October 17th-18th Treeleaf Weekly Zazenkai - The Bardo

[Jundo]

Master Dogen wrote (in Shobogenzo Doshin) ...
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"When you leave this life, and before you enter the next life, there is a place called an intermediary realm. You stay there for seven days. You should resolve to keep chanting the names of the three treasures without ceasing while you are there. After seven days you die in the intermediary realm and remain there for no more than seven days. At this time you can see and hear without hindrance, like having a celestial eye. Resolve to encourage yourself to keep chanting the names of the three treasures without ceasing: ' I take refuge in the Buddha. I take refuge in the Dharma. I take refuge in the Sangha.' After passing through the intermediary realm, when you approach your parents to be conceived, resolve to maintain authentic wisdom. Keep chanting refuge in the three treasures in your mother's womb. Do not neglect chanting while you are given birth. Resolve deeply to dedicate yourself to chant and take refuge in the three treasures through the six sense roots. When your life ends, your eye sight will suddenly become dark. Know that this is the end of your life and be determined to chant, 'I take refuge in the buddha.' Then, all buddhas in the ten directions will show compassion to you. Even if due to conditions you are bound to an unwholesome realm, you will be able to be born in the deva realm or in the presence of the Buddha. Bow and listen to the Buddha."

Dear All,

Our Treeleaf Zazenkai is for 90 minutes 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 >> ( 10am Japan Saturday morning, NY 9pm, LA 6pm Friday night, London 2am and Paris 3am Saturday morning) or sit this Zazenkai any time thereafter here:
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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.

00:00 – 00:15 CEREMONY (HEART SUTRA in English) and Dedication
00:15 – 00:45 ZAZEN
00:45 – 00:55 KINHIN
00:55 – 01:25 ZAZEN
01:25 – 01:30 VERSE OF ATONEMENT & FOUR VOWS
01:30 - 01:45(?) INFORMAL TEA TIME (ALL WELCOME)
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Chant Book is here for those who wish to join in:
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CHANT BOOK LINK

For some more information about Zendo etiquette at Treeleaf and to help you be more comfortable with joining the Zoom room, please have a look here:
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ZENDO ETIQUETTE

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!
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Gassho
sat lah
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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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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
(LINK)

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
(LINK)

[Heishi]

I've always found this comforting....after physical death there's still awareness and actions, and it's ever changing and karma is rather fungible. That's my understanding of what Dogen wrote; it may not be totally correct.

Gassho,
Katherine

Satlah

[cloudtyger]

Thank you Jundo and everyone else

I hope you get to realize your minigolf dream. I live in Massachusetts, in the Berkshire region. My parents met at a bowling alley over here where my mom worked (The Cove; it inspired the Cohen Brothers to make The Big Lebowski) and instead of hiring a babysitter they would just lock me in the minigolf room lol. I think it's defunct now, but I have very fond, surreal memories of wandering the course. I can even remember the smell.

Gasshō
sat/lah
Marykate

[Jundo]

Here is where Koji's photo sits in our Zendo, between the Heart Sutra and Kannon Bodhisattva ...

TAI 01 Cover.jpgTAI 02 AI plus other tech.jpg

And the words he wrote Koriki while in hospital ...
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I’ve already died twice, almost 3, and I got to say, was pretty peaceful. The long zazen

Gassho, J
stlah

[Bion]

Here is where Koji's photo sits in our Zendo, between the Heart Sutra and Kannon Bodhisattva ...

TAI 01 Cover.jpgTAI 02 AI plus other tech.jpg

And the words he wrote Koriki while in hospital ...
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I’ve already died twice, almost 3, and I got to say, was pretty peaceful. The long zazen

Gassho, J
stlah

That's wonderful!

Gassho
sat lah

[Kotei]

Thank you Jundo.
Thank you Seiko for the Ino-ing, Bion for the tech and everyone for sitting together.
Gassho,
Kotei sat/lah today.

[Dogaku]

Hello,

Thank you for this week’s Zazenkai. I found the Dharma talk to be really interesting tonight. Thank you for talking about Dying and the Bardo.

Gassho,
Justin
Sat/Lah

[Tairin]

Thank you everyone. I sat with you this morning.


Tairin
sat today and lah

[Jinjitsu]

Thank you for this week's Zazenkai, it was lovely practicing with you all

Gassho,
Josh
satlah

[Hoshuku]

Thank you for. I’ve been around a lot of death for quite a few years and that caused me to sit with it and not gloss over it.

Bows
Hoshuku
Satlah

[Shui_Di]

I just sat three days ago, and just make comment today.

I love the idea of the Bardo from Tibetan Buddhism.

And I agree that we always in the realm of between.

Traditionally, It is said that people is in Bardo realm before taking another rebirth. I was told by Tibetan monk that people in Bardo realm, his mind is like falling leaf blown by wind. The wind of his karma, until the leaf fall in some place suited with his karma and be reborn again.

But here I have another point of view. We are in the Bardo, because we are in the between birth and death. Or between here and there. Any moment is Bardo. And in this Bardo, our mind is like leaf being blown by our perspective, ego and emotion. We are in the Bardo of samsara

But if we realize too, that at this very moment, when we stop comparing here and there, this or that. Right here right now, then the birth is the death. And at this point there is also no birth and death.
When we are not in the "between" of this and that, we are no longer inside the Bardo. At this point we realize the unborn. I can't say metaphorically this is the "reborn" in Nirvana or Buddha land. But using the word "reborn" is not right either.


Gassho, Mujo
Stlah