Feb. 19th, 2011 - Special Zazenkai Honoring Ikuo Azuma Roshi

[Jundo]

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Please join our SPECIAL MEMORIAL ZAZENKAI in honor of someone who was my friend and teacher of many years, Azuma Ikuo Roshi (東郁雄老師), who left our visible world this week at the age of 94.

http://blog.beliefnet.com/treeleafzen/assets_c/2009/11/Azuma%20Roshi%201%20SMALL-thumb-200x266-9585.jpg Azuma Roshi shared tea with me, practicing his English and answering my silly questions, for most of 10 years when I sat with the weekly lay Zazenkai at Sojiji Honzan in Japan. He was a great Dogen scholar, lecturing us each week on Shobogenzo, and instructor of hundreds of young monks as well as the lay persons' group there (including quite a number of foreigners who would wander in). I may not have stayed with this practice without him. He was always so kind, down to earth.When I came here 20 years ago, my Japanese was pretty bad the first few years, and he lectured in Japanese ... but always took time to summarize in broken English so I would get the gist. Later, he returned to his temple of Jikouji in Kyushu.

To mark Rev. Azuma's passing, I shall chant today the SHARIRAIMON (Verse of Homage to Buddha's Relics) (once in Japanese ... the words are below if you wish to follow along) ... then, we shall continue in our usual way with the Heart Sutra in English and according to the schedule below.

https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=5538&d=1549250023
5538

Please join us at the following link ...

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/12782034


OUR SITTING SCHEDULE IS AS FOLLOWS (90 MINUTES):

00:00 – 00:20 CEREMONY (SHARIRAIMON in Japanese; HEART SUTRA in English ONLY) and Dedication
00:20 – 00:45 ZAZEN
00:45 – 00:55 KINHIN
00:55 – 01:25 ZAZEN
01:25 – 01:30 FOUR VOWS, & VERSE OF ATONEMENT

Please download and print out the words of the Chants we will recite at the following link:

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=2231 (http://http://www.treeleaf.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=2231)

JUNDO ONLY WILL CHANT THE SHARIRAIMON (Verse of Homage to Buddha's Relics) first in Japanese, then in English, then in Japanese ...


Verse of Homage to Buddha's Relics
???? (Shariraimon)

????
IS-SHIN CH? RAI

????
MAN DOKU EN MAN

????
SHA KA NYO RAI

????
SHIN JIN SHA RI

????
HON JI H?S-SHIN

????
H? KAI T? BA

????
GA T? RAI KY?

????
I GA GEN SHIN

????
NY? GA GA NY?

????
BUTSU KA JI KO

????
GA SH? BO DAI

????
I BUTSU JIN RIKI

????
RI YAKU SHU J?

????
HOTSU BO DAI SHIN

????
SHU BO SATSU GY?

????
D? NY? EN JAKU

????
BY? D? DAI CHI

????
KON J? CH? RAI

With wholehearted reverence we bow to the relics of the true body of the Tathagata Shakyamuni, who is fully endowed with myriad virtues; to the dharma body, which is the fundamental ground; and to his stupa, which is the whole universe. With deep respect we venerate the one who manifested a body for our sake. Through the sustaining power of the Buddha, which enters us even as we enter it, we verify awakening. By means of the Buddha’s spiritual power, we benefit living beings, arouse the thought of awakening, cultivate Bodhisattva practice, and together enter perfect peace, the knowledge of the equality of all things. Now let us reverently bow.



http://blog.beliefnet.com/treeleafzen/assets_c/2009/11/Azuma%20Roshi%202%20Small-thumb-300x225-9588.jpg

[Taylor]

Deep Gassho,

The beginning service was beautiful. But I will have to join you all tomorrow for zazen. Not that I need peace and quiet, but certainly there is more of it on a saturday morning than a friday night in a college dorm. See you all then, bright and early :)

Taylor (Myoken)

[Myoku]

Thank you all,
Ikuo Azuma Roshi has been with us all time, and will be with us forever,
_()_
Peter

[Dosho]

Thanks for the sit everyone...had to do zazen lying down with some ailment this evening, but made it nonetheless.

Gassho,
Dosho

[Ronchan]

Thank you all for the company,

Gassho,
Ronald.

[Dokan]

Thanks for the sit tonight.

Gassho,
Shawn

[Onshin]

Thanks for a very moving Zazenkai Jundo and everyone.
My record of no technical blips ended though, it flipped back to the start at the end of the verse of atonement, so nearly there. Yet still complete.

Gassho all
Joe

[Hogo]

Thank you Jundo, and evryone for the sit last night.
Gassho.

[Seishin the Elder]

Azuma Roshi...Memory Eternal!

Thank you for the lovely Zanzenkai this morning.

Gassho,

Seishin Kyrill

[Risho]

Thank you for the Zazenkai and sharing this about your teacher.

May Azuma Ikuo Roshi now find peace.
May his friends and family have the strength to let go
and honor his memory by living by what he taught.

Gassho,

Risho

[Heisoku]

Thank you for the sitting.
Thank you Azuma Roshi.

[Jinyu]

Just sat the zazenkai...
Endless bows, no real comment... just gratitude...

Jinyu

[Shokai]

Jundo-0s0; Thank you for this very moving tribute to your long time sensei Azuma Roshi.

[Shugen]

Hello all,
I'll be doing the zazenkai this evening from 9pm til 10:30pm EST (It's on the scheduler), if anyone would care to join me.

Peter/Genkai,
I'll try and be quiet to not disturb your sit :wink: . (The scheduler has erased you for some reason, it does that some times)

Ron

[Hoyu]

I seem to have missed this sitting as i was doing a sitting of my own. Sitting in the ER with my son Leon who had the flu on that day, and the rest of that week!! I will make it up Friday (March 4th) early morning.

Gassho,
John

[Jundo]

I seem to have missed this sitting as i was doing a sitting of my own. Sitting in the ER with my son Leon who had the flu on that day, and the rest of that week!! I will make it up Friday (March 4th) early morning.

Gassho,
John

Our son Leon had the Flu this week too. I hope your Leon is all better.

Sitting in the ER as a parent is a POWERFUL Zazenkai! It is where the rubber meets the road.

Gassho, J

[Hoyu]

Yes he is, but after two weeks(and 2 trips to the ER) of being sick he lost 6lbs. To make matters worse, at the same time Hiro(our 5 month old) had a cold which then turned into an ear infection!!
Hope your Leon is also better!

Gassho,
John

[Hoyu]

During the opening of the Zazenkai Jundo Sensei said: "Azuma Roshi used to do this always at the begining of Zazen. Just like this.....No not like this, better than this!"

I cant think of a better tribute than these very words!

After Shariraimon it appeared as though the woman in the dark color pants(name??) wiped away tears from her eyes. It was a very touching ceremony.
Sorry for the loss of your friend and teacher.

Gassho,
John