June 3rd-4th, 2016 - OUR MONTHLY 4-hour ZAZENKAI!

[Jundo]

Today's Talk will dance recent Koans from the Book of Serenity, POSTED BELOW.

Please 'sit-a-long' with our MONTHLY 4-hour 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 visible at the following link during those times ...

... to be visible on the below screen 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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E12KXcait08

EVENT PAGE:

https://plus.google.com/events/ceo6m52crgoosr0ricprhlhtof4

Dharma talk audio / podcast episode:

http://treeleaf.podbean.com/e/june-2016-zazenkai-talk-cases-from-the-book-of-serenity/

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 (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

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' in Japanese 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!


Gassho, Jundo

[Jundo]

Cases from the Book of Serenity

CASE 51
Hogen's “By Boat or Land‘

PREFACE TO THE ASSEMBLY
Worldly dharmas enlighten many people. Buddhadharma deludes many people. Suddenly become one: Can there be any delusion or enlightenment?

MAIN CASE
Attention! Hogen asked Kaku Joza, "Did you come by boat or by land?'' Kaku Joza replied, "By boat." Hogen said, "Where is the boat?" Kaku answered, "The boat is in the river." After Kaku left, Hogen asked the monk beside him, "Tell me: Did that monk who was just here have the Zen eye or not?"

APPRECIATORY VERSE
Water does not wash water,- gold does not trade for gold.
Ignoring its color, obtain a fine horse.
Without its strings, enjoy a lute.
Tying a knot, divining with sticks—
Then there is this matter:
Utterly lost is true, innocent, ancient mind.

~~~~~~~~~~

CASE 52
Sozan's Dharmakaya

PREFACE TO THE ASSEMBLY
All knowledgeable persons are able to learn by parable and analogy—but when comparisons cannot be made and when it's impossible to find something similar or identical, how can it be expressed?

MAIN CASE
Attention! Sozan asked Toku Joza, "Buddha's true dharmakaya is like the vast sky. Its conforming to things and manifesting shapes is like the moon in the water. How can this principle of conforming be expressed?" Toku said, "It's like the donkey seeing the well." Sozan remarked, "Well said, but that's only eighty percent of it." Toku rejoined, "How about you, Osho?" Sozan replied, "the well sees the donkey."

APPRECIATORY VERSE
Donkey sees the well, well sees the donkey.
Wisdom contains without exception,
purity permeates more than enough.
Behind the elbow, who discerns the sign?
Within the house, no books are kept.
Loom threads don't hang, a matter of the shuttle.
Patterns emerge every which way.
The intent differentiates of itself.

Note: This resonates with Dogen from the Genjo Koan ...

The image of the moon in the water reminds me of this most beautiful image painted by Dogen in his Genjo Koan ...

Enlightenment is like the moon reflected on the water. The moon does not get wet, nor is the water broken. Although its light is wide and great, the moon is reflected even in a puddle an inch wide. The whole moon and the entire sky are reflected in dewdrops on the grass, or even in one drop of water.
Enlightenment does not divide you, just as the moon does not break the water. You cannot hinder enlightenment, just as a drop of water does not hinder the moon in the sky. The depth of the drop is the height of the moon. Each reflection, however long or short its duration, manifests the vastness of the dewdrop, and realizes the limitlessness of the moonlight in the sky.

...

To carry the self forward and illuminate myriad things is delusion. That myriad things come forth and illuminate the self is awakening. ... To study the buddha way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be actualized by myriad things. When actualized by myriad things, your body and mind as well as the bodies and minds of others drop away. No trace of realization remains, and this no-trace continues endlessly. When you first seek dharma, you imagine you are far away from its environs. At the moment when dharma is correctly transmitted, you are immediately your original self.

~~~~~~~~~~

CASE 53
Obaku's Dregs

PREFACE TO THE ASSEMBLY
Having opportunity and not seeing a Buddha: Great enlightenment has no teacher. Human emotions are eliminated by the sword that regulates heaven and earth. Holy understanding is forgotten in the activity that catches tigers and buffaloes. Tell me: Whose stratagem is this?

MAIN CASE
Attention! Obaku addressed the assembly, saying, "All of you without exception are eaters of wine-dregs. Going on pilgrimage here and there, when will there ever be a day for you? Don't you know there are no Zen teachers in all of Tang China?" At that time a monk who was there stepped forward and said, "What about those everywhere who have disciples and lead assemblies?" And Obaku remarked, "I don't say there's no Zen, just that there are no teachers."

