Jan 1st 2021 Our NEW YEAR 4-hour Treeleaf ZAZENKAI- COME CELEBRATE A NEW THIS MOMENT!

[Jundo]

PLEASE JOIN US TO CELEBRATE A PEACEFUL, and HEALTHY,
'YEAR OF THE COW' (OX)!



Our readings this time will be some wonderful poems and teachings by a Soto Ancestor, Daichi Zenji, a new discovery for me (text below in this thread)

Please sit our Monthly 4-Hour Treeleaf Zazenkai netcast LIVE 8am to noon Japan time Saturday morning (that is New York 6pm to 10pm, Los Angeles 3pm to 7pm (Friday night), London 11pm to 3am and Paris midnight to 4am (early Saturday morning)), and also sitable any time thereafter:

https://youtu.be/KdkTksTaQe8

However, "one way" live sitters are encouraged to come into the Zoom sitting, and just leave the camera and microphone turned off: Join live (with or without a camera & microphone) on Zoom at: TREELEAF Now OR at DIRECT ZOOM LINK, password (if needed): dogen

Dharma Talk Audio / Podcast Episode:
https://treeleaf.podbean.com/e/janua...-daichi-zenji/

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 RITUAL

02:40 - 03:15 ZAZEN
03:15 - 03:30 KINHIN
03:30 - 04:00 METTA CHANT & ZAZEN, VERSE OF ATONEMENT, FOUR VOWS, & CLOSING

Gassho, Jundo

STLah


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

Chant Book is here for those who wish to join in: CHANT BOOK LINK

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

dlt tigertiger.png

[Jundo]

OUR NEW YEARS TALK will be based on the Poems and Teachings of Daichi Zenji ...

大智祖継 Daichi Sokei Zenji (1290-1366) became a monk under 寒巌義尹 Kangan Giin (1217-1300) who was a disciple of Dogen Zenji. After Kangan's death he visited various teachers. Later he practiced with Keizan Zenji for seven years. When he was twenty five years old, he went to China and stayed there for eleven years [including several months he was shipwrecked in Korea on the way home]. After returning to Japan he received transmission from 明峰素哲 Meihō Sotetsu (1277-1350) who was one of the main disciples of Keizan Zenji. Daichi is famous for his poetry.

More here: https://terebess.hu/zen/mesterek/daichi.html

One of Daichi Zenji's verses, titled Gantan (New Year's Day).

If someone asks me, "What is the Buddha Dharma of New Year?"
I would open my mouth and say, "there are no words to tell you."
When the New Year comes, the true face of spring is revealed everywhere around us.
Look at the December plum newly blooming because the spring winds have blown
(Nothing is hidden. No need to speak in words).

Some other poems by him (all translated from the French by Google AI without my changing a word! Wow! )

Non-sentient beings hear it.
The wind sows disorder in the cold forest and the leaves invade the garden
Even though no one is there, the perimeter wall has ears.
Stone lanterns and columns, please don't raise your voice for a little while.

Mujō seppō no wa

Les êtres non sensibles l'entendent.
Le vent sème le désordre dans la froide forêt et les feuilles envahissent le jardin
Même s'il n'y a personne, le mur d'enceinte a des oreilles.
Lanternes de pierre et colonnes, s'il vous plaît, n'élevez pas la voix pendant un petit moment.

and

Burning incense, I sit under an old pine tree
The wind blows and the cold dew soaks my monk's robe
One day, I got up from my zafu, and I went down to the blue valley.
As I left, in the bottle, I drew the morning moon out of the current.

Brûlant de l'encens, je m'assieds sous un vieux pin
Le vent souffle et la rosée froide trempe ma robe de moine
Un jour, je me suis levé de mon zafu, et je suis descendu dans la vallée bleue.
En partant, dans la bouteille, j'ai puisé hors du courant la lune du matin.

Daichi Nyorai also left us a lovely teaching for lay folks who will come to stay with monks for retreat in a monastery. It is filled with advice on daily practice in all our lives. Here is a sample:

What the buddhas and ancestors have been properly transmitting is nothing but sitting. When you sit, hold your hands in hokkai join [the Zazen mudra], cross your legs, keep your body upright without leaning; do not think of anything, do not be concerned with anything, not even the buddha dharma. This is beyond buddha, much less the cycle of life and death. Once you have thrown yourself into the ocean of the vows of the buddhas, just conduct yourself with the demeanor of the buddhas, and forgo attachment to your own body. ...

