June 30th - July 1st Treeleaf Weekly Zazenkai - Wheels On The Bus

[Jundo]

Today's Zazenkai Little Talk is based on my little essay "Not Waiting for the Buddha Bus" (LINK) ...

One sees that one is not just a passenger on the bus, separate from all the other passengers and the world passing by outside, so fast. Rather, one comes to know that you and all the others, those who rode years ago and those who will get on tomorrow, the bus and its wheels and windows, doors and driver, motor and all motion, stops and starts, left and right, in and out, the road and all the passing sites along the way, beautiful and ugly, the sky and birds, grass and stones, times of sickness, age and death, majestic mountains, burning dumps and rusty tin cans, scenes of violence and scenes of peace, the driving and the driven, the whole thing and then some, are just the bus trip itself, the going, the world spinning like a wheel. It is all the bus, the bus is us, and each part of the bus is the others who are all the bus too ...

... and ultimately there is no bus ... only the driving, driving, driving.


We also welcome our old Treeleaf Friend, Bryson Keenan, recently Ordained, now Rev. Tendo ....

tsuku.jpgtsuku1.jpg

Dear All,

Please sit our Treeleaf Zazenkai for 90 minutes with Zazen, Heart Sutra and more:

10am Japan Saturday morning, NY 9pm, LA 6pm Friday night, London 2am and Paris 3am Saturday morning, or any time thereafter here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLIYT6Tw7uA

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

00:00 – 00:15 CEREMONY (HEART SUTRA in English) and Dedication
00:15 – 00:45 ZAZEN
00:45 – 00:55 KINHIN
00:55 – 01:25 ZAZEN
01:25 – 01:30 VERSE OF ATONEMENT & FOUR VOWS
01:30 - 01:45(?) Informal Tea Time (All Welcome)

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

SatTodayLah



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

https://youtu.be/GR6POpsXh9Q

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/show...s-in-the-Zendo

[Anshu Bryson]

Thank you, Jundo Roshi; I look forward to visiting you again! It has been too long!

Tendō

[Bion]

How lovely! Welcome Tendō [emoji3526]

[emoji1374] Sat

[Huichan]

The Treeleaf calendar says tomorrow is the monthly zazenkai not a weekly one. Guessing it's to do with it being on the 1st day of the month for some of us and on the last day of the month for many in the West.


Ross
stlah

[Bion]

The Treeleaf calendar says tomorrow is the monthly zazenkai not a weekly one. Guessing it's to do with it being on the 1st day of the month for us and on the last day of the month for many in the West.


Ross
stlah

It’s set up in advance for the year and usually, the first Saturday of the month is the Monthly, but sometimes, Jundo changes that, so the calendar needs to be manually adjusted, and it can’t always be done fast [emoji3526] Thanks for catching that, though!

[emoji1374] Sat Today

[Jundo]

It is still June 30th most of the world, so our 4 hours Zazenkai will be next week, Julty 7th-8th. Thank you for your patience.

Gassho, Jundo

stlah

[Jundo]

We are going to dance our Heart Sutra today, with this version by the great Gary Dyson, used with his generosity ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwmmCsICoj8

One reason is that we danced many years ago when Bryson (not Dyson) visited ... that's him far left corner ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0cG0zgUW6Y&t=1s

If you are wondering, Gary Dyson (not to be confused with Bryson) sings the longer, Tibetan version of the Heart Sutra, which has extra words at the start ... The rest is about the same although, as a translation, it is phrased here in English to be a bit more prosaic.

Thus have I heard. Once the Blessed One was dwelling in Rajagriha at Vulture Peak mountain, together with a great gathering of the sangha of monks and a great gathering of the sangha of bodhisattvas. At that time the Blessed One entered the samadhi that expresses the dharma called "profound illumination," and at the same time noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva mahasattva, while practicing the profound prajnaparamita, saw in this way: he saw the five skandhas to be empty of nature. Then, through the power of the Buddha, venerable Shariputra said to noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva mahasattva, "How should a son or daughter of noble family train, who wishes to practice the profound prajnaparamita?" Addressed in this way, noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva mahasattva, said to venerable Shariputra, "O Shariputra, a son or daughter of noble family who wishes to practice the profound prajnaparamita should see in this way: seeing the five skandhas to be empty of nature. Form is emptiness; emptiness also is form. Emptiness is no other than form; form is no other than emptiness ...

They have a little more at the end too, after the GATE GATE ...

GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SVAHA
Thus, Shariputra, the bodhisattva mahasattva should train in the profound prajnaparamita. Then the Blessed One arose from that samadhi and praised noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva mahasattva, saying, "Good, good, O son of noble family; thus it is, O son of noble family, thus it is. One should practice the profound prajnaparamita just as you have taught and all the tathagatas will rejoice." When the Blessed One had said this, venerable Shariputra and noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva mahasattva, that whole assembly and the world with its gods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas rejoiced and praised the words of the Blessed One.

Also, we will be sticking around for 20 minutes or so AFTER our Zazenkai for a tea time and chat check-in with Bryson (not Dyson) after Zazen, if you can stick around. We can hear more of his story about coming back to Japan, practicing with Rev. Jinan, the way of Takuhatsu, how he Ordained ...

Gassho, Jundo

stlah

[Kiri]

Thank you everyone!
Gassho, Kiri
Sat/Lah

[joshr]

This week was my first Treeleaf Zazenkai, and while I am currently reading our teachers book The Zen Master’s Dance, I may have seriously underestimated Jundo Roshi’s commitment to the boogie…

Dancing my way through the Heart Sutra is a “Welcome to Treeleaf” memory that I won’t soon forget, and the analogy of zazen (and life) being like riding on the bus was right on point.

However, as a parent, I feel like a rousing follow-on chorus of “The wheels on the bus go round and round…” was definitely called for…

Gassho,
Joshua

Sat this morning

[Sekishi]

However, as a parent, I feel like a rousing follow-on chorus of “The wheels on the bus go round and round…” was definitely called for…

I feel this 100%. But also, the Zen version would have to include the realm of bus-wheels neither coming nor going!

Deep bows to all,
Sekishi
#sat

[joshr]

I feel this 100%. But also, the Zen version would have to include the realm of bus-wheels neither coming nor going!

Deep bows to all,
Sekishi
#sat

[Houzan]

Joined you all on this one just now. Thank you.

Gassho, Michael
Satlah

[Bion]

This week was my first Treeleaf Zazenkai, and while I am currently reading our teachers book The Zen Master’s Dance, I may have seriously underestimated Jundo Roshi’s commitment to the boogie…

Dancing my way through the Heart Sutra is a “Welcome to Treeleaf” memory that I won’t soon forget, and the analogy of zazen (and life) being like riding on the bus was right on point.

However, as a parent, I feel like a rousing follow-on chorus of “The wheels on the bus go round and round…” was definitely called for…

Gassho,
Joshua

Sat this morning

Ah! You’re the Josh who was there!! Thanks for dancing and sitting together! If you dare venture into the 4 hour monthly next week, we shall dance again! [emoji1] Lovely meeting you!

[emoji1374] Sat Today

[Do Mi]

That was so fun!! I sang many rounds of "Wheels on the Bus" when my daughter was small...

Seriously, it was lovely to sit in all of your presence and to see your faces.

Gassho,

Do Mi
satlah

[Bion]

That was so fun!! I sang many rounds of "Wheels on the Bus" when my daughter was small...

Seriously, it was lovely to sit in all of your presence and to see your faces.

Gassho,

Do Mi
satlah

You’re always like sunshine, Do Mi! Thanks for being there!

[emoji1374] Sat Today