April 7-8, 2023 -OUR MONTHLY 4-hour Treeleaf ZAZENKAI- Celebrating Buddha's Birthday

[Shokai]

I'm sitting with you this evening. Thank you for the special Birthday wishes

gassho, Shokai
stlah

[Tairin]

Thank you everyone. I sat with you this morning


Tairin
Sat today and lah

[Naiko]

Thank you, everyone! Happy Birthday to all the Buddhas, especially Shokai!
Jundo, I hope your back is better soon.
Gassho,
Naiko
St

[Kotei]

Thank you everyone and a happy Hana-Matsuri!
(and Happy Birthday, Shokai!)

Gassho,
Kotei sat/lah today.

[Anchi]

happyB.jpg

[Jundo]

Hi all, just posting a response to today's zazenkai talk/metta practice.

As a parent of three young children (5, 7, 9) I can only imagine the horror that the school communities of mass shootings in the USA have experienced, and continue to experience. It is incredibly sad to think that it is always a question of 'when' not 'if'. The mass shootings in New Zealand have not involved schools and so parents can feel confident sending their kids to school. Sure, we all know deep down that anything can happen to anyone at any time, but it must be a terrible anxiety for parents to send their kids to school wondering "is our school next, could it be today?" The only good thing I can say about this is that it has to serve as a powerful reminder to embrace each moment and each other with openness and unconditional love. While I am not one to pray at all, if there is one thing I would pray for, until I sweated blood, it is that these shootings come to an end.

Gassho, Tokan

satlah

And just to be clear, such school attacks have happened in Japan too, and Japan is no panacea, although the weapons tend toward knives not guns.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osaka_school_massacre

There are ill people in all places, willing to harm others.

Gassho, Jundo

stlah

[Tokan]

Hi all, just posting a response to today's zazenkai talk/metta practice.

As a parent of three young children (5, 7, 9) I can only imagine the horror that the school communities of mass shootings in the USA have experienced, and continue to experience. It is incredibly sad to think that it is always a question of 'when' not 'if'. The mass shootings in New Zealand have not involved schools and so parents can feel confident sending their kids to school. Sure, we all know deep down that anything can happen to anyone at any time, but it must be a terrible anxiety for parents to send their kids to school wondering "is our school next, could it be today?" The only good thing I can say about this is that it has to serve as a powerful reminder to embrace each moment and each other with openness and unconditional love. While I am not one to pray at all, if there is one thing I would pray for, until I sweated blood, it is that these shootings come to an end.

Gassho, Tokan

satlah

[Jundo]

A couple of the several Sutta passages in which the Buddha hands things off to someone else to give a Talk, because the Buddha's back is hurtin' ...

Ānanda, let there occur to you a learner’s course for the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu; my back is aching, I will stretch it.” “Yes, revered sir,” the venerable Ānanda answered the Lord in assent. Then the Lord, having folded his outer robe into four, lay down on his right side in the lion posture, foot resting on foot, mindful, clearly conscious, reflecting on the thought of getting up again.
https://suttacentral.net/mn53/en/suj...e&script=latin

... the Blessed One addressed the Venerable Mahamoggallana thus: “The Saṅgha of bhikkhus is free from sloth and torpor, Moggallana. Give a Dhamma talk to the bhikkhus. My back is aching, so I will stretch it.”

“Yes, venerable sir,” the Venerable Mahamoggallana replied.

Then the Blessed One prepared his outer robe folded in four and lay down on his right side in the lion’s posture, with one foot overlapping the other, mindful and clearly comprehending, after noting in his mind the idea of rising.
https://suttacentral.net/sn35.243/en...e&script=latin

So, I am in good company today!

Gassho, J

stlah

[Tokan]

Thanks sangha

Will join one-way today as have the kids cousins over running around!