... When doing zazen, cast off thoughts of both the buddha ancestors and of good or bad in the secular world. Being free from thought and activity is called zazen. This is also called zanmai o zanmai (the king of samadhis). Sitting zazen for even a little while is the primary practice which goes beyond the pinnacle of buddhahood. The karma of life and death is exhausted enabling entry into the rank of the buddha ancestors.

...

At the end of the Hour of the Rabbit (5 a.m.), have gruel for breakfast. At the point, give up the mind of zazen. Concentrate on eating gruel; reflecting on the six paramitas - tasting the six flavors (bitter, sour, sweet, hot, salty, and moderate) and chanting the ten benefits of eating gruel. Do not think of anything good, much less anything evil. When you have breakfast, just attend fully to the gruel, with both body and mind and do not be concerned with zazen or any other activities. This is called clarifying the time of gruel and realizing [satori] the mind of gruel. At this very time, you have a pure realization of the mind of the buddha ancestors

...

In the Hour of the Dragon (7 a.m.), if it is still dark, practice as if it were the Hour of the Rabbit. The point of sutra chanting is just to hold the sutra book with both hands and to chant wholeheartedly, forgetting both zazen and the meal. Do not pay attention to anything else. This is called realizing and clarifying the chanting of the sutras. At that very time the karma of life and death is exhausted and you will enter the rank of the buddha ancestors. After the practice of chanting, rest for a while. When you rest, be careful not to think or speak of meaningless worldly affairs.

One last poem ...

If anyone asks what real Zen is,
you don't have to open your mouth to explain it.
Expose all aspects of your posture in zazen.
Then the spring wind will blow and make the marvelous plum blossom close.

Si quelqu'un demande ce qu'est le vrai Zen,
il n'est pas nécessaire que vous ouvriez la bouche pour l'expliquer.
Exposez tous les aspects de votre posture en zazen.
Alors le vent du printemps soufflera et fera clore la merveilleuse fleur du prunier.

Nine Bows, J

STLah

[Yokai]

Thanks Jundo. Hope to join you all.

Gassho, Chris satlah

[Onkai]

Thank you, Jundo. I'm looking forward to the first zazenkai of the year.

Gassho,
Onkai
sat/lah

[Jundo]

As most of us are now officially in the cold of winter (tip of the hat to Chris, Onka and our other friends enjoying their summer), our Hokey Pokey today is a touch of winter polka ...

https://youtu.be/uBYNtMyN_6E

Gassho, J

STLah

[Naiko]

I look forward to this teaching. I hope to join you live. Might not work out as I will need to dose my cat with two medications during that time. She is recovering from surgery, but is still 15lbs of hilariously uncooperative haus panther.
Gassho,
Krista
stlah

[Kotei]

As most of us are now officially in the cold of winter (tip of the hat to Chris, Onka and our other friends enjoying their summer), our Hokey Pokey today is a touch of winter polka ...

I really thought, we'd dance to the new Boston Dynamics dancing robots video ;-)
As usual, I'll sit with you all the following local morning.
Gassho,
Kotei sat/lah today.

[Bion]

As most of us are now officially in the cold of winter (tip of the hat to Chris, Onka and our other friends enjoying their summer), our Hokey Pokey today is a touch of winter polka ...

https://youtu.be/uBYNtMyN_6E

Gassho, J

STLah

I shall come prepared [emoji57]

[emoji1374] SatToday lah

[Sekishi]

See you all soon. I'll bring the ding ding ding and the knock knock knock.

Gassho,
Sekishi
#sat #lah

[gaurdianaq]

I can't seem to find the Zoom link for some reason...

EDIT: Nvm found another way in

Apologies for leaving early, might sit the rest over the weekend.


Evan,
Sat today, lah

[Shonin Risa Bear]

That hat looks pretty good. _()_

gassho
shonin sat/lah today

[Sekishi]

Deep bows to all.

Gassho,
Sekishi #sat #lah

[Jakuden]

Thank you Jundo, Sekishi and everyone. And Happy New Year!!!

Gassho and hugs
Jakuden
SatToday

[Sekishi]

I can't seem to find the Zoom link for some reason...

Evan (and everyone really), if you ever want to join us and get turned around, just remember - treeleaf.org/now for Zoom room links, the calendar, etc.

Gassho,
Sekishi
#sat #lah

[Yokai]

Thank you so much Jundo. Wonderful talk! Thank you my dear friends. It's such a joy to share this practice with you.

Gassho, Chris satlah