• November 15th-16th, 2013 Treeleaf Weekly Zazenkai

    Re-MINDer: DAYLIGHT SAVINGS HAS ENDED. CHECK CURRENT START TIMES.

    Hello All,

    Please 'sit-a-long' with our weekly FRIDAY/SATURDAY 'LIVE FROM TREELEAF' 90 minute ZAZENKAI, netcast LIVE from 9am Japan time Saturday morning (that is New York 7pm, Los Angeles 4pm (Friday night), London midnight and Paris 1am (early Saturday morning)

    ... and to be visible at the following link 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/7geT1PDkE4E

    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
    This article was originally published in forum thread: November 15th-16th, 2013 Treeleaf Weekly Zazenkai started by Jundo View original post
    Comments 29 Comments
    1. Joyo's Avatar
      Joyo -
      Thank you for posting, Jundo. I plan on coming.

      Gassho,
      Treena
    1. Jundo's Avatar
      Jundo -
      Let me mention that I may change the statue on the Altar this time to something else ... or nothing else ... not sure what. Let me explain ...

      I may have a strange idea of what is "Buddha", and what is "sacred" and ways to appreciate Buddha ... and it is unusual from what you may find in more traditional temples in Asia when one thinks of a gold and lovely "Buddha Statue".

      Sometimes, when I do a ceremony, I place on the Altar anything that strikes my heart ... As a personal Practice, often (not always) when I lead a ceremony or sitting for a group, I replace the Buddha statue on the altar with whatever comes to mind ... sometimes a car tire, a dirty diaper, a smiling child's picture, a trash can, a flower, a Crucifix, a rock (or even a space without any thing at all). Other times, I just bow to the Statue that is there. Once, after 9-11, I replaced the statue with 3 photos ... Mother Theresa, George Bush and Osama bin Laden. That really upset some folks in the group.

      But, you know, what isn't the Buddha? And for me, if you think I degradate or insult the Buddha by replacing him(her) with a trash can, or that I raise up the trash can in praise, you miss the point I think. All of life is sacred, all the "Buddha" when seen as such.
      You may wish to appoint a special "Buddha Statue" for today in your room at home. It can be, but need not be, something particularly beautiful or traditionally "sacred" in appearance ...

      A story ...

      During the Tang Dynasty, on a cold winter night, a big snow storm hit the city and the temple where Dan Xia served as a Monk got snowed in. Cut off from outside traffic, the coal delivery man could not get to the Zen Monastery. Soon it ran out of heating fuel after a few days and everybody was shivering in the cold. The monks could not even cook their meals.
      Dan Xia began to remove the wooden Buddha Statues from the display and put them into the fireplace.
      "What are you doing?" the monks were shocked to see that the holy Buddha Statues were being burnt inside the fire place. "You are burning our holy religious artifacts! You are insulting the Buddha!"
      "Are these statues alive and do they have any Buddha nature?" asked Master Dan Xia.
      "Of course not," replied the monks. "They are made of wood. They cannot have Buddha Nature."
      "OK. Then they are just pieces of firewood and therefore can be used as heating fuel," said Master Dan Xia. "Can you pass me another piece of firewood please? I need some warmth."
      The next day, the snow storm had gone and Dan Xia went into town and brought back some replacement Buddha Statues. After putting them on the displays, he began to kneel down and burn incense sticks to them.
      "Are you worshiping firewood?" ask the monks who are confused for what he was doing.
      "No. I am treating these statues as holy artifacts and am honouring the Buddha." replied Dan Xia.

      Gassho, J
    1. Mp's Avatar
      Mp -
      Thank you Jundo, count me in.

      Gassho
      Shingen
    1. Kyonin's Avatar
      Kyonin -
      I'll be there.

      And I'll look for some nice Buddha for my microscopic altar.

      I love that story, by the way.

      Gassho,

      Kyonin
    1. Juki's Avatar
      Juki -
      I will be there live, as well.

      gassho,
      william
    1. Shinzan's Avatar
      Shinzan -
      I'll be watching the livestream.
      Shinzan
    1. Myosha's Avatar
      Myosha -
      Hello,

      Together.

      Special statue this morning/evening/moment is an 8" dragonwood Amida Buddha revealed by an apprentice carved in Bali. The statue faces a garden and is silver-wooded from exposure, cracked from alternate heat and cold and perfectly filthy.


      Gassho,
      Edward
    1. Koshin's Avatar
      Koshin -
      Will try to make it live if work allows.... my Buddha today will be the thing most cherished by my dogs....a tennis ball....sometimes I wish I could get so happy with something as they are when playing with one of those....

      Gassho
    1. Dosho's Avatar
      Dosho -
      I'll be here.

      Gassho,
      Dosho
    1. Joyo's Avatar
      Joyo -
      I put a picture of my dad on my alter for zazenkai tonight, as well as picture of my beloved horse, Banker, who died when I was 21.

      Gassho,
      Treena
    1. Ishin's Avatar
      Ishin -
      Thank you all for your practice.

      ( and to the birds pecking)

      Gassho
      C
    1. Juki's Avatar
      Juki -
      That was a wonderful Zazenkai. Thanks to all who sat live or who will sit later. Gassho, William
    1. Mp's Avatar
      Mp -
      Wonderful stuff, thank you everyone. Have a great weekend.

      Gassho
      Shingen
    1. Sekishi's Avatar
      Sekishi -
      Thank you all for your practice. Have a great week - may you be at peace.
    1. Yugen's Avatar
      Yugen -
      Deep bows to all - thank you

      Yugen
    1. Myosha's Avatar
      Myosha -
      Thanks to all.

      Land, sea and air. . .indeed.


      Gassho,
      Edward
    1. Ishin's Avatar
      Ishin -
    1. Dosho's Avatar
      Dosho -
      Thanks everyone!

      Gassho,
      Dosho
    1. Taikyo's Avatar
      Taikyo -
      I see it Clark has put up Janis Joplin's song " Mercedes Benz" which is the one Jundo mentioned The first line goes "Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz ?" So I suppose she could be calling on Lord Buddha!!!!!
      Have a nice weekend everyone and thank you all who sat and will sit.
      Gassho
      Taikyo
    1. Genshin's Avatar
      Genshin -
      Thank you Jundo, Yugen and everyone that sat and will sit. Have a great weekend.

      Gassho
      Matt