December 1st, 2012 Treeleaf Weekly Zazenkai

[Jundo]

reMINDer: OUR "AT HOME" 2-DAY ROHATSU RETREAT is the weekend of December 8th & 9th, via live netcast. This week's Zazenkai is 90 minutes.

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 any time thereafter ...

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

http://youtu.be/4RFVwEs9qyQ

FOR THOSE NOT ALREADY MEMBERS OF THE CIRCLE WHO WISH TO JOIN TO SIT LIVE WITH A CAMERA, INSTRUCTIONS ARE POSTED AT THIS LINK (http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?10200-How-to-Join-GOOGLE-for-Zazenkai). 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 ONLY) 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) (http://www.treeleaf.org/treeleaf_zazenkai_chant_book.pdf)

or

Chant Book (SHORT VERSION HTML) (http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?7032-Weekly-Monthly-Zazenkai-Chant-Book-is-Here)

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 gassho1

[Kyonin]

I'll have to sit early Saturday morning :(

I'll see you guys then.

Gassho,

Kyonin

[RichardH]

Will be here/there.

Gassho. kojip.

[Koshin]

Will be there :)

Gassho

[Nengyo]

I will be there (either live or very soon afterwards)

[Mp]

I will be there live as well. :)

Gassho
Michael

[Kyotai]

I will try and be there live.

Gassho..

Shawn

[Thane]

Hello everyone. i have not made it for a few months due to a busy period in life but i will be in this weekend. Most likely the recording for me but i might make the live sitting.

Gassho

Thane

[Dosho]

I'll be there.

Gassho,
Dosho

[Daitetsu]

Probably as last time: live (w/out webcam) for first sitting and Kinhin - second sitting with recording on the next day...

Gassho,

Timo

[Dosho]

Probably as last time: live (w/out webcam) for first sitting and Kinhin - second sitting with recording on the next day...


Timo,

Of course we all have to work the sit into our schedules and I would completely understand if you have to cut it into two segments, but I would suggest doing the entire sitting recorded as a 90 minute "event" rather than breaking it up. Of course, that is not meant to disuade you from joining live...I just think it might be a good idea to see what that experience would be like for your practice.

But, of course, just a friendly suggestion. Taking my occasional 20-30 minute sits to 90 minutes (including the kinhin) is what really helped set me off down the path. A life changer to be sure. :)

Gassho,
Dosho

[Daitetsu]

Timo,

Of course we all have to work the sit into our schedules and I would completely understand if you have to cut it into two segments, but I would suggest doing the entire sitting recorded as a 90 minute "event" rather than breaking it up. Of course, that is not meant to disuade you from joining live...I just think it might be a good idea to see what that experience would be like for your practice.

But, of course, just a friendly suggestion. Taking my occasional 20-30 minute sits to 90 minutes (including the kinhin) is what really helped set me off down the path. A life changer to be sure. :)


Hi Dosho,

Thanks a lot for your suggestion!
Actually, I have done entire recorded sittings, but family life is not always allowing 90 minutes, I'm afraid.
I agree with you - the whole thing "without interruption" really is somehow "deeper" for me.
The best in my case would actually be to try the entire live session, as it is 1 am in the morning when it starts and I am the only person still awake in the house at that time. But alas as soon as kinhin is over I am either too tired for another round of zazen or I have to get up early next morning, so it is more reasonable to go to bed...

The upcoming Rohatsu Retreat is a similar problem for me: as far as I understand it would be best to do it on two days as originally scheduled, but I don't know how to manage it. I am going to do as many zazen and kinhin as possible in two days (probably a week later due to charity work for the local kindergarten during that weekend), but won't be able to manage everything.

But thanks again - your words are motivating me! gassho2

Gassho,

Timo

[Mp]

Thank you everyone ... was wonderful. Have a great weekend. :)

Gassho
Michael

[RichardH]

Thank you. gassho1 kojip

[Yugen]

Thank you all and deep bows - glad you are feeling better Michael

Yugen

[Mp]

Thank you all and deep bows - glad you are feeling better Michael

Yugen

Thank you my friend, I am feeling much better. :)

Gassho
Michael

[Dosho]

My thanks to all!

Gassho,
Dosho

[Kyotai]

Thanks very much.

Gassho

Shawn

[Myoku]

Thank you everyone,
due to stalled video it was a 125 minutes zazenkai here :-)
Gassho
Myoku

[Heisoku]

Sat this with Thane on G+. Thank you Jundo and everyone sitting. Gassho.

[Thane]

Thanks Nigel, great to sit with you on G+ for the Zazenki recording. Peter thanks for joining us also.

Gassho

[Myozan Kodo]

Thank you all. And congrats on your Rakusu Gena.

Ho Gassho Ho!
Myozan

[Kyonin]

Thank you all who sat / will sit. I had a lovely early Sunday morning sit.

Congrats to Gina for her rakusu!

Gassho,

[Saijun]

Hello,

I'll be sitting with you all on Monday and Friday of this week.

In Gassho,

Saijun

[Nindo]

Sat this morning. Fresh snow again!!
gassho1

[Kyotai]

At 38:30 I had a surprise visitor come and jump on me lol. Perhaps he will join me in a few years.

Gassho

Shawn

[santosh]

At 38:30 I had a surprise visitor come and jump on me lol. Perhaps he will join me in a few years.

Loved every bit of it gassho2.

[Shugen]

Sat it last night with Shujin.

Gassho


Shugen

[Shokai]

gassho2 Thank you all who sat or will sit. [monk]

[Jiken]

Thanks Treeleaf.

Gassho,

Daido

[Daitetsu]

Finally sat it last night.
Thanks for all who sat and who are still going to sit!

Gassho,

Timo

[Gi Shu-George]

Thank you all for this siting
Gassho George-Gishu

[Matt]

Was able to sit this today. Gassho, Matt