Gassho, Tokan

satlah

[Jundo]

The song for our dance is "Hanamatsuri " a single released by singer Tatsuya Ishii on July 1, 1998. The lyrics are ...
~~~~
Let's all bloom, let's all sing

All the cool kids and the not-so-cool kids, come on over, let's just have a festival!
Let's dance with our shoulders completely relaxed Let's reach for the sky

Don't say you don't believe in anything, let's hustle again
Just for now, let's forget all about it and sing together

We were all born into the same world
What really makes you feel good is not who you are

Let's all bloom, let's all sing together

You may seem shy, but you do it when you have to.
Let's turn our necks, arms, hips, and legs and dance together

Worrying all night and all day may not make things better
The earth is still spinning today anyway

Let's all bloom, let's all sing, let's all sing
Let's all bloom, let's all sing a song

Everybody make them bloom Everybody sing Everybody sing
Everybody make the flowers bloom Everybody sing Everybody sing Everybody sing

~~~~

みんなで花咲かせや みんなで歌唄えや

イケテルヤツもイケテナイヤツもよって来い とにかくまつりだ
肩の力をすっかり抜いちゃって踊ろう 空に手をのばそう

何も信じられないなんて言わずに もう一度ハッスルしよう
今だけはスベテ忘れちまってさ いっしょに唄おう

みんな同じ世界に生まれて来たわけなんだから
ホントに気持ちいいことが スナオな自分なんじゃない

みんなで花咲かせや みんなで歌唄えや

あんがい君なんて引っ込み思案なようで やるときゃやったりして
首も腕も腰も足も回し いっしょに踊ろうぜ

夜も昼も悩んでいたって 事はうまくゆかないかもね
どうせ今日も地球は ホラ回り続けているんだから

みんなで花咲かせや みんなで歌唄えや
みんなで花咲かせや みんなで歌唄えや

みんなで花咲かせや みんなで歌唄えや
みんなで花咲かせや みんなで歌唄えや

[Jundo]

To Celebrate Hana-Matusri, the Flower Festival that is Buddha's Birthday in Japan, turns out that there is a "Hana Matsuri Dance" ...

... not to be confused with a "Hana Montana Dance" ... )

tsuku.jpg

In any case, I think it is a bit complicated to master quickly, so I recommend a kind of modified HULA to all ... or a Hokey Pokey ... or a Hula Pokey ...

Here are two versions. The video at the bottom has priests of various Buddhist denominations in Suita City, near Osaka ...

https://youtu.be/0unvEQVlFm8

https://youtu.be/b4FSV_XGpmw

[Jundo]

Shinjinmei (IV)

In Today's Talk, will find the Buddha's Ever-Birthday in the 信心銘, the Xinxinming, Trust Song in Mind,

Today's text:

得失是非 Gain and loss, right and wrong:
一時放卻 let them go at once.
眼若不睡 If the eye never sleeps,
諸夢自除 all dreams will naturally cease.
心若不異 If the mind makes no discriminations,
萬法一如 the myriad things are one suchness.
一如體玄 One suchness embodies the mystery,
兀爾忘虚 released from all entanglements.
萬法齊觀 When all things are seen equally,
歸復自然 they return to themselves.
泯其所以 In this causeless, relationless state
不可方比 no comparisons or analogies are possible.
止動無動 In rest or movement, nothing moves;
動止無止 in movement or rest, nothing rests.
兩既不成 When such dualities cease to exist,
一何有爾 oneness itself cannot exist.
究竟窮極 To this ultimate finality
不存軌則 no law or description applies.
契心平等 For the unified peaceful mind,
所作倶息 all self-centered striving ceases.
狐疑盡淨 Doubts completely vanish
正信調直 and a life of true trust is possible.
一切不留 With a single stroke we are freed from fixation;
無可記憶 nothing clings to us and we hold to nothing.
虚明自照 All is empty, clear, and self-illuminating,
不勞心力 with no exertion of the mind's power.
非思量處 Here thought, feeling,
識情難測 knowledge, and imagination are of no value.

And Happy Birthday Shokai (AND EVERYONE) ... for Buddha's Birthday is ALL OUR BIRTHDAYS, and all things' ever rebirthday too!

https://youtu.be/o8FFjSR2468

Gassho, J

stlah

[Jundo]

... and Shokai's too ...

REMINDER: Time Change for Daylight Savings

Our Zazenkai today is also in CELEBRATION of BUDDHA'S BIRTHDAY, traditionally APRIL 8th in Japan!

We will look at the Buddha's Birthday and the Shinjinmei (text below)

MORE INFORMATION on CELEBRATING AT HOME HERE - LINK

Dear All,

Please sit our Monthly 4-Hour Treeleaf 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 Midnight to 4am and Paris 1am to 5am (early Saturday morning)), and also sitable any time thereafter:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OZQ5QM3ms8

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