September 20th-21st Treeleaf Weekly Zazenkai

[Kyōsen]

It was a pleasure to sit with you all. Thank you, Jundo, for the reminder to be patient with others as we are always changing, changing

Gassho,
Sen
SatToday

[Shonin Risa Bear]

Thank you, Jundo, Jakuden, and everyone. _()_

gassho
doyu sat/LAH today

[Amelia]

Thank you all. Will be joining later, just finished work. Metta toward Kendrick's wife, I hope all is well.

Gassho

Sat today lah

[Jundo]

Today's Zazenkai is dedicated to Kendrick's wife, and all those we love who suffer.

Gassho, J

STLah

[Onka]

Also, here are a few notes and tips for using Zoom that we've learned over the past weeks:

- When you first join, you'll need to choose an audio source (usually you can simply select "Join with Computer Audio" on desktop or "Call using Internet Audio" on mobile).

- When you first join, you *should* be automatically muted (this is how the room is set up, but I'm still not 100% this works as expected -- please let me know if anyone discovers otherwise).

- Each participant can switch between the "speaker view" (the default view) and "gallery view" (a grid / Hollywood Squares / Brady Bunch style view) whenever they would like
-- On desktop, click the "gallery view" / "speaker view" toggle button on the top right
-- On mobile, swipe right for "gallery views" -- only 4 participants are shown at a time on mobile, so keep swiping right to go through different groups, swipe left to go back to the "gallery view"
-- During the Zazenkai, the Doshi (Jundo) should always be "pinned", so in "speaker view" you'll never see anyone else

- You can mute, unmute, etc. with the control bar on the bottom of the screen
-- On desktop, hover the mouse over the window and the control bar should pop up
-- On mobile, tap the screen and the control bar should pop up
-- On mobile, so that your own picture does not take up one of the four slots you see, you can tap for the control bar, then tap "... menu" and select "Remove myself from gallery view"

- The free version of Zoom will only allow you to HOST meetings up to 40 minutes long, but you can JOIN meetings of any length (the Zazenkai, etc.) with it.

Gassho,
Sekishi
#sat

For technology challenged folk like myself I really really REALLY appreciate the clear and easy (for me) tips. And thanks to yourself and others who keep the Treeleaf cogs turning.
Gassho
Anna

stlah

[Kotei]

Thank you everyone!
Metta to all, suffering.
Gassho,
Kotei sat/lah today.

[Ishin]

I’m not going to be able to make it tonight. Bit of a possible medical emergency and I have to look after the kids. My wife could really use some metta her way tonight.

Gassho /\
Kendrick
Sat/lah

Metta to your wife and all those suffering from health and the struggles that ensue.

Gassho
Ishin
Sat today/lah

[Tairin]

Thank you everyone. I sat with you this morning.

Jundo’s talk about how people change was apropos. Today right after sitting Zazenkai I went to have coffee with my brother. My relationship with my brother has been hit and miss over the years including a period of about 10 years where he just completely withdrew from me and my wife. More recently he’s been much more engaged.


Tairin
Sat today and lah

[Nenka]

I’m not going to be able to make it tonight. Bit of a possible medical emergency and I have to look after the kids. My wife could really use some metta her way tonight.

Gassho /\
Kendrick
Sat/lah

Metta for your wife and family.


Thanks, everyone, for the sit.

The talk made me think of my mother. She's getting . . . older, and I worry about her and how she's changing. She's also stubborn as an ox and sometimes I struggle to have patience with her. It's become part of my practice, I guess.

Gassho

Nenka

ST

[Amelia]

Nenka,

I also struggle to find patience with my grandmother sometimes. She is also very stubborn with a streak of passive aggressive. As Fugen used to say, it's all good practice.

At least, I think it was Fugen who used to say that all the time. Either way, I am adopting it!

Gassho and much metta

Sat today, lah

[Nenka]

Geika,

Yup, that was textbook Fugen!

My mother's living in a crumbling house in a deteriorating Chicago neighborhood by herself. People ask me why I don't try to get her to move. I can't even get her to throw out a jar of peanut butter that expired in 2008, what am I supposed to do? I'm lucky at least I have a few friends still living in the old neighborhood that could check up on her. Also, since we had a very hot summer, the police were doing wellness checks on seniors and they still give her a call from time to time (and show up at her door when her phone line doesn't work because she had modem troubles for like a month before she got it fixed.) So it's not all bad. Just frustrating.

Gassho

Nenka

[Jundo]

The story I referenced and stumbled on the name ...

Angulimala

The name Angulimala literally means "necklace of fingers". Before Angulima's conversion to Buddhism, he was on a deluded quest to kill one thousand people ... but instead the Buddha was able to persuade Angulima to give up his negative actions. Angulima became a disciple of Buddha and eventually reached arhathood.

https://encyclopediaofbuddhism.org/wiki/Angulimala

And sometimes the Buddha told someone not to come back, and they were expelled from the Ordained Sangha, although even then ... I bet the door would have been open if there had been real change. Sex, stealing, killing and claiming levels of attainment that one dd not deserve were the most serious offences in the Buddha's Sangha. For example ...

If a bhikkhu, with an intention of theft, takes away others' possessions, has at the time and on the spot of the theft a minimum value of a quarter of the currency used during the Buddha's time (1.06 grams of gold + 1.06 grams of silver + 2.12 grams of copper, so approximately 10 euros in 2002 - 9,50), he looses his status as a bhikkhu for life.

The rules also made various exceptions, such as stealing food to save the life of someone who is starving perhaps.

We will reflect on some of these actions, such as killing and misusing sexuality, in our Precept reflections.

Gassho, J

STLah

[Kendrick]

Today's Zazenkai is dedicated to Kendrick's wife, and all those we love who suffer.

Gassho, J

STLah

Jundo, thank you so much. /\ Everyone, thank you for the massive amount of kindness our way. /\

Update for today: We ended up going to the ER, and I'm very thankful for my parents who watched our kids while we did so. After several tests and checks, and several nurses' and doctors' help all seems to be OKAY! Or at least it wasn't the terrible outcome we had expected and only some minor/moderate issues. Much better than expected since the previous two times of such scenario ended with very bad outcomes. We just got home about an hour ago and are feeling very grateful tonight. I'm keeping in mind tonight all of the others facing troubles that didn't have such good news and that are feeling scared, helpless, or defeated. I will sit this zazenkai as soon as I get the chance with what remains of the weekend and will dedicate my practice to them.

Gassho
Kendrick
Sat/Lah

[Byokan]

Kendrick, so glad to hear that all is (mostly) well. Hope you all are resting well now. Thanks for the update! Metta

Gassho
Byōkan
sat + lah

[Tokan]

Sat the zazenkai at home, very peaceful, may all beings share that peace

Gassho, Tokan

sat