March 4-5, 2022 - OUR MONTHLY 4-hour Treeleaf ZAZENKAI - Wisdom Amid Confusion

[Jundo]

Today's Talk will reflect on
a rather strange and bewildering portion of the Vimalakirti Sutra
(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/NlaUbsLXiwo

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:
TO BE HERE IN A FEW DAYS

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

ATTENTION: Everyone, when rising for Kinhin or Ceremonies after Zazen, get up slowly, don't rush, hold something stable, you won't be "late," so TAKE YOUR TIME! Make sure you are careful getting up!

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

I also recommend a little Talk on why small rituals and procedures are so cherished in the Zendo:

SIT-A-LONG with Jundo: Small Things in the Zendo

https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?18494-SIT-A-LONG-with-Jundo-Small-Things-in-the-Zendo

[Jundo]

This time, we will look at a very strange, seemingly two-faced passage from Chapter 8 of the Vimalakirti Sutra ... but is that what it really means? Hmmmm ...

~~~~~~~~~~~

Vimalakirti replied, "Manjusri, when the bodhisattva follows the wrong way, he follows the way to attain the qualities of the Buddha."

... "Even should he enact the five deadly sins, he feels no malice, violence, or hate. Even should he go into the hells, he remains free of all taint of passions. Even should he go into the states of the animals, he remains free of darkness and ignorance. ...

"He may follow the ways of desire, yet he stays free of attachment to the enjoyments of desire. He may follow the ways of hatred, yet he feels no anger to any living being.

[JUNDO: Alternative translation by Watson - "He shows greed and desire in his actions, yet is removed from the stains of attachment. He shows anger in his actions, yet has no anger or aversion toward living beings."]

"He may follow the ways of avarice, yet he gives away all internal and external things without regard even for his own life. He may follow the ways of immorality, yet, seeing the horror of even the slightest transgressions, he lives by the ascetic practices and austerities. He may follow the ways of wickedness and anger, yet he remains utterly free of malice and lives by love. He may follow the ways of laziness, yet his efforts are uninterrupted as he strives in the cultivation of roots of virtue. He may follow the ways of sensuous distraction, yet, naturally concentrated, his contemplation is not dissipated. ...

" ... He may follow the ways of the poor, yet he holds in his hand a jewel of inexhaustible wealth. He may follow the ways of cripples, yet he is beautiful and well adorned with the auspicious signs and marks. He may follow the ways of those of lowly birth, yet, through his accumulation of the stores of merit and wisdom, he is born in the family of the Tathagatas. He may follow the ways of the weak, the ugly, and the wretched, yet he is beautiful to look upon, and his body is like that of Narayana [Vishnu]."

[JUNDO: Alternative translation by Watson - "He seems to be among the poor and destitute, yet he has jeweled hands capable of bestowing inexhaustible benefits. He seems to be crippled and deformed, yet possesses auspicious features, adorning himself wonderfully with them. He seems to be humble and lowly, yet is born into the seed and lineage of the Buddha, fully endowed with blessings. He seems to be among the puny and emaciated, the ugly and vile, yet acquires the body of a Narayana, a delight for all beings to see."]

"He may manifest to living beings the ways of the sick and the unhappy, yet he has entirely conquered and transcended the fear of death.

"He may follow the ways of the rich, yet he is without acquisitiveness and often reflects upon the notion of impermanence.

He may show himself engaged in dancing with harem girls, yet he cleaves to solitude, having crossed the swamp of desire.

... "Manjusri, thus does the bodhisattva follow the wrong ways, thereby following the way to the qualities of the Buddha."

