Oct. 6-7th, 2023 - OUR MONTHLY 4-hour Treeleaf ZAZENKAI - Remember Bodhidharma Day!

[Jundo]

Our Zazenkai remembers Bodhidharma



tsuku1.jpg

As we continue our series on

Genjo Koan,
'Realizing the Truth Right Here,'

... and the way of Bodhidharma found there.
(text below)

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=3e5ptJZyaWc

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?21660-TREELAF-PODCAST-GENJO-KOAN-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

tsuku.jpg

[Jundo]

This is the fourth in a monthly series based on my modernized translation of the Genjo Koan, from my book ...

THE ZEN MASTER’S DANCE
A Guide to Understanding Dōgen and Who You Are in the Universe
https://wisdomexperience.org/product...masters-dance/

Other translations of the Genjo can be found here for comparison: (LINK)

You should understand that firewood abides in the phenomenal
expression and wholeness of firewood, which fully includes
its own past and future yet is independent of all past and
future. Ash abides in the phenomenal expression and wholeness
of ash, which fully includes its own past and future too.
Just as firewood does not turn to firewood again after it is
ash, do not think of returning to birth after death.

Thus, it is an established rule in Buddhist teachings to deny
that birth turns into death. Therefore, birth is understood
as no-birth, for in the time of birth there is no other
moment with which to compare it. It is an unshakable
teaching in Buddha’s preaching that death does not turn
into birth. Therefore, death is understood as no-death
when there is no other moment with which to compare it.

When there is birth, there is only birth, and death is just the time of death. Life and death are each their own time and moment. When it is time for life, live gracefully, for your life depends on it. When it is time for death, please die thoroughly, right to the death! Both life and death are just this life. I believe that Dōgen is telling us to live fully this moment, to take this moment on its own terms and to live it well, making it the best moment that we can. What is more, when we drop from our mind any ideas of opposites, such as start and finish, birth and death, might we know something that transcends and embraces them?

Birth is a situation complete in this moment. Death is a situation
complete in this moment. They are the same as winter
and spring. We do not say that winter becomes spring,
nor do we say that spring becomes summer.

All the seasons of life—birth, youth, aging, and dying—are just like this. Each is its own season, each is just the shining moon. So, winter is just winter, summer wholly summer, fall but fall, and spring is totally spring. In winter, live well and fully in winter, likewise in the other times. In each season, there is nothing else but this. So how is time even passing? Everything happens in its own season. So it is for life and death.

Our enlightenment is like the moon reflected in the water.
The moon does not get wet, the water is not broken.
Although the light shines wide and vast, the moon is
reflected in a puddle a foot or an inch wide. The entire
moon and the whole sky are reflected in countless dewdrops
upon the grass, and even in a single drop of water.

This understanding comes when we learn to see and experience this world in all its variety and complexity, its division and separation, as variations and expressions of something wonderfully all-embracing, something beyond broken pieces and friction. Imagine that moon again, its light shining on and within all things. This moon represents the light of Buddha, what we call enlightenment. This moonlight shines from within you too, as you. And you don’t even need to do anything to make it so.

Enlightenment does not divide a person, just as the moon
does not shatter the water. We cannot obstruct enlightenment,
just as a drop of water does not obstruct the moon in
the sky. The depth of each drop is the measure of the height
of the moon. No matter how long or short the duration of
each reflection, it expresses the largeness or smallness of the
dewdrop, yet completely holds the boundlessness of the
moonlight in the heavens.

Not only you, but all people, things, and events are the moonlight shining: long things shining as long, short things shining as short; happy events are the moon shining happily, sad times are but the moon illuminated in sadness. All are the one moon. Nonetheless, although this light is always shining, our practice is to uncover that light within.

~ ~ ~

[Jundo]

For this Daruma Day, we will dance the Daruma Dance ... (or come as close as we can) ...

