July 6th-7th, 2018 - OUR MONTHLY 4-hour ZAZENKAI!

[Jundo]

Today's Talk is based on Koans from the Book of Serenity (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/july-2018-zazenkai-talk-cases-76-and-77-from-the-book-of-equanimity/

FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO JOIN TO SIT LIVE WITH A CAMERA, A LINK TO JOIN WILL BE POSTED BELOW IN THIS THREAD ABOUT 15 MINUTES BEFORE START TIME. JUST CLICK AND JOIN. 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

SatTodayLAH

PS - There is no "wrong" or "right" in Zazen ... yet here is a little explanation of the "right" times to Bow (A Koan) ...

https://youtu.be/GR6POpsXh9Q

The other video I mention on Zendo decorum is this one, from our "Always Beginners" video Series:

Sit-a-Long with Jundo: Zazen for Beginners (12) - Basic Zendo Decorum At Home
https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/show...093#post189093

[Jundo]

The Talk this time will be on "Book of Equanimity" Koans we have recently danced in our "No Words Book Club." Here is a version of each:

https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?55-BEYOND-WORDS-LETTERS-BOOK-CLUB-TREELEAF-ART-CIRCLE

----

CASE 76: Shuzan's Three Verses

Case:
Shuzan instructed his assembly and said, “If you get it all at the first verse, you will be
the teacher of buddhas and ancestors. If you get it all at the second verse, you will be the teacher
of heavenly beings and humankind. If you get it all at the third verse, you cannot save even
yourself.”
A monk asked, “At which verse did Your Reverence get it all?' Shuzan said, “The moon is
set at midnight; one walks alone through the market place.”


-----

CASE 77: Kyôzan: As Befits His Portion

Case:
A monk asked Kyôzan, “Your Reverence, do you know letters or not?” Kyôzan said, “I hold my own.”
The monk immediately turned around once clockwise and said, “What letter is
this?” Kyôzan drew the ideograph for “10” [ 十 ] in the earth. The monk turned himself around
once counter-clockwise and said, “What letter is that?” Kyôzan modified the sign “ 十” into a
swastika [ 卍 ]5.
The monk drew a circle in the air and lifted his two palms like Asura6
vigorously holding the sun and moon and said, “What letter is that?” Kyôzan immediately drew
a circle enclosing the swastika. The monk at once represented the vigor of a Rucika7.
Kyôzan said, “Good, good. Keep it with care.”


Footnotes:
5 Manji in Japanese; a symbol of Buddhism.
6 Originally a Hindu deity, here one of the eight supernatural protectors of Buddhist Way.
7 The buddha Rucika wailed at his fate at first because he was the last of the thousand buddhas in this cosmic
period. But then he made up his mind to be the energetic protector of the Dharma for all other buddhas. Two
powerful figures of this buddha are seen at the entrance gate of many temples in Japan (named Niô ).

---


CASE 78: Unmon's “Rice Cake”

Case:
A monk asked Unmon, “What is meant by the expression 'to go beyond the Buddha and
the ancestors'?” Unmon said, “Rice cake2.”


Footnotes:
2 In Japanese: kobyô. Cheap and unrefined rice cake, made with sesame.

-----


CASE 79: Chôsa and One Step

Case:
Chôsa had a monk ask Master E, “How was it when you had not yet seen Nansen?” E
remained silent. The monk asked, “What about after seeing him?” E said, “Nothing special.”
The monk returned and told Chôsa about this. Chôsa said, “The man sits on the top of a
hundred-foot pole. He has entered the way, but it is not yet genuine. He must take one step
from the top of a hundred-foot pole. The worlds of ten directions are your entire body.” The
monk said, “How should you take a step from the top of a hundred-foot pole?” Sa said,
“Mountains of Ro; water of Rei2.” The monk said, “I don't understand.” Sa said, “Four seas and
five lakes are all under the imperial reign3.”


Footnotes:
2 Ro and Rei are the names of Provinces in the old China.
3 I.e., “you” are the emperor; everything is under your reign.

-----


CASE 80: Ryûge brings the Chin Rest1

Case:
Ryûge asked Suibi, “What is the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the west?”
Suibi said, “Bring me a chin rest1.” Ryûge brought one and gave it to him. Suibi took it and hit
him. Ryûge said, “You may hit me as you like. After all, the meaning of the Patriarch's coming
from the west does not exist”
Ryûge also asked Rinzai, “What is the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the west?”
Rinzai said, “Bring me a sitting cushion.” Ryûge got one and gave it to Rinzai. Rinzai took it
and hit him. Ryûge said, “You may hit me as you like. After all, the meaning of the Patriarch's
coming from the west does not exist.”
Later Ryûge became abbot of a temple. A monk asked him, “Master, at that time, when
you asked Suibi and Rinzai about the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the west, did they
clarify it or not?” Ryûge said, “They clarified it all right. After all, the meaning of the
Patriarch's coming from the west does not exist.”


FOOTNOTES:
1 Literally: “Zen board.” A narrow board used so as to let one sleep in the sitting posture.

[Mp]

Thank you Jundo, I will be there live two way. =)

Gassho
Shingen

Sat/LAH

[Kyonin]

Thank you Jundo. I'll be there with instruments ready.

Gassho,

Kyonin
Sat/LAH

[Onkai]

Thank you, Jundo, Shingen, and Kyonin. I will join two-way, tech allowing.

Gassho,
Onkai
Sat

[sjlabat]

Hi, everyone, I will be sitting with you but at another/same time.
gassho,
sjl
sat,lah

[Shinshi]

Thank you Jundo - I will be time shifting to tomorrow morning but will still be with you.

Gassho, Shinshi

SaT-LaH

[Mp]

Hey folks,

Here is the event link for today's zazenkai: https://hangouts.google.com/hangouts...hl=en_GB&pli=1

Gassho
Shingen

Sat/LAH

[Mp]

Thank you Jundo, Kyonin, and everyone. Have a great weekend. =)

Gassho
Shingen

Sat/LAH

[Onkai]

Thank you, everyone. Have a great weekend!

Gassho,
Onkai
Sat

[Tairin]

Thank you.


Tairin
Sat today

[Jika]

Thank you all.

Gassho,
Jika
sat today

[Troy]

Gassho [emoji1374]


Sat2day

[Shokai]

Thank you Jundo;
I truly wanted to join you Friday. However, Thursday was hot and I had things that had to be done. But, I failed to consume enough water and without any warning, Friday morning when I woke up I was unable to raise my head without the whole world in the ten directions circled about me. I could no t stand; actually crawled to the toilet and overcame the challenge to mount it. Someone came by later in the day a offered to take me to the clinic. I was prescribed some medications that did absolutely nothing to relieve my misery. I eventually realized I had been overcome by the heat. At any rate, three days later I am able to sit and watched the Dharma Talk which I enjoyed immensely. If I had been there to answer your request for questions I would have said, "Zen zen wakarimasen!"

gassho, shokai

stlah

[Amelia]

I hope you're feeling better, Shokai. It is very hot where I am now and we are just staying inside. Yesterday I was feeling a bit odd, and I realized that I had hardly been drinking any water! Dehydration is no joke.

Gassho, sat today, lah