June 31st-July 1st, 2017 - OUR MONTHLY 4-hour ZAZENKAI!

[Jundo]

NOTE: MONTHLY ZAZENKAI THIS TIME IS ON THE CUSP OF THE MONTH (Buddha and Dogen did not face the International Date Line!)

Today's Talk is "‘Practice-Enlightenment’ for Practical People (Just Tryin’ to Pay the Light Bill)" (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=ekETcr_Vt40

Dharma talk audio / podcast episode:

https://treeleaf.podbean.com/e/july-2017-zazenkai-talk-practice-enlightenment-for-practical-people/

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]

Readings for ‘Practice-Enlightenment’ for Practical People (Just Tryin’ to Pay the Light Bill) - A Talk by Jundo Cohen
. . .
From: Zazen as Enactment Ritual by Taigen Dan Leighton
In Zen Ritual: Studies of Zen Buddhist Theory in Practice, edited by Steven Heine and Dale Wright (Oxford University Press, 2008)
(http://www.ancientdragon.org/dharma/...actment_ritual )

Buddhist meditation has commonly been considered an instrumental technique aimed at obtaining a heightened mental or spiritual state, or even as a method for inducing some dramatic "enlightenment" experience. But in some branches of the Zen tradition, zazen (Zen seated meditation) has been seen not as a means to attaining some result, but as a ritual enactment and expression of awakened awareness. This alternate, historically significant approach to Zen meditation and practice has been as a ceremonial, ritual expression whose transformative quality is not based on stages of attainment or meditative prowess.

The Zen ritual enactment approach is most apparent and developed in writings about zazen by the Japanese Soto Zen founder Eihei Dogen (1200-1253).
…

One of the Shobogenzo essays that focuses on zazen practice is the 1242 "Zazenshin" (The Acupuncture Needle, or Point, of Zazen). In it Dogen says, "For studying the way, the established [means of] investigation is pursuit of the way in seated meditation. The essential point that marks this [investigation] is [the understanding] that there is a practice of a Buddha that does not seek to make a Buddha. Since the practice of a Buddha is not to make a Buddha, it is the realization of the koan." Here, as in many places in his writings, Dogen emphasizes as the "essential point" that zazen specifically and practice generally is not about seeking some future buddhahood. Rather, it is already the practice of buddhas, realizing with awakened awareness what is crucial in this present situation.

As "Zazenshin" proceeds, it centers on Dogen's commentary about a story about the great Chan master Mazu Daoyi (709-788; Baso Doitsu in Japanese), when he was studying under Nanyue Huairang (677-744; Nangaku Ejo in Japanese). Mazu was sitting and his teacher Nanyue asked him about his intention in zazen. Mazu replied that he intended to make a Buddha. Nanyue took a tile and began polishing it with a rock. When Mazu asked what he was doing, Nanyue replied that he was polishing a tile to make a mirror. When Nanyue perplexedly asked how this was possible, Nanyue responded, "How can you make a Buddha through zazen?"

… In "Zazenshin," commenting after Nanyue says, "How can you make a Buddha through zazen?" Dogen declares, "There is a principle that seated meditation does not await making a Buddha; there is nothing obscure about the essential message that making a Buddha is not connected with seated meditation." For Dogen zazen is adamantly not merely a means to achieve buddhahood. But after commenting in detail on this story, Dogen says, "It is the seated Buddha that Buddha after Buddha and Patriarch after Patriarch have taken as their essential activity. Those who are Buddhas and Patriarchs have employed this essential activity, . . . for it is the essential function." Although it is not an instrumental activity for gaining awakening, zazen is still the fundamental activity of buddhas for Dogen.
…

[In] his early 1231 writing "Bendowa." In response to one of the questions posed, Dogen states, “In buddha-dharma, practice and enlightenment are one and the same. Because it is the practice of enlightenment, a beginner's whole-hearted practice of the Way is exactly the totality of original enlightenment. For this reason, in conveying the essential attitude for practice, it is taught not to wait for enlightenment outside practice. . . Since it is already the enlightenment of practice, enlightenment is endless; since it is the practice of enlightenment, practice is beginingless.” For Dogen, true practice of buddha-dharma can only be a response to some present awareness of enlightenment or realization. And enlightenment is not realized, or meaningful, unless it is engaged in practice. Dogen says that because of this unity he urges all to engage in zazen, and then he cites Nanyue's, "It is not that there is no practice and enlightenment, but only that it cannot be defiled."
…