APPRECIATORY VERSE
Roads being split, threads being dyed—how bothersome!
Catching at leaves and lining up flowers ruins the Ancestors.
Subtly grasping the handle that educates Southerners, the cloud-and-water inscribing tool is on the potter's wheel.
Tangles and shards removed and crushed, downy hairs razored off.
Balance scale, bright mirror, jeweled ruler, golden sword:
Old Obaku even divines autumn fur,
cutting off the spring breeze, not allowing arrogance.

~~~~~~~~~~

CASE 54
Ungans Great Compassionate One

PREFACE TO THE ASSEMBLY
The eight compass points bright and clear. The ten directions unobstructed. Everywhere, bright light shakes the earth. All the time there is marvelous functioning and the supernatural. Tell me: How can this occur?

MAIN CASE
Attention! Ungan asked Dogo, ''What does the great compassionate bodhisattva do when she uses her manifold hands and eyes?" Dogo said, "It's like a man who reaches behind him at night to search for his pillow." Ungan said, "I understand." Dogo said, "What do you understand?" Ungan said, "All over the body are hands and eyes." Dogo said, "You've really said it—you got eighty percent of it." Ungan asked, "Elder brother, how about you?" Dogo replied, "Throughout the body are hands and eyes."

APPRECIATORY VERSE
One hole penetrates space. Eight directions are clear and bright.
Without forms, without self, spring follows the rules.
Unstopped, unhindered, the moon traverses the sky.
Clean, pure, jeweled eyes and virtuous arms:
Where is the approval in "throughout the body" instead of "all over the body"?
Hands and eyes before you manifest complete functioning.
The great function is everywhere. How could there be any hindrance?

[Mp]

Looking forward to it, I will be there live with bell and mokugyo ready. =)

Gassho
Shingen

s@today

[RichardH]

Will be here/there live. Hopefully won't doze too much.

Gassho
Daizan


sat today

[Liliane B.-]

Thank you so much Jundo! I will be sitting 'live' the entire Zazenkai one way. Keep well!

[Onkai]

Thank you, Jundo. I will be there 2-way, technology allowing. Otherwise 1-way.

Gassho,
Onkai
SatToday

[Kyonin]

Hi all,

I'll be there live as soon as I get home tonight. If not, I'll have to sit one over the weekend.

Gassho,

Kyonin

[RichardH]

I'm going to bed now, and will finish the last sections over the weekend.

Gassho and thank you Jundo and Sangha.

Sat today

[Onkai]

Thank you, Jundo, Shingen, and everyone. The talk added to my understanding of koans. Sitting with everyone was wonderful (even if difficult).

Gassho,
Onkai
SatToday

[Washin]

Thank you all. I managed to join in from the middle of zazenkai and will sit with a recording
of first half during the weekend.

Gassho
Washin
ST

[Mp]

Thank you Jundo and everyone, lovely to sit with you all. =)

Jundo, I tried to come up with some question at Q&A and found I was in my head too much searching for something ... but then when I sat moments later this came to me ...

Mirror mirror on the mirrorless wall
Who is the greatest, non-greatest of them all?

Oriental-Furniture-Standing-Laughing-Buddha-Statue-STA-BUD41.jpg

Gassho
Shingen

s@today

[Gokai]

Today i Sat with all of You in the monthly zazenkai live. It was very good to be with you.
Jundo talk was very good like always.
I Will try to see everyone like a Zen teacher.
Gassho my friends, David
Sattoday

[Myosha]

Thanks to all.


Gassho
Myosha sat today

[Meishin]

Thank you.

Gassho
Meishin
sat today

[Jika]

Happy birthday to my namesake!

I don't know if this is helpful, but I've looked up the knots and sticks a bit.
Both seem to have been an ancient Chinese form of divination.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kau_cim

https://books.google.de/books?id=013dKNOV77oC&pg=PA270&lpg=PA270&dq=china+divination+knots&source=bl&ots=3KEoJb81a0&sig=RwcS3QN2TdwkG4SWM1KeGRfyhNo&hl=de&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi25tDMnY_NAhUoIcAKHWQUDO8Q6AEIMjAD#v=onepage&q=china%20divination%20knots&f=false

Fu Hsi, the legendary king who is associated with knots and sticks in the advent of Chinese writing, is also credited for inventing (and stringing) a kind of lute instrument.

So, as long as there is no difference (water/water, gold/gold) there is no friction.
Someone with plain answers can be simple, or enlightened, or both.
But once you start writing things down, creating distinction, innocent ancient Mind is lost?

Thank you all.
Gassho
Jika
#sattoday