October 6th-7th, 2017 - OUR MONTHLY 4-hour ZAZENKAI!

[Jundo]

Today's Talk is Offering Metta (Loving Kindness) to Violent People. (see 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 YOUTUBE HANGOUT IS HERE:
CLICK ON THE TAB ON LOWER RIGHT FOR 'FULL SCREEN

Dharma Talk Audio / Podcast Episode:

https://treeleaf.podbean.com/e/october-2017-zazenkai-talk-offering-metta-to-violent-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]

Dear All,

For today's Metta (Loving Kindness) Recital, in the section of offering Metta to people difficult in our lives or in this world, I will be offering in my heart to "people like Stephen Paddock", the man who killed 58 people, and wounded hundreds more, in Las Vegas this week.

I feel I need to explain why, and the meaning of this. Someone might misunderstand or be confused. I am sorry that it is a little complicated.

Our Metta chant states:

1. May he be free of suffering; may he feel safe and still.

2. May he be free of enmity; may he be loving, grateful and kind.

3. May he be healthy and at ease in all his ills.

4. May he be at peace, embracing all conditions of life

Someone wrote me today and expressed that they would have great difficulty in offering Metta in this situation, or in explaining to others why we do so for someone who committed an unspeakable act. He asked for my comment, and here is what I wrote:

First, it is sometimes hard for folks unfamiliar with Buddhist teachings to understand, but we see "excess desire, anger within and divisive thinking (ignorance)" in the human heart and mind as the real culprit in such events, including in the case of Las Vegas. We do not speak of "bad people", only sentient beings who do "bad acts" driven by the poison disease within. And, yes, we see both the violence doer and the recipient of violence, and all of us, as victims of that "greed anger and ignorance."

That is the first fact to understand about Buddhist teachings on bad acts. But still, why am I wishing someone like that "to be healthy ... to be at peace"?

The reason is the basic belief that, if someone truly were so, he would not feel the pain and anger inside that would drive someone to do such acts. He would not be a prisoner of that "greed anger and ignorance". If truly healthy in body and mind, if truly knowing peace and non-violence in his heart, he would not act so. If there is any sense in which I would have offered Metta to Mr Paddock if he were still alive and in jail now, after doing this terrible thing, it is only in the wish that (were he still alive in this life) he would never do such a thing again, somehow becoming a better person, who would work to make some amends for even a fraction of what he did. However, if he were alive, I believe he would still need to feel the weight of the Karma too of what he has done, and not escape the weight of what he has done.

But even so, why chant for someone who is dead, as is Mr. Paddock? It might make sense to chant for peace in the heart of someone alive, and BEFORE they act (so they do not act), but why chant now ... after the horrible act, and for someone who is dead anyway?

Let me answer putting aside the question of future rebirths, and looking at only this life:

In such case, I actually do not offer "Metta" for Mr. Paddock, as he is dead and all is moot. However, I am wishing Peace and freedom from suffering into the hearts of all the other "potential future Mr. Paddock's" anywhere in the world, other violent people, who might someday do such a thing. May they be free of suffering so that they never do harm.

And when I chant, as strange as it sounds, I may be chanting to the "potential" to do harm in my own heart, and in the heart of all sentient beings. By chanting to others, I am also chanting for myself and all of us, that we all be free of greed, anger and violence, and ignorance of every form.

Now, let me answer in the case that there are future lives after this life:

If there are future lives, I might offer Metta only in the hope that in future births he become a better person, freer of violence, than in this life. However, even then, it likely that (in traditional Buddhist beliefs) he would still need to feel the weight of the Karma of what he has done, paying that great debt, and not escape the weight of what he has done. I feel that such punishment, and working off what he has done, would be the way for him to pay this debt and free himself for the future ... should it happen as many traditional Buddhist beliefs claim.

Finally, there is one other Mahayana Buddhist way that one might be offering Metta to Mr. Paddock, and that is through the wish ... however unlikely ... that our Metta could travel back in time to before all this to prevent it before it had happened. This last may seem very impossible, but you still wish it could be so. I am chanting wishing that he had been free of anger before.

As well, I will also offer Metta for all the people and their families touched by the tragedy of what he has done, including the medical staff and law enforcement who did their jobs and nonetheless carry suffering from this experience. Likewise, for all people left a bit more frightened and shocked by the events this week which they witnessed from afar. I will include all of them too.

We must somehow not turn away, not forget ... yet see the real culprit as the "greed anger and ignorance" that infects human beings. Perhaps it is too hard to ask people to forgive, but at least, let us strive not to meet anger with further anger of our own. The best response to hate is ... peace.

Hostilities aren't stilled through hostility, regardless. Hostilities are stilled through non-hostility: this, an unending truth.(Dharmapada 3-5)

I know it is hard for many right now.

I hope that explains a bit how one might offer Metta in this situation. It is not overlooking this tragedy, but merely a kind of hope and aspiration that it should never happen again.

Gassho, J

SatTodayLAH

[Mp]

Thank you Jundo, I will be there live and dedicate to all acts of violence and for the people acting with violence.

Gassho
Shingen

Sat/LAH

[Onkai]

Thank you, Jundo. That is a beautiful teaching. I will participate two-way, tech allowing

Gassho,
Onkai
SatToday/LAH

[Seishin]

Thank you Jundo for your explanatory words, so difficult to sit for both victims and perpetrator but all are victims.
Will be sitting ZOD over the next few mornings as usual

STMIZ / lah

[Kyonin]

Thank you Jundo.

I'll be there live with my bell and mokugyo ready.

Gassho,

Kyonin
Sat/LAH

[Meitou]

I had to be up at 5.30 this morning so I can't see me staying the course tonight, I will try to sit part and the rest over next week. Regardless, I will offer Metta tonight to all of those who through their own deep and terrible suffering are moved to commit such violent acts against others and themselves. I'm glad this has come up because it's something I have always felt very strongly about. In many ways, these people are our greatest teachers.

Gassho
Frankie
satwithyoualltoday/lah

[Byokan]

Aw, I thought I could sit live this week but just got called out on the road. Will sit on the weekend. Thanks to all for your practice.

Gassho
Byōkan
sat + lah

[Mp]

Hello everyone,

Here is the event link for tonights zazenkai: https://hangouts.google.com/hangouts...ivghpdzpioqrie

Gassho
Shingen

Sat/LAH

[RichardH]

Thank you. i have to drive out of town now to pick up my son, and will finish Zazenkai in the morning. Including the Hokey Pokey.

Gassho
Daizan


Sat today,LAH

[Mp]

Thank you Jundo, wonderful talk ... Kyonin, and everyone, I do love you all!

Gassho
Shingen

Sat/LAH

[Onkai]

Thank you, everyone. The talk was moving.

Gassho,
Onkai
SatToday/LAH

[Kyonin]

Now that the zazenkai is over, can't stop the tears.

Thank you all.

Our bodhisattva work never stops. We cry a little, we feel the feelings, but calm ourselves and keep working to benefit all sentient beings.

Gassho,

Kyonin
Sat in gratitude

[Shokai]

Thank you Jundo for your very timely lesson. And, thank you all who sat and will sit.

gassho,
Shokai
sat/LAH

[Jakuden]

Tears here too. Thank you all.

Gassho,
Jakuden
SatToday/LAH