[In Hogo 11 of the Eihei Koroku] Dogen goes on to say, “Teaching and verification [enlightenment] should be examined in the same way. This zazen was transmitted from Buddha to Buddha, directly pointed out by ancestors, and only transmitted by legitimate successors. Even when others hear of its name, it is not the same as the zazen of buddha ancestors. This is because the principle of zazen in other schools is to wait for enlightenment.” As in "Bendowa," "Gyobutsu Igi," and elsewhere, Dogen emphasizes that his ritual zazen praxis is not passively waiting for some future event or experience, and he notes critically that, "The principle of zazen in other schools is to wait for enlightenment." In many traditional branches of Buddhism, meditation practice may eventually lead to enlightenment. Dogen states that some people even practice "like having crossed over a great ocean on a raft, thinking that upon crossing the ocean one should discard the raft. The zazen of our Buddha ancestors is not like this, but is simply Buddha's practice." In this common Buddhist simile of the raft, once one reaches the other shore of liberation the raft (e.g. of meditative practice) is no longer needed. But Dogen implies that the practitioner should continue to carry the raft, even while trudging up into the mountains or down into the marketplace.

… The conventional view of spiritual practice and of a buddha's career would be that one first engages in meditative practice, then, after many years or, more likely, a great many lifetimes, one might experience awakening or enlightenment. Only thereafter would one "turn the wheel of dharma," or expound the teaching. But in the above passage and as hogo 11 continues, Dogen insists that the ritual meditative praxis of the buddha ancestors is completely one with "the essence" of enlightenment, but also with its expounding. The Chinese character for "expounding" also means simply "to express." So from the first thought of practice and awakening, the practice completely expresses the enlightenment at hand.

[Mp]

Thank you Jundo, I will be there live instruments ready if Kyonin is not available. =)

Gassho
Shingen

SatToday/LAH

[Jika]

I hope the recording will work.
Looking forward to this talk.

Does anyone have a backup idea to record the (sound of the) talk part?

Thank you all.
Gassho
Jika
#sattoday, LAH

[Mp]

I hope the recording will work.
Looking forward to this talk.

Does anyone have a backup idea to record the (sound of the) talk part?

Thank you all.
Gassho
Jika
#sattoday, LAH

Hey Jika,

I will keep an eye out and if something goes wrong, I will do a screen record and catch the talk. =)

Gassho
Shingen

SatToday/LAH

[Jundo]

I hope the recording will work.
Looking forward to this talk.

Does anyone have a backup idea to record the (sound of the) talk part?

Thank you all.
Gassho
Jika
#sattoday, LAH

Hi Jika,

The podcast audio of the Talk alone should be available from Sekishi a few days from now. Check back in this thread.

In the meantime, Jika, please enjoy these ...

http://treeleaf.podbean.com/

Gassho, J

SatTodayLAH

[RichardH]

I'll be here/there live.

Gassho
Daizan

Gassho
sat today/LAH

[Kyonin]

Hi!

I'll be there live with instruments ready.

Shingen: thank you for being ready. Electric storms are wild for us this time of the year.

Gassho,

Kyonin

[Mp]

Hi!

I'll be there live with instruments ready.

Shingen: thank you for being ready. Electric storms are wild for us this time of the year.

Gassho,

Kyonin

Awesome, thanks Kyonin. =)

Gassho
Shingen

SatToday/LAH

[M.C. Easton]

Thank you for the post, Jundo. I'm looking forward to zazenkai! I'll be there for the first hour to hour-and-a-half.

Gassho,
Melanie
SatToday

[Doshin]

I will be there mid-course for awhile,

Gassho
sattody/LAH

[Onkai]

Thank you, Jundo, and everybody. I will join live, one-way, tech allowing.

Gassho,
Onkai

[Sekishi]

Will join two-way, but might have to start at the first kinhin. [emoji120]

Gassho,
Sekishi #sat


Sent from my Tricorder using Tapatalk Pro

[Mp]

Hey folks,

Here is the event link if needed: https://hangouts.google.com/hangouts...hcylvze2nich4e

Gassho
Shingen

SatToday/LAH

[RichardH]

Will be joining in a bit late.

Gassho
Daizan

sat today/LAH