ago.

Chorus
And here's my hand, my trusty friend,
And give me your hand too,
And we will take an excellent good-will drink
For the days of long ago.

** Actually released in 1986

[Kotei]

Thank you everyone!
Gassho,
Kotei sat/lah today.

[DavidM]

Just sat with you all. Thank you.


Sat lah

[Bion]

Thank you, everyone, for sitting together!

Gassho
sat lah

[Gean]

Thank you, this was my first 4 hour Zazenkai! What an experience! I think I experienced satori the minute we started dancing! Or maybe that was just the vertigo haha!

Gassho,
Gean
SatLaH

[Meishin]

Sat with you today. Thank you all.

Gassho
Meishin
stlah