April 3, 2010 - OUR MONTHLY 4-hour ZAZENKAI (Buddha B-Day!)

[Jundo]

Dear All,

[REMEMBER THAT TIMES HAVE CHANGED FOR DAYLIGHT SAVINGS!!]

TO CELEBRATE BUDDHA'S BIRTHDAY (commemorated April 8th in Japan) ...

Please 'sit-a-long' with our APRIL MONTHLY 4-hour ZAZENKAI, netcast LIVE from 9pm to 1am Japan time Saturday (that is New York 8am to noon, Los Angeles 5am to 9am, London 1pm to 5pm and Paris 2pm to 6pm, SATURDAY) ... and visible at the following link during those times ...

LIVE ZAZENKAI NETCAST at USTREAM:

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/sit-a-long-with-jundo

But FEAR NOT if not possible for you to join 'live' in your location at those times, as the entire sitting is recorded in 'REAL TIME' and available for full participation 'ON DEMAND' at ANY TIME after that, no different from the 'live' sitting . Just click then on the links below:

THE 'REAL TIME, ANY TIME' recorded version is divided into 2 parts as follows (click on the blue links) :

00:00 - 00:50 CEREMONY (HEART SUTRA IN JAPANESE / SANDOKAI IN ENGLISH) & ZAZEN
00:50 - 01:00 KINHIN
01:00 - 01:40 ZAZEN
01:40 - 01:50 KINHIN

ZAZENKAI PART I LINK (Due to recording difficulties, this first half only is a re-sit of the March Zazenkai)
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/5228395

01:50 - 02:30 DHARMA TALK & ZAZEN
02:30 - 02:40 KINHIN
02:40 - 03:20 ZAZEN
03:20 - 03:30 KINHIN
03:30 - 04:00 METTA CHANT & ZAZEN, VERSE OF ATONEMENT, FOUR VOWS, & CLOSING

ZAZENKAI PART 2 LINK
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/5929006

Our Zazenkai consists of our chanting the 'Heart Sutra' in Japanese this time (I will post that below) and the 'Identity of Relative and Absolute (Sandokai)' in English (please download our Chant Book at the link below), some full floor prostrations (please follow along with me ... or a simple Gassho can be substituted if you wish), a little talk by me ... and we close with the 'Metta Chant', followed at the end with the 'Verse of Atonement' and 'The Four Vows' (maybe in both languages). Oh, and lots and lots of Zazen and walkin' Kinhin in between!

Please download and print out the Chant Book (PDF) at the following link:

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=2231

I STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT YOU POSITION YOUR ZAFU ON THE FLOOR IN A PLACE WHERE YOU ARE NOT STARING DIRECTLY AT THE COMPUTER SCREEN, BUT CAN GLANCE OVER AND SEE THE SCREEN WHEN NECESSARY. YOUR ZAFU SHOULD ALSO BE IN A POSITION WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE COMPUTER SCREEN WHILE STANDING IN FRONT OF THE ZAFU FOR THE CEREMONIES, AND HAVE ROOM FOR BOWING AND KINHIN.

ALSO, REMEMBER TO SET YOUR COMPUTER (& SCREEN SAVER) SO THAT IT DOES NOT SHUT OFF DURING THE 4 HOURS.

I hope you will join us ... an open Zafu is waiting. When we drop all thought of 'here' 'there' 'now' 'then' ... we are sitting all together!

Gassho, Jundo

[Dosho]

Re: April 3, 2010 - OUR MONTHLY 4-hour ZAZENKAI (Buddha B-Day!)

Thank you Jundo and fellow Treeleafers for a very nice sit this fine spring morning! But whether it is sunny or rainy, snowy or windy, happy or sad, I am always grateful to have this sangha's prescence in my life.

And in case you were wondering, yes I am just that sappy.

Happy birthday to all buddhas!

Gassho,
Dosho

[Shohei]

Re: April 3, 2010 - OUR MONTHLY 4-hour ZAZENKAI (Buddha B-Day!)

Thank you Jundo and fellow Treeleafers for a very nice sit this fine spring morning! But whether it is sunny or rainy, snowy or windy, happy or sad, I am always grateful to have this sangha's prescence in my life.

And in case you were wondering, yes I am just that sappy.

Happy birthday to all buddhas!

Gassho,
Dosho

Ditto ! Now to drop 2 wonderful little buddhas off at some much older buddhas o/ A day like this (25c at the first of april) in this neck of the woods is unheard of really! Great day for some samu and sewing :S

Happy B-Day Buddha's

Gassho
Shohei