May 22nd-23rd Treeleaf Weekly Zazenkai

[Jundo]

Hello All,

Please 'sit-a-long' with our weekly FRIDAY/SATURDAY 'LIVE FROM TREELEAF' 90 minute ZAZENKAI, netcast from 10am Japan time Saturday morning (that is New York 9pm, Los Angeles 6pm (Friday night), London 2am and Paris 3am (early Saturday morning)

... and to be visible on the following screen during those times and sit-a-long-able any time thereafter ...

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

http://youtu.be/QWXF-U6KJwg

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:

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 FOUR VOWS & VERSE OF ATONEMENT

As you can see, our Zazenkai consists of chanting the 'Heart Sutra' in English (the words are at the link below), some full floor prostrations in sets of three (please follow along with me ... or a simple Gassho can be substituted if you wish), followed by our Dedication, Zazen twice for about 30 minutes each, with 10 minutes of Kinhin in between, and we end the sitting with 'The Verse of Atonement' and 'The Four Vows'.

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

Chant Book (PDF)

or

Chant Book (SHORT VERSION HTML)

So, please join us as soon as you can, and we will keep a Zafu open for you.

Remember, when we drop all thought of 'here' 'there' 'now' 'then' ... we are sitting all together!


Gassho, Jundo

[RichardH]

I'll be here/there.

Gassho
Daizan

sat today

[Anshu Bryson]

See you all there!

Gassho,
Anshu

-sat today-

[Jundo]

I feel like dancing. How bout you'all?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gkC3P8dkbs

[Mp]

Groovy, I will be there. =)

Gassho
Shingen

#sattoday

[Anshu Bryson]

Not a big fan of the dance music, to be honest... It was a leap for me just to get to the chanting... Is this a test...? ;-)

Gassho,
B

-sat today-

[Kyonin]

Hello!

I'll be there live with my bell and disco ball ready for dancing!

Gassho,

Kyonin
#SatToday

[Joyo]

I need to spend some time with my kids tonight so unfortunately I will not be there live. i'll try to sit with the recording this weekend. Have a groovy zazenkai ya'll

Gassho,
Joyo
sat today

[RichardH]

The toes are tappin and the hips are swivelin.

Gassho
Daizan

Sat today

[Sekishi]

Not a big fan of the dance music, to be honest... It was a leap for me just to get to the chanting... Is this a test...? ;-)

And if it is a test, what constitutes a failure of said test, to dance or not to dance?

http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/sbe20/sbe20017.htm

6 2. Now at that time there was a festival on the mountain-top at Râgagaha; and the Khabbaggiya Bhikkhus went to see it.
The people murmured, were annoyed, and became indignant, saying, 'How can the Sakyaputtiya Samanas go to see dancing, and singing, and music, like those who are still enjoying the pleasures of the world?' And they told this matter to the Blessed One. 'You are not, O Bhikkhus, to go to see dancing, or singing, or music. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukkata.'

I'll be there live, but will also only begrudgingly shake my booty to trance music.

Gassho,
Sekishi
#sattoday

[Joyo]

Sekishi, maybe to succeed one must dance with one hand clapping?

Gassho,
Joyo
sat today

[Sekishi]

Sekishi, maybe to succeed one must dance with one hand clapping?

I'll try that tonight. XD

How about some wah pedal guitar and a breakbeat? The Beastie Boys "Bodhisattva Vow":

Thanks to the "shouting through a bullhorn" effect it is pretty hard to understand MCA (maybe they were afraid of alienating listeners), which is unfortunate, because the lyrics are a pretty great modern take on the Dharma:

"As I develop the awakening mind
I praise the Buddhas as they shine
I bow before you as I travel my path to join your ranks
I make my full time task
For the sake of all beings I seek
The enlightened mind that I know I'll reap
Respect to Shantideva and all the others
Who brought down the dharma for their sisters and brothers



I give thanks for this world as a place to learn
And for this human body that I will have earned
And my deepest thanks to all sentient beings
For without them there would be no place to learn what I'm seeing
There's nothing here that's not been said before
But I put it down now so that I'll be sure
To solidify my own views and I'll be glad if it helps
Anyone else out too


If others disrespect me or give me flack
I'll stop and think before I react
Knowing that they're going through insecure stages
I'll take the opportunity to exercise patience
I'll see it as a chance to help the other person
Nip it in the bud before it can worsen
A chance for me to be strong and sure
As I think on the Buddhas who have come before


As I praise and respect the good they've done
Knowing only love can conquer in every situation
We need other people in order to create
The circumstances for the learning that we're here to generate
Situations that bring up my deepest fears
So we can work to release them until they're cleared
Therefore, it only makes sense
To thank our enemies despite their intent


The Bodhisattva path is one of power and strength
A strength from within to go the length
Seeing others are as important as myself
I strive for a happiness of mental wealth
With the interconnectedness that we share as one
Every action that we take affects everyone
So in deciding for what a situation calls
There is a path for the good of all


I try to make my every action for that highest good
With the altruistic wish to achieve buddhahood
So I pledge here before everyone who's listening
To try to make my every action for the good of all beings
For the rest of my lifetimes and even beyond
I vow to do my best to do no harm
And in times of doubt I can think on the dharma
And the enlightened ones who've graduated samsara"

Gassho,
Sekishi
#sattoday
#everdayismcaday

[Jundo]

And if it is a test, what constitutes a failure of said test, to dance or not to dance?

http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/sbe20/sbe20017.htm

6 2. Now at that time there was a festival on the mountain-top at Râgagaha; and the Khabbaggiya Bhikkhus went to see it.
The people murmured, were annoyed, and became indignant, saying, 'How can the Sakyaputtiya Samanas go to see dancing, and singing, and music, like those who are still enjoying the pleasures of the world?' And they told this matter to the Blessed One. 'You are not, O Bhikkhus, to go to see dancing, or singing, or music. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukkata.'

I'll be there live, but will also only begrudgingly shake my booty to trance music.

Gassho,
Sekishi
#sattoday

Well, the Mahayana view (the Tibetans share this too) is that one must sometimes "breach" a Precept for the right reasons or, better said, it is not a "breach" depending on the context. I think the Buddha was probably talking about ancient Indian equivalent of Studio 54 and CBGBs (both also "ancient" now).

I believe the traditional "morning service" at Sojiji and Eiheiji is a dance, don't you?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBF2q0p9pdg

There is a long history of Buddhist dance and "booty shaking" appropriate to culture and time ...

Shomyo (sacred Buddhist carols) ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ato8vvNjK3I

Tibetan Cham dancing ...

Shake that Buddha-booty! (though other can feel free to "clap along" in Gassho)

Gassho, J

[RichardH]

I'll be sure to bite my lip hard while dancing, to balance out the gross sensuality of music and play.

Gassho
Daizan

sat today

[Anshu Bryson]

I'll be dancing on the inside...

Gassho
B

-sat today-