The HARD version we won't do! --

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gt-APAgviBY

The EASIER version we will do ... a kind of Japanese Hokey Pokey! --

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6JZ2qaaUHc

だるま踊り

もうしもうし（ソレ）
だるまさん（ハ　コロコロ）
お耳もお口もないのかな（ハ　ドウシタドウシタ）
お耳もお口もあるけれど（ソレ）
目なしだるまでございます。（ア　ソレソレ　ございます）
もうしもうし　だるまさん
それでは　片目を入れましょう
願いが叶えば　もう一つ
縁起だるまのわたくしに（ア　ソレソレソレソレ　わたくしに）
もうしもうし　だるまさん
あなたに手足が　ありますか
手足があるから　七転び
ハ起だるまと　いわれます（ア　ソレソレソレソレ　いわれます）
もうしもうし　だるまさん
御利益あやかり　踊ります
みなさん一緒に　踊りましょう

~~~

Hello Hello (That's it!)
Daruma-san (rolling rolling)
Does he have neither ears nor a mouth?
Though he has ears and a mouth (That's it!)
It is a Daruma without eyes. （It is a Daruma without eyes.)
Daruma-san, now then, let's put in one eye
If our wish comes true, there will be one more
For me, the Daruma of good fortune.

Daruma-san, do you have arms and legs?
Because you have arms and legs, you fall down seven times
Because you have arms and legs, you can fall down seven times
but are called the "get up eight times" Daruma doll.

Daruma-san, I'll dance for your blessing.
Let's dance together!

[Kaitan]

Won't be able to join this time, it's holidays in China, which means that we work during the weekend

Gasshō

St/Bernal

[Jundo]

The painting by Georges Seurat which I will reference in today's talk ... A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte ...

[Jundo]

Won't be able to join this time, it's holidays in China, which means that we work during the weekend

Gasshō

St/Bernal

Ah, but our Zazenkai is available anytime after to sit, so I will consider that you are there with us today, Bernal.

Please have a good working holiday!

Gassho, Jundo

stlah

[Seikan]

Thank you all for coming together to practice, and thank you Jundo for the insightful talk. Apologies for ducking out early in the last hour, but I have been nursing a bad headache on and off all day, and it started to really flare up again. I'll finish out the hour later this weekend.

Gassho,
Seikan

-stlah-


Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk

[Jundo]

... I have been nursing a bad headache on and off all day, and it started to really flare up again. I'll finish out the hour later this weekend.

Probably triggered by reading my book.

Gassho, J

stlah

[WorkerB]

Will enjoy pointillism from a different perspective now.
Perhaps when electronic images are pixilated, your teaching will arise in thoughts rather than displeasure, too.

Gasso,
b.

st

[Kaitan]

Thank you, everyone!

Today's talk reminded me this picture


Gassho

ST/BERNAL

[Seikan]

Thank you, everyone!

Today's talk reminded me this picture
[ATTACH=CONFIG]8929[/ATTACH]

Gassho

ST/BERNAL

Bernal, That's a great image! Thanks for sharing!

Gassho,
Seikan

-stlah-



Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk

[Houzan]

Oct. 6-7th, 2023 - OUR MONTHLY 4-hour Treeleaf ZAZENKAI - Remember Bodhidharma Day!

Sat half of this now. Will sit the rest tomorrow. BUT, I think I have the answer to why you see one shoe by the side of the road, Jundo. I have caused this once myself, to my daughters distress [emoji38] When loading the car with a pair of shoes in one hand and a bag or two in the other, some place the shoes on top of the car in order to get the bags in. You forget the shoes, start driving, and there you go. One shoe fall off in the first turn.. the other sometime later. At the very least a feasible hypothesis [emoji41]

Gassho, Michael
Sat

[Risho]

Rish
-stlah

[WorkerB]

I have caused this once myself, to my daughters distress [emoji38] When loading the car with a pair of shoes in one hand and a bag or two in the other, some place the shoes on top of the car in order to get the bags in. You forget the shoes, start driving, and there you go. One shoe fall off in the first turn.. the other sometime later.

. Thank you for the first chuckle of the day, Michael!

Gassho,
b.

st

[Chikyou]

Wonderful talk! I had an experience of the moon (actually a streetlight) reflected in 1000 dewdrops a couple weeks ago and it really was an incredible experience. I immediately thought of this teaching when it happened.

Gassho,
SatLah
Kelly