SPECIAL SUNDAY Aug 4-5th - Our MONTHLY 4-hour Treeleaf ZAZENKAI (No Zazenkai Fri-Sat)

[Jundo]

THIS MONTHLY ZAZENKAI is SUNDAY NIGHT in North America (Monday morning Europe and Asia) -- Check times below. There is no Zazenkai on Friday/Saturday this time, and other Sunday Treeleaf activities may be rescheduled.

Today's Talk will be on Koans of the Book of Serenity (See Below in this Thread)

Please 'sit-a-long' with our MONTHLY 4-hour ZAZENKAI, netcast LIVE 8am to noon Japan time MONDAY morning (that is New York 7pm to 11pm, Los Angeles 4pm to 8pm (SUNDAY night), London midnight to 4am and Paris 1am to 5am (early MONDAY 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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPH-...ature=youtu.be

Dharma Talk Audio / Podcast Episode:
TO BE POSTED IN THE COMING DAYS

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 & HOKEY-POKEY

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) ...

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

[CENTER]Sit-a-Long with Jundo: Zazen for Beginners (12) - Basic Zendo Decorum At Home

https://imusic.am/al/GrmnUJij

[Jundo]

Our Talk today will be on a few Cases of the Book of Serenity that we recently danced in our "No Words" Book Club ...

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

Case 81 - Gensha Comes to the Province

Attention! Master Gensha arrived at Hoden Province and was received with many kinds of entertainment.
The next day he asked Venerable Shoto, "Where did all of yesterday's festivities go?"
Shoto replied by lifting a corner of his robe.
Gensha remarked, "There's no relation between them at all."

APPRECIATORY VERSE
Hiding the boat in the darkened valley.
Thrusting the pole into the clear source.
Dragons and fish don't know yet that water makes their lives.

Master Dogen wrote in the Genjo Koan "Firewood becomes ash; it can never go back to being firewood. Nevertheless, we should not take the view that ash is its future and firewood is its past. We should recognize that firewood occupies its place in the Universe as firewood, and it has its past moment and its future moment. ... Ash exists in its place in the Universe as ash, and it has its past moment and its future moment."

and

"When fish swim in water, though they keep swimming, there is no end to the water. When birds fly in the sky, though they keep flying, there is no end to the sky."

CASE 82: UMMON’S SOUNDS AND SHAPES

PREFACE TO THE ASSEMBLY
When sounds and colors are not let go,
This state is known as “being conditioned by the environment.”
If you are seeking by sound and seeing by shape,
You will never experience the Buddha of this very moment.
Aren't you pursuing a way to return home?

MAIN CASE
Attention! Master Ummon addressed the assembly, saying,
"Hearing a sound, realize the Way.
Seeing a shape, enlighten the mind.
The Goddess of Compassionate Wisdom bought a common farm rice-cake.
But, released from her hands, it transforms into a sumptuous bean-jam cake."

Master Dogen wrote in the Genjo Koan "To carry the self forward and illuminate myriad things is delusion. That myriad things come forth and illuminate the self is awakening. "

CASE 83: DOGO'S NURSlNG

Attention! Isan asked Dogo, "Where have you been?"
Dogo said, "I've been nursing."
Isan said, "How many people were sick?"
Dogo replied, "Some are sick, some are not."
Isan pursued, "Isn't it you who's not sick?"
Dogo responded, "Sickness and non-sickness have nothing at all to do with it. Speak quickly! Speak quickly!"
Isan remarked, "Even being able to say it misses entirely."

APPRECIATORY VERSE

... Seeming to exist, he's not anything.
Being utterly empty, he's not something.
Un-extinguished, he's born; un-destroyed, he lives eternally.
He even goes utterly before the ancient Buddhas and walks alone among the empty kalpas.
Being quiet-heaven covers, earth supports.

Master Dogen wrote in Genjo Koan "there is life and death ... there is no life and no death ... there is life and death ... Though all this may be true, flowers fall even if we love them, and weeds grow even if we hate them, and that is all."

CASE 84: GUTEI'S ONE FINGER

Attention! Great Zen Master Gutei, whenever he was questioned, simply raised one finger.

Master Dogen wrote in the Genjo Koan "in the practice-enlightenment of the buddha way, to attain one thing is to penetrate one thing; to meet one practice is to sustain one practice."

CASE 85: THE NATIONAL TEACHER'S SEAMLESS TOMB

Attention! Emperor Shikuso asked National Teacher Chu, "One hundred years after you die, what would you wish?"
The National Teacher said, "Build me a seamless tomb."
The Emperor replied, "I beg you, what style of tomb would that be?"
The National Teacher remained silent for a while, and then asked, "Do you understand?"
The Emperor said, "I don't understand."
The National Teacher said, "I have a Dharma disciple by the name of Tangen, who knows all about it."
Later on, the Emperor requested the meaning of it from Tangen, who replied:
“From the southern border to the northern border,
Yellow gold within fills the whole country.
A ferry boat under the shadowless tree.
In the crystal palace, there is no one who knows.”

APPRECIATORY VERSE
Alone boundlessly, boundlessly.
Whole perfectly, perfectly.
... The Eight Principles correctly positioned,
The five elements' energy harmonized.
The body from the first is within.
Do you see?

Master Dogen wrote in the Genjo Koan "Because the nature of air is to be ever-present, the behavior of Buddhists makes the Earth manifest itself as gold."

[Doshin]

I will be there one way for part of the Zazenkai.

As always, much gratitude for providing us a place to be.

Doshin
St

[Jundo]

As most of you know, we perform the "Hokey Pokey" midway during our Zazenkai. "Hokey Pokey" (a Sanskrit term, "Hokey Cokey" in Pali) is an ancient esoteric Buddhist ritual that we undertake during our Zazen sittings to shake the kinks out (and not take things too overly seriousely). This month's is the version chanted by the famous Little Lama Richard, seen here being performed by a Tibetan Shaman in deep trance. I hope that those joining our Zazen sitting will be prepared to "Hokey Pokey" along with us.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySABZ2cbmjY

Gassho, J

STLah

[Kyonin]

Hi Jundo,

I'll try to be there 2 ways. Thank you.

Gassho,

Kyonin
Sat/LAH

[Mp]

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

Gassho
Shingen

Sat/LAH

[Shonin Risa Bear]

Planning to be present. Gratitude. _()_ _()_ _()_

gassho
doyu sat today

[Jakuden]

Looking forward to sitting and dancing this one way with all of you! [emoji120][emoji120][emoji120]

Gassho
Jakuden
SatToday/LAH


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[Shinshi]

I'll be time shifting - see you all soon!

Gassho, Shinshi

SaT-LaH

[Shokai]

Thank you Jundo, I expect to be there two-way if possible

gassho, Shokai
stlah

[Kakunen]

Thank you Jundo.

I will sit on one way or two way.

In Japan Monday morning,so I start working at 9AM.

Gassho
Sat today LAH
Kakunen

[krissydear]

I will also be there one-way. Thank you!


Gassho.
Krissy
sat/lah today


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[Meian]

Kim
St lh

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[Jundo]

ATTENTION: YOUTUBE HANGOUTS IS NO MORE!

However, FEAR NOT ... we have been preparing a new system on ZOOM for our netcasts and will be ready to go!

Information coming! Keep your eyes here!

Gassho, Jundo

STLah

[sosen]

Thank you Jundo,
I'll be there live one-way for most of todays Zazenkai.

_()_
sosen
stlah