~~~~~~~~~~~

How is this possible? The wisdom here may arise in Chapter 9 ... insight into Emptiness and non-duality ...


~~~~~~~~~~~

Then, ... Vimalakirti asked those bodhisattvas, "Good sirs, please explain how the bodhisattvas enter the Dharma-door of nonduality!"

The bodhisattva Dharmavikurvana declared, "Noble sir, production and destruction are two, but what is not produced and does not occur cannot be destroyed. Thus the attainment of the tolerance of the birthlessness of things is the entrance into nonduality."

...

The bodhisattva Srikuta declared, "'Defilement' and 'purification' are two. When there is thorough knowledge of defilement, there will be no conceit about purification. The path leading to the complete conquest of all conceit is the entrance into nonduality."

...

The bodhisattva Animisa declared, "'Grasping' and 'nongrasping' are two. What is not grasped is not perceived, and what is not perceived is neither presumed nor repudiated. Thus, the inaction and noninvolvement of all things is the entrance into nonduality."

...

The bodhisattva Tisya declared, "'Good' and 'evil' are two. Seeking neither good nor evil, the understanding of the nonduality of the significant and the meaningless is the entrance into nonduality."

...

The bodhisattva Simhamati declared, "To say, 'This is impure' and 'This is immaculate' makes for duality. One who, attaining equanimity, forms no conception of impurity or immaculateness, yet is not utterly without conception, has equanimity without any attainment of equanimity - he enters the absence of conceptual knots. Thus, he enters into nonduality."

The bodhisattva Suddhadhimukti declared, "To say, 'This is happiness' and 'That is misery' is dualism. One who is free of all calculations, through the extreme purity of gnosis - his mind is aloof, like empty space; and thus he enters into nonduality."

The bodhisattva Narayana declared, "To say, 'This is mundane' and 'That is transcendental' is dualism. This world has the nature of voidness, so there is neither transcendence nor involvement, neither progress nor standstill. Thus, neither to transcend nor to be involved, neither to go nor to stop - this is the entrance into nonduality."

...

Manjusri replied, "Good sirs, you have all spoken well. Nevertheless, all your explanations are themselves dualistic. To know no one teaching, to express nothing, to say nothing, to explain nothing, to announce nothing, to indicate nothing, and to designate nothing - that is the entrance into nonduality."

Then the crown prince Manjusri said to the Licchavi Vimalakirti, "We have all given our own teachings, noble sir. Now, may you elucidate the teaching of the entrance into the principle of nonduality!"

Thereupon, the Licchavi Vimalakirti kept his silence, saying nothing at all.

The crown prince Manjusri applauded the Licchavi Vimalakirti: "Excellent! Excellent, noble sir! This is indeed the entrance into the nonduality of the bodhisattvas. Here there is no use for syllables, sounds, and ideas."

[Jundo]

Rather than our usual dance, we will listen quietly today to a Ukranian folk song on the tragedy and foolishness of war, as a mother sees her soldier son for perhaps the last time ...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Пливе кача по Тисині Plyve kacha po Tysyni

A Duckling Floats on the Tisyna

https://youtu.be/Z69I4ChWSlY

(Tisyna - is a diminutive name for the Tisa river, which flows in the western part of Ukraine.)

What I have discovered about this song ...

"Duckling floats on the Tisza" is a Ukrainian Lemko [1] (according to other sources, Transcarpathian [a] ) mournful folk song . According to folklorist Ivan Khlanta , the song "Duck floats on the Tisza" was first recorded by composer and folklorist Desiderius Zador in the 1940s in the village of Volovets , Zakarpattia region It became widely known after its performance during the requiem for the fallen participants of the Revolution of Dignity. ... From the very beginning of the active phase of the confrontation, the protesters chose a course of peaceful protest . At the same time, an attempt to draw protesters into aggressive confrontation with law enforcement during the storming of the Presidential Administration on December 1 failed: protesters did not join the assault, and opposition deputies and protest leaders shielded protesters. ...

... Revolution of Dignity - political and social changes in Ukraine from November 30, 2013 to February 2014 , caused by the protest of Ukrainian citizens against the illegal dispersal of peaceful action of students and civic activists November 21, 2013 as a resistance against the departure of the country's political leadership from the statutory course of European integration and the subsequent rejection of this course ...

[Bion]

I truly look forward to this! Zazenkais are always both a comfortingly familiar and solemn occasion and they truly are something that I cherish.

[emoji1374] Sat Today

[Sekishi]

Youtube and Zoom feel no anger towards any living being and are ready for the Zazenkai.

See you all soon.

Gassho,
Sekishi
#sat #lah

[Onkai]

The zazenkai is a highlight of my week and month. The Ukrainian folksong expressing the tragedy of war is especially appropriate now. The reading for tonight's talk is beautiful.

🙏🙏🙏

Gassho,
Onkai
Sat/lah

[Suuko]

Indeed, the reading of the week has a certain depth to it which can be felt without trying to analyse. See you all in a few minutes.

Gassho,
Sat-Lah,
Suuko.

[houst0n]

Thanks Jundo for a lovely talk and everyone for sitting! I had to duck out, got too late (I have a three year old who likes to get up in.... just under 3 hours!).

So, I'll sit the last period with you all later.

Gassho,
Neil

[Onkai]

Thank you, everyone, for the zazenkai. The talk gave me things to reflect on. May peace and wisdom prevail!

Gassho,
Onkai
Sat/lay

[Bion]

Much love and peace to you all! It was as always a great period of practice and fellowship. Be well and be unreservedly and generously kind!

[emoji1374] Sat Today

[Naiko]

st

[Huichan]

Thanks Jundo for today's words and everyone for your company. Another powerful zazenkai that I could relate to in my own personal circumstances as well as see how it applies to what's going on in the wider world. Also, I actually managed to get through a whole monthly zazenkai for the first time (although had to go check on my son during every kinhin to make sure he was doing his homework)!

Gashho
Ross
stlah

[Anchi]

That was very lovely! Thank you everyone.
The talk was deep and moving. Thank you Jundo.

Gassho

[houst0n]

Just finished finally, I would really love to sit a whole monthly zazenkai live but it’s very difficult after a full days work and having to get up 2 hours after it ends!

Anyway: Good luck on Tuesday Jundo!

Gassho,

./sat
Neil

[houst0n]

Ross: My first time trying live also, I failed! Don’t worry, I spent all the kinhin periods slamming green tea and messing around with my Zazen cushions instead of doing the slow walking bit. Hopefully there are many years ahead to do it in peace, until then, deal with tiredness and children I recon.

Fortunately little one was asleep, but he still lets out a random blood curdling scream now and then (bad dream) which usually snaps one back to the moment.

Gassho,
./sat
Neil