May 5th-6th, 2017 - OUR MONTHLY 4-hour ZAZENKAI!

[Jundo]

Today's Talk will takes nurture from the Meal Chants ... More than Bread Alone! (text below)

Please 'sit-a-long' with our MONTHLY 4-hour ZAZENKAI, netcast LIVE 8am to noon Japan time Saturday morning (that is New York 7pm to 11pm, Los Angeles 4pm to 8pm (Friday night), London midnight to 4am and Paris 1am to 5am (early Saturday morning)) ... and visible at the following link during those times ...

... to be visible on the below screen during those times and any time thereafter ...

LIVE ZAZENKAI NETCAST at GOOGLE+ IS HERE:
CLICK ON THE TAB ON LOWER RIGHT FOR 'FULL SCREEN

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Oz_lm--eW8

Dharma talk audio / podcast episode:

https://treeleaf.podbean.com/e/may-2017-zazenkai-talk-may-5th-6th-2017-our-monthly-4-hour-zazenkai/

FOR THOSE NOT ALREADY MEMBERS OF THE CIRCLE WHO WISH TO JOIN TO SIT LIVE WITH A CAMERA, INSTRUCTIONS are posted AT THIS LINK. WE ARE NOW LIMITED TO 10 INDIVIDUALS WITH CAMERAS, BUT ANY NUMBER CAN WATCH LIVE 'ONE WAY' AND SIT-A-LONG VIA THE ABOVE SCREEN. IF JOINING WITH CAMERA, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR MICROPHONE IS MUTED:

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

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


Our Zazenkai consists of our chanting the 'Heart Sutra' in Japanese and the 'Identity of Relative and Absolute (Sandokai)' in English (please download our Chant Book at the link below), some full floor prostrations (please follow along with me ... or a simple Gassho can be substituted if you wish), a little talk by me ... and we close with the 'Metta Chant', followed at the end with the 'Verse of Atonement' and 'The Four Vows'. Oh, and lots and lots of Zazen and walkin' Kinhin in between!

Please download and print out the Chants we will recite at the following link (PDF):

Chant Book (PDF)

or

Chant Book (SHORT VERSION HTML)

Not everyone realizes that they can join in the Chanting of the Heart Sutra, Identity of Relative & Absolute, Metta Verses, Verse of Atonement and Four Vows (although we ask that you keep your microphone down). Please follow along with the Chant Book, and let your voice ring!

I STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT YOU POSITION YOUR ZAFU ON THE FLOOR IN A PLACE WHERE YOU ARE NOT STARING DIRECTLY AT THE COMPUTER SCREEN, BUT CAN GLANCE OVER AND SEE THE SCREEN WHEN NECESSARY. YOUR ZAFU SHOULD ALSO BE IN A POSITION WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE COMPUTER SCREEN WHILE STANDING IN FRONT OF THE ZAFU FOR THE CEREMONIES, AND HAVE ROOM FOR BOWING AND KINHIN.

ALSO, REMEMBER TO SET YOUR COMPUTER (& SCREEN SAVER) SO THAT IT DOES NOT SHUT OFF DURING THE 4 HOURS.

I hope you will join us ... an open Zafu is waiting. When we drop all thought of 'here' 'there' 'now' 'then' ... we are sitting all together!


Gassho, Jundo

[Jundo]

Our Talk this month digests the Chants for Formal Meals ... not bread alone, these Chants guide us for all our Practice and Life ...

Formal Meal Verses (Gyôhatsu nenju 行鉢念誦)


Verse upon Hearing the Meal Signal (Montsui no ge 聞槌之偈)

(Hands in Gassho) Buddha was born in Kapilavastu,
enlightened in Magadha,
taught in Varanasi,
entered nirvana at Kushinagara.


Verse for Setting Out Bowls (Tenpatsu no ge 展鉢之偈）)

(Hands in Gassho) Now we set out Buddha's bowls;
may we, with all living beings,
realize the emptiness of self-clinging, and of the three wheels:
giver, receiver, and gift.
(GASSHO, THEN OPEN BOWLS WITH CARE)


Verse of Buddha Names (Butsumyô 十仏名)

(Hands in Gassho) In the midst of the Three Treasures
which verify our understanding,
Entrusting ourselves to the Sangha,
we recall:
Homage to the pure Dharmakaya Vairochana Buddha, boundless
To the complete Sambhogakaya Lochana Buddha, symbol of perfection
To the manifest Nirmanakaya Shakyamuni Buddha, a man of this earth
To Maitreya Buddha, hope for the future
To all Buddhas past, present, and future in the ten directions
To the Mahayana Saddharma Pundarika Lotus Sutra
To Manjusri Bodhisattva, great wisdom
To Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, great activity
To Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, great compassion
To the myriad honored ones, Bodhisattvas, Mahasattvas
To the Perfection of Wisdom, Maha Prajnaparamita.


