Nov 1st-2nd, 2019 - OUR MONTHLY 4-hour Treeleaf ZAZENKAI - Daylight Saving in EU/UK

[Jundo]

Reminder: Daylight Savings has changed in EU/UK (confirm start times below), not yet in North America! (Australia and NZ are a total mystery and nobody knows! )

Today's Talk will reflect on the inspirational poem "DESIDERATA" with some Zenny insights (text below in this thread)

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 11pm to 3am and Paris midnight to 4am (early Saturday morning)) ... and visible at the following link during those times ...

... and to be visible on the following screen during those times and sit-a-long-able any time thereafter ...

LIVE ZAZENKAI NETCAST IS HERE:

ZAZENKAI BEGINS 6 MINUTES FROM START OF THE VIDEO

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

Dharma Talk Audio / Podcast Episode:
LINK TO BE POSTED HERE 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. JUST CLICK AND JOIN BEFORE START TIME. 'TWO WAY' REQUIRES INDIVIDUALS WITH CAMERAS, BUT ANYONE 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:

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

[Jundo]

"Desiderata" (Latin: "things desired") is an early 1920s prose poem by the American writer Max Ehrmann. I think some of our members will know it. Zen and Buddhist teachings may offer a few insights here and there ...

Desiderata

GO PLACIDLY amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

In late 1971, Les Crane's spoken-word recording of Desiderata peaked at #8 on the Billboard Charts. However, being the nerds that we are here, we honor that Leonard Nimoy recited the poem on his 1968 album Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy.

https://youtu.be/O4fyA8cXDkE

Noted German actor and presenter Friedrich Schütter also has a version ...

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

... as does Mexican actor Arturo Benavides ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tlp-KJEQD40

Gassho, J

STLah

[Onka]

I'll be there 2 way, internet dependent. For the record, Queensland, Australia does not do daylight saving so we're still just one hour ahead of Japan time.
Gassho
Anna
stlah

Sent from my Lenovo TB-8304F1 using Tapatalk

[Jundo]

I'll be there 2 way, internet dependent. For the record, Queensland, Australia does not do daylight saving so we're still just one hour ahead of Japan time.
Gassho
Anna

Oh, this is just too complicated!

Okay, folks in Australia and NZ ... YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN!

The choice of whether to use daylight saving time (DST) in Australia is a matter for the individual states and territories. However, during World War I and World War II all states and territories had daylight saving by federal acts under section 51 of the constitution (defence). In 1968 Tasmania became the first state since the war to practise daylight saving. In 1971, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory followed Tasmania by observing daylight saving time. Western Australia and the Northern Territory did not. Queensland abandoned daylight saving time in 1972. Queensland and Western Australia have observed daylight saving over the past 40 years from time to time on trial bases.

New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia observe DST every year. This has resulted in three time zones becoming five during the daylight-saving period. South Australia time becomes UTC+10:30, called Central Daylight Time (CDT), possibly with "Australia" prefixed (ACDT). The time in the southeastern states becomes UTC+11:00, using "Eastern" in the time zone name, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), respectively Australia Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT).

Also, you guys go in the wrong direction!

It's almost like your winter is our summer!!!!!



Gassho, J

STLah

[Onka]

Oh, this is just too complicated!

Okay, folks in Australia and NZ ... YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN!




Also, you guys go in the wrong direction!

It's almost like your winter is our summer!!!!!



Gassho, J

STLah

Sent from my Lenovo TB-8304F1 using Tapatalk

[Jakuden]

Nov 1st-2nd, 2019 - OUR MONTHLY 4-hour Treeleaf ZAZENKAI - Daylight Saving in EU/UK

I think this poem, Desiderata, given to me on a plaque by my Mom when I was a teen, primed me somehow to find Zen later. I always turned to it for the same reasons I turn to practice now.
Gassho
Jakuden
SatToday/LAH

PS Uh oh we may have finally broken Jundo’s brain with Australian time zones!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Geika]

Jakuden,

I feel the same. We had it up in our house as well, and I remember reading it a lot when I just happened to be looking that way.

Gassho
Sat today, lah

[Sekishi]

Hi everyone,

You can join the Zazenkai two-way in the Scheduled Sitting Room using Zoom any one of the following ways:

- Use this direct link: https://zoom.us/j/4834831244
- Open Zoom and join with this meeting id: 483 483 1244
- Go to Treeleaf NOW and select the Scheduled Meeting Room: treeleaf.org/now

Notes:

- 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).

- You can switch between the "speaker view" (the default view) and "gallery view" (a grid / Hollywood Squares / Brady Bunch style view):
-- 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"

- 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"

- If you are on a slow Internet connection and are experiencing drop-outs, try turning off video (you can always turn it on for a bit at the beginning and end to save and bow to everyone)

Gassho,
Sekishi
#sat

[Jundo]

If it helps anyone, I found the poem in German and Spanish for our folks sitting here in Tsukuba ...

Geh deinen Weg ohne Eile und Hast und suche den Frieden
in dir selbst zu finden.

