June 6-7th, 2025 -OUR MONTHLY 4-hour ZAZENKAI- Diving the Ocean Mudra Samadhi

[Jundo]

We continue our Dogen deep dive:

“Ocean Mudra Samādhi” 海印三昧
... the tides of life and all the changes of this world.
(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]

Ocean Mudra Samādhi (II)

We continue this month our back stroke through the We will do the backstroke through Master Dogen's Ocean Mudra Samādhi (Kai’in Zanmai 海印三昧). His wild wordplay is a powerful expression of who we are in the universe, time, being and bringing to life our swimming through life by swimming gracefully.
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DOWNLOADABLE PDF:
Monthly Zazenkai Text June 6th.pdf

[The Buddha said,] When elements disappear, I do not say “I” disappear.

The moment when I do not say “I” disappear is the moment when elements disappear. What disappears are elements disappearing. Although disappearing, they are elements. Because they are elements, they are not affected by delusion. Because they are not affected by delusion, they are not divided. This undividedness is all buddhas and ancestors. In the words [spoken by Huineng], “You are like this,” what is not you? All past moments and all future moments are you. When he said, “I am like this,” what is not I? Past moments and future moments are all I.

Disappearing has been magnificently expressed as countless hands and eyes. It is unsurpassable nirvana. It is called death. It is called freedom from attachment. It is called the abiding place.

Hands and eyes are expressions of disappearing. Not saying I at the moment of appearing and not saying I at the moment of disappearing appear together, but do not disappear at the same time. There are past elements that disappear and future elements that disappear. There are elements that are moments in the past and elements that are moments in the future. Being is past and future elements. Being is past and future moments. Things that are not [relative] are being. Things that are not [opposed] are being.

Talking about things that are not [relative] and not [opposed] explains eight or nine out of ten. To regard the four great elements and five skandhas as
the hands and eyes of disappearing is to take them up and pursue understanding. To see four great elements and five skandhas as the path of disappearing is going beyond, encountering reality. The entire body is hands and eyes, not lacking anything. The full range of the body is hands
and eyes, not lacking anything. Disappearing is the activity of buddha ancestors.

While the Buddha says not [relative] and not [opposed], nevertheless appearing arises in the beginning, middle, and end. ... Although elements appear all of a sudden where past elements disappeared, it is not that disappearing turns into appearing, but that elements appear. Because elements appear completely, they are neither [relative] nor [opposed]. ... it is not that appearing turns into disappearing, but that elements disappear. Because elements disappear completely, they are neither [relative] nor [opposed].

Whether it is just appearing or just disappearing, in ocean mudra samadhi, all elements are as they are. It is not that there is no practice and realization, it is just that they are not divided. This is called ocean mudra samadhi. Samadhi is actualization; it is expression. It is the time of night when a hand is reaching back, groping for a pillow. When the hand reaches back for a pillow at night, this groping is not limited to thousands and millions of
eons, but is [as the Buddha says in the Lotus Sutra] “I am always in the ocean ...”

This ocean does not belong to inside, outside, or in-between. It is just I am always expounding the Lotus Sutra. The Buddha does not abide in the east, west, south, or north. The whole boat is empty; it returns full of moonlight. This return is a true place of settling. Who could call it stagnant water? It is actualized in the ultimate dimensions of the buddha dharma.

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[Jundo]

We will dance our Ocean Hokey Pokey ...
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SURVEY: After several years of dancing the hokey pokey and little folk songs for our "halftime" stretch, I am considering just to have a stretch from now on, and doing away with the silly dance. I always thought it is good to be silly after the serious Dharma Talk, but a quiet stretch is good too. Any opinion on keeping the silly dance or just the stretch?

Gassho, J
stlah

[Bion]

A downloadable pdf with the full text, including what we've studied it so far, is available either in the previous post from Jundo Roshi or in the Digital Resources section of the Zazenkai post on the website HERE>> (Scroll down to the bottom of the page ).

See you all tomorrow

Gassho
sat lah

[Jundo]

SURVEY: After several years of dancing the hokey pokey and little folk songs for our "halftime" stretch, I am considering just to have a stretch from now on, and doing away with the silly dance. I always thought it is good to be silly after the serious Dharma Talk, but a quiet stretch is good too. Any opinion on keeping the silly dance or just the stretch?

[Bion]

I vote little break / stretch.

Gassho
sat lah

[Onsho]

Guess were never gunna dance again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izGwDsrQ1eQ

Gassho
Onsho
satlah

[Bion]

Guess were never gunna dance again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izGwDsrQ1eQ

Gassho
Onsho
satlah

Never say never!

Gassho
sat lah

[Jundo]

Thank you all. Here is the style of traditional Chinese ink painting to which I think Dogen was referring ... the boat is somebody and something amid the emptiness of clouds and water in the moonlight, and yet the boat, the something and somebody are emptiness too ...
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image.png

The presentation by Bernard Kastrup that resonates a bit of Yogacara and many traditional Zen insights, and I recommend it for a watch if you have time. ... We don't rush to use the God word, however, so I am hesitant there.
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https://forum.treeleaf.org/forum/treeleaf/treeleaf-community-topics-about-all-of-life/549040-nature-of-reality#post549040

And finally, for the record, my closing Koan ...


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You are the dog, the dog is you.

But in the morning, put your pants on you, not the dog.

For otherwise, the dog will be angry, and you will have no pants.

Remember that the universe cannot bark without the dog ...

... the universe cannot wear pants without your legs.

Gassho, J
stlah

[Tairin]

Thank you everyone. I sat with you this morning.

I vote just take a break and stretch.


Tairin
sat today and lah

[Kotei]

I totally forgot to post...
Thank you Jundo, Shinshi and everyone who sat and will sit.

I went through some different ways of looking at the dance.
In the beginning, I disliked it very much. Later, I cherished it for teaching me not to take myself too serious. Now I dance and smile at the postman who wonders what that bald guy, dressed up as batman, does there in front of his laptop.
I like to move a bit and like the idea of practicing some stretches. Who knows, maybe this will even lead to having a little stretch routine.
I wouldn't mind mixing in a dance from time to time or returning to the Old Treeleaf Tradition again in some months or years.

Gassho,
Kotei sat/lah today.

[Chikyou]

I also vote for stretching. (I always felt self conscious about the dancing).

Gassho,
SatLah,
Chikyō

[Jundo]

I also vote for stretching. (I always felt self conscious about the dancing).

Gassho,
SatLah,
Chikyō

Now that is the funny thing. Putting folks slightly outside their usual "comfort zone" is one of the great training techniques of Zen practice.

Gassho, J
stlah