Food Offering Verses (Sejiki ge 施食偈)

(Hands in Gassho) This food of many benerfits
comes from the efforts
of all sentient beings past and present,
and is medicine for nourishment of our Practice.
We offer this meal of many virtues and tastes
to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha,
and to all life in every realm of existence.
May all sentient beings in the universe
be sufficiently nourished.


Verse of Five Contemplations (Gokan no ge 五観之偈)

(Hands in Gassho) First, we reflect on the labours that brought us this food and
consider how it comes to us.
(Bow in Shashu) Second, as we receive this offering, we should consider whether our
virtue and practice are worthy of its receipt.
(Hands in Zazen Mudra) Third, we regard greed as an obstacle to freedom of mind.
Fourth, we regard this meal as medicine to sustain our life.
Fifth, to attain the Way, we now receive this food.


Verse of Food Offering (Saba ge 生飯偈)

REMOVE A FEW MORSELS, AND PLACE ASIDE
(Hands in Gassho) For all creatures who hunger, and to nourish this world, now we
present you this offering. This food is for all of you in the ten directions.


Bowl Raising Verse (Keihatsu no ge 擎鉢之偈)

(Hands in Gassho) First, this is for the Three Treasures;
Second, it is for our teachers, parents, planet, and all sentient beings.;
Third, it is for every being in all realms of existence.
Thus we eat this food with everyone. We eat to
end all suffering, to practice the harmless and beneficial, to save all sentient beings,
and to accomplish the Buddha Way.
The first portion is to end all evil;
the second is to cultivate every good;
the third is to free all beings.
May everyone realize the Buddha Way.


End of meal:

(Sessui no ge 折水之偈)

(Hands in Gassho) The water with which we wash our bowls tastes like ambrosia.
We offer it to all who thirst, that they may be satisfied.
And may the fires of greed and our excess desires be quenched.

[On ma ku ra sai so wa ka]

Verse of Purity While Abiding in the World (shose kaibon no ge 処世界梵之偈)

(Hands in Gassho) Abiding in this ephemeral world
May we exist in muddy water with purity like a lotus
Nothing escapes the boundless mind
Thus we bow to Buddha.

[Mp]

Thank you Jundo, I will be running a little late on a work project tomorrow, but I will be there live. =)

Gassho
Shingen

s@today

[Kyonin]

Hi Jundo!

I'll be there with my bell and mokugyo ready

Gassho,

Kyonin

[M.C. Easton]

Will be there for the first hour live.

Gassho,
M.C.
SatToday

[Onkai]

Thank you, Jundo and Kyonin. I will be there live, 2-way, tech permitting.

Gassho,
Onkai

[Sekishi]

I might be a little late, but I'll be there two-way.

Thank you all for coming together for this practice.

Gassho,
Sekishi #sat

[Jundo]

The Link to join I think ...

https://hangouts.google.com/hangouts/_/tsusnywtlrfu3ex7v6zpgpap5ee

[Kyonin]

The Link to join I think ...

https://hangouts.google.com/hangouts...ex7v6zpgpap5ee

Yes, it's working okay

Thanks!

Gassho,

Kyonin

[Jakuden]

Sitting live one-way
Gassho
Jakuden
SatToday


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[M.C. Easton]

Deep bows to all. So grateful for zazenkai with you and for this sangha.

Looking forward to sitting the rest of zazenkai tomorrow!
Gassho,
M.C.
SatToday

[Onkai]

Thank you, Jundo, Kyonin, and everybody for practicing together. Have a wonderful weekend!

Gassho,
Onkai
SatToday

[Sekishi]

Thank you all, seen and unseen. What a joy to practice together!

Deep bows,
Sekishi #sat

[Jakuden]

Thank you everyone and to Jundo for the wonderful talk! I had not ever heard a discussion about those chants before. Looking forward very much to Oryoki by the Bay in SF!
And of course the hokey pokey [emoji120][emoji1]
Gassho
Jakuden
SatToday


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Mp]

Thank you Jundo, Kyonin, and everyone ... lovely talk Jundo, it is/was just enough. =)

Gassho
Shingen

s@today