• May 2nd-3rd, 2014 - OUR MONTHLY 4-hour ZAZENKAI!

    THE READINGS [from Masters Rinzai and Thich Nhat Hanh] FOR THE TALK ARE BELOW IN THIS THREAD.

    Dear All,

    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)) ...

    ... 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/2-qLFt3F3rg

    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 / 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' 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
    This article was originally published in forum thread: May 2nd-3rd, 2014 - OUR MONTHLY 4-hour ZAZENKAI! started by Jundo View original post
    Comments 35 Comments
    1. Jundo's Avatar
      Jundo -
      Our Talk dances Book of Equanimity Case 38: Rinzai's "True Person"

      Rinzai instructed his assembly and said,
      "There is one true person of no rank, always coming out and going in
      through the gates of your face [i.e., sense organs such as eyes, nose, ears, tongue, etc.].
      Beginners who have not yet witnessed that, look! look!"
      Then a monk came out and asked,
      "What is the one true person of no rank?"
      Rinzai descended from the rostrum and grabbed him. The monk hesitated.
      Rinzai pushed him away and said,
      "The true person of no rank -- what a shit-stick you are!"

      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

      Rinzai said …

      Followers of the Way,
      mind is without form and pervades the ten directions:
      In the eye it is called seeing,
      in the ear it is called hearing.
      In the nose it smells odors,
      in the mouth it holds converse.
      In the hands it grasps and seizes,
      in the feet it runs and carries.
      Fundamentally, it is one pure radiance;
      divided, it becomes harmoniously united spheres of sense.
      Since the mind is nonexistent,
      wherever you go, you are free.

      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

      Thich Nhat Hanh has some nice writing on the “Person of No Rank”, which he calls the “Businessless Person”

      So to wake people up, Master Linji [Japanese, Rinzai] invented new terms and new ways of saying things that would respond to the needs of his time. For example, Master Linji invented the term “businessless person,” the person who has nowhere to go and nothing to do. This was his ideal example of what a person could be. In Theravada Buddhism, the ideal person was the arhat, someone who practiced to attain his own enlightenment. In Mahayana Buddhism, the ideal person was the bodhisattva, a compassionate being who, on the path of enlightenment, helped others.
      According to Master Linji, the businessless person is someone who doesn’t run after enlightenment or grasp at anything, even if that thing is the Buddha. This person has simply stopped. She is no longer caught by anything, even theories or teachings. The businessless person is the true person inside each one of us. This is the essential teaching of Master Linji.
      When we learn to stop and be truly alive in the present moment, we are in touch with what’s going on within and around us. We aren’t carried away by the past, the future, our thinking, ideas, emotions, and projects. Often we think that our ideas about things are the reality of that thing. Our notion of the Buddha may just be an idea and may be far from reality. Buddha is not a reality that exists outside of us, but is our own true nature. The Buddha outside ourselves was a human being who was born, lived, and died. For us to seek such a Buddha would be to seek a shadow, a ghost Buddha, and at some point our idea of Buddha would become an obstacle for us.
      Master Linji said that when we meet the ghost Buddha, we should cut off his head. Whether we’re looking inside our outside ourselves, we need to cut off the head of whatever we meet, and abandon the views and ideas we have about things, including our ideas about Buddhism and Buddhist teachings. Buddhist teachings are not exalted words and scriptures existing outside us on a high shelf in the temple, but are medicine for our ills. Buddhist teachings are skillful means to cure our ignorance, craving, and anger, as well as our habit of seeking things outside and not having confidence in ourselves.
      Insight can’t be found in sutras, commentaries, verbal expression, or —isms. Liberation and awakened understanding can’t be found by devoting ourselves to the study of the Buddhist scriptures. This is like trying to find fresh water in dry bones. Returning to the present moment, using our clear mind which exists right here and now, we can be in touch with liberation and enlightenment, as well as with the Buddha and the patriarchs as living realities right in this moment. The person who has nothing to do is sovereign unto herself. She doesn’t need to put on airs or leave any trace behind. The true person is an active participant, engaged in her environment while remaining unoppressed by it. Although all phenomena are going through the various appearances of birth, abiding, changing, and dying, the true person doesn’t become a victim of sadness, happiness, love, or hate. She lives in awareness as an ordinary person, whether standing, walking, lying down, or sitting. She doesn’t act a part, even the part of a great Zen master. This is what Master Linji means by “being sovereign wherever you are and using that place as your seat of awakening.”
      We may wonder, “If a person has no direction, isn’t yearning to realize an ideal, doesn’t have an aim in life, then who will help living beings be liberated, who will rescue those who are drowning in the ocean of suffering?” A Buddha is a person who has no more business to do and isn’t looking for anything. In doing nothing, in simply stopping, we can live freely and true to ourselves and our liberation will contribute to the liberation of all beings.

      From Nothing to Do, Nowhere to Go (2007) by Thich Nhat Hanh.
    1. Juki's Avatar
      Juki -
      I will be there live, but only for the first half. I have to pick up my brother, who is flying in to town tonight. I will sit the second half tomorrow morning.

      Gassho,
      Juki
    1. Mp's Avatar
      Mp -
      I will be there live as well. =)

      Gassho
      Shingen
    1. Joyo's Avatar
      Joyo -
      I will try my best to be there live.

      Gassho,
      Joyo
    1. Koshin's Avatar
      Koshin -
      Will sit with you on a 6 hour drive, going to a family event in other State

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

      Gassho,
      Dosho
    1. Kyonin's Avatar
      Kyonin -
      I'll be there live!

      Gassho,

      Kyonin
    1. RichardH's Avatar
      RichardH -
      I'll be sitting live.

      Gassho Daizan
    1. Myozan Kodo's Avatar
      Myozan Kodo -
      Hi all,
      As usual I will sit over the weekend, as the start time is midnight here. Have a great sit everyone.
      Gassho
      Myozan

      PS: Is it May already!
    1. Geika's Avatar
      Geika -
      I will be working, unable to join live, but joining anyway.

      Gassho
    1. Myosha's Avatar
      Myosha -
      Participating


      Gassho,
      Myosha
    1. Sekishi's Avatar
      Sekishi -
      Will have to sit this one over the weekend as we have house-guests this evening.

      Thank you all for your practice. Deep bows.
    1. Mp's Avatar
      Mp -
      Ok, thanks Jundo. =)

      Gassho
      Shingen
    1. Juki's Avatar
      Juki -
      Will do. Thank you!

      Gassho,
      Juki
    1. Kyonin's Avatar
      Kyonin -
      Understood. Thanks, Jundo.
    1. Roland's Avatar
      Roland -
      I'm traveling and cannot attend, I'll watch and take part afterwards...

      Gassho

      Roland
    1. Dosho's Avatar
      Dosho -
      Standing by...
    1. odiedoodie's Avatar
      odiedoodie -
      Thank you Jundo!
      Gassho!
      Jon T
    1. Mp's Avatar
      Mp -
      Wonderful sit ... thank you Jundo and all of no rank! =)

      ... don't know where to begin, is the best place to start ...

      Have a great weekend everyone.

      Gassho
      Shingen of no rank
    1. RichardH's Avatar
      RichardH -
      Thank you everyone.

      Gassho Daizan