February 3rd-4th, 2023 - OUR MONTHLY 4-hour Treeleaf ZAZENKAI - Shinjinmei (II)

[Jundo]

Today's Talk will be the second in a series reflecting on:

THE SONG OF TRUST MIND (信心銘 Shinjinmei), A Key to Zazen

(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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W-eq0HVXk4

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://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?21009-TREELEAF-PODCAST-SHINJINMEI-SERIES/

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]

Shinjinmei (II)

In Today's Talk, we continue our dance with the 信心銘, called the Xinxinming in Chinese and the Shinjinmei in Japanese, and by a variety of names in English such as:

On Trust in the Heart
Inscribed on the Believing Mind
Verses on the Faith Mind
Inscription on Faith in Mind
Inscription on Trust in the Mind
Have Faith in Your Mind
The Mind of Absolute Trust
Trusting In Mind
Affirming Faith In Mind
Song of Trusting the Heart
Faith in Mind
Have Faith in Your Mind
Trust in Mind
Inscription on Faith in Mind
On Believing in Mind
Inscribed On the Believing Mind
Faith in heart-and-mind
Engraving Trust in the Heart
The Faith-Mind Maxim
True Heart/Mind
Poem on Faith in Mind
Song of the Trusting Mind
... AND MORE!

Which is correct, or the best? It is truly mind blowing!

Today's text:

多言多慮 The more you talk and think about it,
轉不相應 the further astray you wander from the truth.
絶言絶慮 Stop talking and thinking,
無處不通 and there is nothing you will not be able to know.
歸根得旨 To return to the root is to find the meaning,
隨照失宗 but to pursue appearances is to miss the source.
須臾返照 At the moment of turning the light of awareness around,
勝卻前空 there is a going beyond appearance and emptiness.
前空轉變 The changes that appear to occur in the empty world
皆由妄見 we call real only because of ignorance.
不用求眞 Do not search for the truth;
唯須息見 only cease to hold opinions.
二見不住 Dualistic constructs do not abide,
慎莫追尋 so take care not to pursue them.
纔有是非 If there is even a trace of this and that, right and wrong,
紛然失心 the mind will be lost in confusion.
二由一有 Although all dualities come from the one,
一亦莫守 do not be attached even to this one.
一心不生 When the one mind is unborn,
萬法無咎 nothing in the world can offend,
無咎無法 and when a thing can no longer offend, it ceases to exist in the old way.
不生不心 When no discriminating thoughts arise, the old mind ceases to exist.
能隨境滅 When thought objects vanish, the thinker vanishes,
境逐能沈 and when the thinker vanishes, objects vanish.
境由能境 Objects are objects because of the subject;
能由境能 The subject is subject because of objects.
欲知兩段 If you wish to understand these two,
元是一空 originally they are one emptiness.
一空同兩 In this one emptiness, the two are inseparable,
齊含萬象 equally containing myriad images.

Oh, and last time I misspoke. The version we are using is not by the Soto Zen Text Project, but appears to be a translation by Richard B. Clarke, revised by Kōkyō Henkel. My apologies for the misattribution.

tsukupng.png

[Jundo]

Today we will dance the (kinda) traditional Mamemaki (Bean Throwing) Dance for the (very) traditional event of Setsubun:

What is Setsubun and Mamemaki?

https://youtu.be/B3hgIp0B_Ds

The Mamemaki Dance ...

https://youtu.be/_SBsIM4XOiY

Here are the words:

Oni wa soto fuku wa uchi (Devils out, good luck in)
Parappara
Parappara
Mame no oto (That's the sound of bouncing beans)
Oni wa kossori nigete iku (The devils just slink away)

Oni wa soto fuku wa uchi (Devils out, good luck in)
Parappara
Parappara
Mame no oto (That's the sound of bouncing beans)
Hayaku wo hairi fuku no kami (Goddess of fortune, get in here quick!)

Mamemaki at a big Buddhist temple, with sumo wrestlers, famous actors and such:

https://youtu.be/q2C-XpfxpuU

A footnote on the video says that, at this temple, because the Buddha is to be kind and compassionate to the devils, they do not chase them away with the "Devil get out" part ... they only say the "Good luck come in" part!

Gassho, J

stlah

[Tokan]

Hi all

Well I thought that I wouldn't be able to sit for much of this but the family dynamics, being dynamic, straightened themselves out so I could be with the sangha for all of this (minus a bit of checking on the kids during kinhin, but don't tell the Teacher lol). Great to be with you all today

Gassho, Tokan (satlah)

[Ippo]

Wonderful Zazenkai and great series on the Shinjinmei

Great weekend all,

Gassho, Ippo

SatToday

[Naiko]

I had to duck out early last night so I finished sitting with you all this morning. Thank you, Jundo for your teaching on FaithHeartMindTrustSong. And thank you (and congratulations!) to Hoshi for sharing your poem. I enjoyed learning about Setsubun. I need to throw more beans to encourage spring; it’s -12F here.
Gassho,
Naiko
Apologizes for running long.
st

[Tairin]

Thank you everyone. I sat with you this morning.

Congratulations Dr. Hoshi!


Tairin
Sat today and lah

[Jacob Janicek]

Just sat after listening to this talk, I have no words to describe my takeaway from it. Thank you.

Gassho
Sat a few minutes ago.