March 9th, 2013 - OUR MONTHLY 4-hour ZAZENKAI! (Come Dance the 'HEARTlem SHAKE'!)

[Jundo]

By the way, this world changing dance crosses all cultures and ages ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kv6OsvkLu1o

[Jundo]

All folks joining in our Heart Sutra ceremony this month are requested (in fact, dancing is not optional!) to join in the 'HEARTlem Shake' as our "Heart Sutra" recitation.

For you folks who don't know what the "Harlem Shake' is (like me until about two days ago! ) ... here are some examples. You will be expected to stand solemnly in Gassho as I kick it off and, at the appropriate time JUMP IN! Yes, please bring any costumes or props you feel express who you are (ah, maybe not too risky please!) .

Please study closely the following for the exact time you are to jump in ...

Are we being silly!? OF COURSE! Can the Heart Sutra be a silly dance? OF COURSE!

I actually am making a point here (for those who need some philosophical justification for dancing, as if that is needed! ) ... that all life is a dance, this world is a dance ... it is a dance of our happiness, a dance of our sorrows, a dance of falling in love, a dance of losing those we love, a dance we dance ... a dance which dances us ... a dance dancing the dance. Life is wonderfully serious-silly dance.

I hope you will all be brave and jump in! In fact ... DANCING IS MANDATORY! NO JUST STANDING THERE TODAY!

I wish to thank our Myoku who made a small change to one word in the Harlem Shuffle ... it now says ...

Con los Buddhistas!

(Also thank you to Heisoku's teenage son who offered to help). Here is Myoku's version ..

http://www.myoku.de/dl/Harlem%20Shake%20Buddhista.mp3

Gassho, J

[Jundo]

Dear All,

Our Sitters this week should be prepared to dance the 'HEARTlem SHAKE' as our Heart Sutra chant this week. DETAILS BELOW!

OUR TALK THIS TIME WILL BE ON ZEN PRACTICE AND ALL OF LIFE as SILLY DANCING!

Please 'sit-a-long' with our MONTHLY 4-hour 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))

... to be visible at the following link during those times and any time thereafter ...

LIVE ZAZENKAI NETCAST at GOOGLE+ IS HERE:
CLICK ON THE TAB ON LOWER RIGHT FOR 'FULL SCREEN

http://youtu.be/Js6r-D4L6Rs

FOR THOSE NOT ALREADY MEMBERS OF THE CIRCLE WHO WISH TO JOIN TO SIT LIVE WITH A CAMERA, INSTRUCTIONS are posted AT THIS LINK. WE ARE NOW LIMITED TO 10 INDIVIDUALS WITH CAMERAS, BUT ANY NUMBER CAN WATCH LIVE 'ONE WAY' AND SIT-A-LONG VIA THE ABOVE SCREEN. IF JOINING WITH CAMERA, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR MICROPHONE IS MUTED:

The Sitting Schedule is as follows;

00:00 - 00:50 CEREMONY (HEARTlem SHAKE / 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

02:40 - 03:15 ZAZEN
03:15 - 03:30 KINHIN
03:30 - 04:00 METTA CHANT & ZAZEN, VERSE OF ATONEMENT, FOUR VOWS, & CLOSING


Our Zazenkai consists of our chanting the 'Heart Sutra' 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'. Oh, and lots and lots of Zazen and walkin' Kinhin in between!

Please download and print out the Chants we will recite at the following link (PDF):

Chant Book (PDF)

or

Chant Book (SHORT VERSION HTML)

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!