We will be having a two day all-online intensive "Retreat" as part of our JUKAI preparations and to mark the close of ANGO, as well as to mark the upcoming traditional ROHATSU (Buddha's Enlightenment Day, December 8th) Sesshin period that is celebrated in Zen monasteries around the world ...
So, please mark your calendars for the weekend of:
DECEMBER 5 and 6, 2009!
I am very content to say that Taigu will be coming that weekend to help lead us (he lives on the other side of Japan).
Our schedule and content will be about identical to last year's retreat (seen here):
http://blog.beliefnet.com/treeleafzen/2 ... day-j.html
We need to cover several continents and multiple time zones as effectively as possible. To do that, we have a "system" that worked pretty well last year. Here's how:
I hope that many folks will elect to sit "real time" with Taigu and me (or, if your schedule does not permit that, fully with the recorded version on later days). If sitting "real time", the retreat should encompass most all of your Saturday and Sunday (and maybe a bit of Friday night) in most of Europe and North America, beginning from early morning until late at night. The way to accomplish that is for everyone to sit a combination of "live" and "recorded" segments over the weekend. In other words, some activities you can join live and other activities (because they happened in the middle of the night where you are, during your sleep time) you can do with the recording (while it is the middle of the night in Japan and Taigu and I are sleeping!)
See how that works!
You will have the option of joining segments live or (as I will record each segment for Ustream) following the recorded segments with a few hours lag time.
The most important part is to try not to "break it up" too much, and to do it "straight through". You should plan on two solid, unbroken days of sitting ... beginning before the sun rises and continuing well after it sets each day. (However, we also have a special "system" for parents of small children and others who need to take care of things during the Retreat ... so look for an explanation of that in the coming days).
Although the retreat will be online, it will be done in the traditional manner (as close as we can make it), featuring Oryoki, Samu, Chanting, Kinhin and lots & lots of Zazen! For a taste of what it may be like, please look at some of the segments from last year's retreat.
In the coming weeks leading up to the Retreat, I WILL BE PRESENTING A SPECIAL SERIES OF TALKS ON THE "SIT-A-LONG" ... covering such topics as "How to Chant" "How to Oryoki" "How to Bow" "How to Go To The Bathroom during a Retreat" (Really) and many others. I ask you to watch for those in the coming days, and give them special attention. Even if you will not be sitting in our upcoming Retreat, they should be of interest. Here is the first here (and also a chance to make sure you can see and access the recordings on Ustream)
http://blog.beliefnet.com/treeleafzen/2 ... eat-i.html
By the way, the Jukai ceremony itself will be on a day (or perhaps days to suit different people with scheduling issues) shortly after the New Year.
Gassho, Jundo