Wenn es dir möglich ist, versuche den anderen zu verstehen.
Sag ihm die Wahrheit, ruhig und besonnen.
Höre ihm zu, auch wenn er gleichgültig und unwissend ist,
denn auch er hat seine Sorgen.
Egal ob er noch jung und aggressiv, oder ob er schon alt und müde ist.

Wenn du Dich mit all den anderen vergleichst,
wirst du feststellen, du lebst unter Menschen
die entweder größer oder kleiner, besser oder schlechter sind als du selbst.

Sei stolz auf deinen Erfolg und denke auch an deine Karriere.
Aber bleibe bescheiden, denn das Schicksal kann sich jederzeit wenden.
Sei vorsichtig in deinen Geschäften, denn die Welt ist voller List und Tücke.
Aber lass dich trotz allem nicht von deinem Weg ablenken.

Viele Leute reden von hohen Idealen und überall wird Heldenmut angepriesen.
Bleibe du selber und heuchle nicht Mitgefühl.
Steh der Liebe nicht zynisch gegenüber, denn sie ist das Einzige,
was wahr und unvergänglich ist.

Sei dankbar über jedes Jahr das du erleben darfst,
auch wenn mit jedem Tag ein Stück deiner Jugend entschwindet.

Bereite dich auf den Augenblick vor,
an dem etwas Unvorhergesehenes in dein Leben tritt,
aber zerstöre dich selbst nicht aus Angst vor der Einsamkeit.
Sei immer so, dass du vor dir selbst bestehen kannst.

Du hast ein Recht auf der Welt zu sein,
genau wie die Blume die blüht und wie ein Stern in der Nacht.
Doch auf dieser Welt lebst du nicht allein,
hast du schon irgendwann einmal darüber nachgedacht?

Darum schließe Frieden mit Gott,
wo immer er er dir auch begegnet.
Ganz gleich, was das Leben dir auch an Schwierigkeiten auferlegt.
Lass nicht durch Lug und Trug deine Ideale zerbrechen.
Die Welt ist immer noch schön.
Versuche, auf ihr zu leben und glücklich zu werden.

Camina plácido entre el ruido y la prisa y recuerda
qué paz se puede encontrar en el silencio.
En cuanto sea posible y sin rendirte,
mantén buenas relaciones con todas las personas.
Enuncia tu verdad de una manera serena y clara
y escucha a los demás, incluso al torpe e ignorante, también ellos tienen su propia historia.

Esquiva a las personas ruidosas y agresivas, ya que son un fastidio para el espíritu.
Si te comparas con los demás, te volverás vano y amargado,
pues siempre habrá personas más grandes y más pequeñas que tú.

Disfruta de tus éxitos lo mismo que de tus planes.
Mantén el interés en tu propia Carrera por humilde que sea,
ella es un verdadero Tesoro en el fortuito cambiar de los tiempos.
Sé cauto en tus negocios pues el mundo está lleno de engaños,
mas no dejes que esto te vuelva ciego para la virtud que existe.
Hay muchas personas que se esfuerzan por alcanzar nobles ideales.
La vida está llena de heroísmo.

Sé sincero contigo mismo, en especial no finjas el afecto.
Y no seas cínico en el amor,
pues en medio de todas las arideces y desengaños, es perenne como la hierba.

Acata dócilmente el consejo de los años
abandonando con donaire las cosas de la juventud. Cultiva la firmeza del espíritu,
para que te proteja en las adversidades repentinas.
Muchos temores nacen de la fatiga y la soledad. Sobre una sana disciplina, sé benigno contigo mismo.

Tú eres una criatura del universo.
No menos que las plantas y las estrellas,
tienes derecho a existir.
Y sea que te resulte claro o no,
indudablemente el universo marcha como debiera.

Por eso debes estar en paz con Dios
cualquiera que sea tu idea de El.
Y sean cualesquiera tus trabajos y aspiraciones, conserva la paz con tu alma
en la bulliciosa confusión de la vida.

Aún con toda su falsía, sus dolores y sueños fallidos, el mundo es todavía hermoso.

Sé cauto, ¡esfuérzate por ser feliz!

I think it can be found in dozens of languages actually.

[Kotei]

Kotei sat/lah today.

[Ishin]

I will have to sit this one in pieces as we have athletics going on.

Looking forward to sitting with you all in Zen time.

Gassho
Ishin
( will sit today)/lah

[Kyonin]

Thanks Jundo!

I'll be there with instruments ready!

Gassho,

Kyonin
Sat/LAH

[Jakuden]

It sounds like the power is out at my house so I may have to sit this one whenever it comes back! [emoji13] No fires here, but it’s crazy windy.

Gassho
Jakuden
SatToday/LAH


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[Jundo]

Of course, as this was the week of brooms and pumpkins, our Hokey Pokey is ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQLW135IlSs

... and a little extra treat for good boys and girls ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iN1yMQv1HU

Boo Gassho, J

STLah

[Science Abbot]

With you live one-way!

6 AM here, so I have not sat for long today and I had to get creative to lend a hand, but there is always something one can do.

Gassho,
Mui
Sat/LAH