August 23rd-24th Treeleaf Weekly Zazenkai

[pinecone]

HI Jundo and everyone. Sorry not to have been able to sit with you yet since joining. School holiday daddy responsibilities makes it impossible for me to sit the Zazenkai even in my own time (ie not live).
I'm really looking forward to being able to link in with you all once term starts at the end of the summer. I'll be hoping to sit the previous Sunday's Zazenkai on my quiet Friday morning...

Gassho

Mark

I sat today

[Jundo]

HI Jundo and everyone. Sorry not to have been able to sit with you yet since joining. School holiday daddy responsibilities makes it impossible for me to sit the Zazenkai even in my own time (ie not live).
I'm really looking forward to being able to link in with you all once term starts at the end of the summer. I'll be hoping to sit the previous Sunday's Zazenkai on my quiet Friday morning...

Gassho

Mark

I sat today

You were there anyway in heart, Mark. I also ran from Zazen to my summer "Daddy" duties.

Gassho, J

STLah

PS - Mark, would you do me a favor and post a human face "avatar" picture to accompany your posts? It is one of the ways we have around here to look each other in the eye a bit. PM if not sure how.

[Kotei]

Thank you everyone.
Gassho,
Kotei sat/lah today.

[Jundo]

Kyosaku translated ...

As you can see for our Kyosaku at Treeleaf Tsukuba, which was given to me by the Abbot of Sojiji Head Temple many years ago ... there is an expression scrawled upon it ...

吞却乾坤



Kyosaku Treeleaf Tsukuba.png

It means "swallow the whole earth/universe"

乾坤 is an interesting term that means whole world, yin yang, male female ... everything, all opposites rectified ...

http://www.chinese-word.com/data/0044-2.html

The expression comes from a Koan in the Blue Cliff Record regarding Unmon (Yunmen) in which he holds out his stick and says ... "The staff has changed into a dragon and swallowed the universe. Mountains, rivers, the great earth---where are they to be found?”

All things and all atoms of all things hold the whole universe, yet where are those things and atoms and the whole earth and universe to be found when swallowed?

Gassho, J

STLah

[Seishin]

All things and all atoms of all things hold the whole universe, yet where are those things and atoms and the whole earth and universe to be found when swallowed?

Within me, where they have always been.

Sat / lah

[Jundo]

I forget to mention that the writer of the Kanji on the Kyosaku who gave it to me many years ago was this fellow ...

The 21st Abbot of Sojiji Head Temple, Umeda Shinryu Zenji (梅田信隆) ...

Kyosaku Umeda Shinryu Zenji.jpg

Gassho, J

STLah

[Kendrick]

Sat this zazekai through time and space. /\

Thank you, Jundo for sharing the history of the Kyosaku (particulary ours). /\

Gassho
Kendrick
Sat/Lah

[Heiso]

I finished the Zazenkai this morning. Thank you all for your practice and for everyone who made this possible

I might be in a minority but I used to like the kyosaku when I sat with a group. A well place whack on each shoulder was remarkably effective at relieving the stress in my shoulders and neck.

Gassho,

Neil

StLah

[Kokuu]

Lovely! Thank you all.

Gassho
Kokuu

[Tai Do]

Sat this Zazenkai today. Late as always.
Thank you Jundo, Sekishi and everybody for this beautiful Zazenkai.
Gassho,
Mateus
Sat today/LAH

[Shokai]

Never late, always 'just as it is.'
btw, never say never

gassho, Shokai
stlah

[Tai Do]

Never late, always 'just as it is.'
btw, never say never

gassho, Shokai
stlah

Mateus
Sat today/LAH

[Amelia]

I was out working last night. I hope everyone had a lovely zazenkai. I will be joining later, thank you everyone.

Gassho

Sat today, lah