Sharing Helpful and Insightful Tips (was The Tea Party)

Hello all,

Here is the Tea Party Report for Sunday, June 30th:

On Vacation
Back to Bachelorhood...until the weekend!
Dharma Talks
Devil Worship?
Parenthood
Challenges With Families & Acceptance
European News
Everybody Learn Chinese!
Zombie vs. Alien Apocalypses
User Agreements
Unsui
Retreats in August
Jumping Out of Airplanes: Pro or Con?
I don't know!

Gassho,
Dosho

Hi.

The secretary report from 14/7

Retreats
Robes
Star trek
Dogen
Kittens
Star wars
In the Gautama Buddha's Days

Mtfbwy
Fugen

Sounds fabulous! I need to join you sometime soon.

With metta,
Em

21 July Tea Party

Trail clearing – Global service
Parents as practice
Vegetarianism and Buddhism
Sacrifice and renunciation
Facing failure without guilt and not judging others
Four vows – impossibility
Saving all beings
Shopping as the bodhisattva way
Alcohol
E-Prime
Language – how words affect our reality
I must sit/I want to sit/I have the opportunity to sit
Klingon as E-Prime
Bendowa – using different translations
Be kind – rewind.


That's All Folks!

Join us next week for more dharma and science fiction.

Hi.

Teaparty report 4/8

zazenkai
new cat
New cat on the block
Buddha placement
Jundo
Svaha/sovaka/soraka?
Treeleaf didn't do anything for me
Saving gravce
moving troubles
retreats
catchup
facebook
Sent to therapist
retreat schedule
Dosho in a canoe
fishing
fear of water
Books
Kenshochasing


Mtfbwy
Fugen

11 Aug Tea Party

Fugen, Andy Grace and Louis sitting.

How's your practice?
Jundo's old online video with Leon at the McDonald play area.
Back from a tough year.
How about a retreat in the UK?
Grace on her new porch, its hot with a chance of chocolate.

Back from a long hiatus at the Teaparty I am pleased to have visited with my old friends, and treeleaf brothers.

This weeks report- In attendance: Hogo, Dosho, Fugen, Nengyo, Yugen, and of course all of you with us in spirit and practice.
Topics discussed today: (as always a pleasant mix of the serious and the silly)

Dosho lost his glasses - probably Fugens fault.
Ease of transitioning from online practice to face to face during recent retreat.
Value of practicing together in person if possible
Next summers retreat with Taigu.
Study and cadavers
How Zen makes you a weeping seal Lover
Confusing others with kindness and patience
Kids
Spouses and Zen practice
Goats as presents...... (you had to be there)
Tradition of giving trees as gift when visiting another Zendo.
Sewing for Ango / Kesa colors and different schools of Zen.
Ranks and Non-ranks, hierarchy in Zen.
a lovely poetry reading by Yugen: The art of disappearing by Naomi Shihab Nye



The Art of Disappearing


When they say Don't I know you?
say no.

When they invite you to the party
remember what parties are like
before answering.
Someone telling you in a loud voice
they once wrote a poem.
Greasy sausage balls on a paper plate.
Then reply.

If they say We should get together
say why?

It's not that you don't love them anymore.
You're trying to remember something
too important to forget.
Trees. The monastery bell at twilight.
Tell them you have a new project.
It will never be finished.

When someone recognizes you in a grocery store
nod briefly and become a cabbage.
When someone you haven't seen in ten years
appears at the door,
don't start singing him all your new songs.
You will never catch up.

Walk around feeling like a leaf.
Know you could tumble any second.
Then decide what to do with your time.


Naomi Shihab Nye

sounds like a great time, I really need to get a g+ account so I can join you!!

I really like the poem. (and Dave, good to see you back)

btw, the g+ account is free, it's the Sunday afternoons I can't manage :D

gassho,

Hi.

Secretary report 25/8

Hot tea & candy
Retreat
Lobster with glasses
Treeleaf really works!
Online Buddhism
Computer systems and keeping notes
Doctors and nurses
Goat comittee
Its all good practice
Money and passing the hat

Mtfbwy
Fugen

Goat committee? [morehappy]

Gassho
Matt

Hi.

Yes.
Well, you had/have to be there... ;)

Mtfbwy
Fugen

Sorry for a stupid question but the Tea Party is Skype only not Google+? I am new here and I think some Sundays @ 3 would work well for me, to at least chat with som eof you live.
Gassho C
[gassholook]

Clark,

It is on G+ now...that way we can all see each other. Hope to see you there!

Gassho,
Dosho

Thank you Dosho
Gassho
C

Hello all,

Here is the Tea Party Report for Sunday, September 1st:

Sewing
Music School
Questions
Sitting: How Often & How Long?
Zazen Position
Ango
Jukai
Unsui
Pink Panther Movies

Gassho,
Dosho

Hello all,

Here is the Tea Party Report for Sunday, September 8th:

Introductions
Chanting
Ceremonies
Goat Questions
Ango
Jukai
Sewing
Generational Change
Gay Marriage
Donald Duck's Pants
Dentist
Companions

Gassho,
Dosho

Hello all,

Here is the Tea Party Report for Sunday, September 22nd:

Ango Commitments
Sit-a-Thon
Static Beards
Pro-Oxygen
Renewing Precepts w/ The Full Moon
Smartphones
Ango: Are You Crazy?
Religious Identity
Graduate
Parents' Expectations

Gassho,
Dosho

Hi.

Secretary report 29/9

obamacare vs applecare
New name same thing...

Economics
Monetary means
life
Missing people
walk of life
Charity
Talking to people
Holy books & Holy people!

Star wars & Star trekyoung & stupid
Opening Pandoras box

Mtfbwy
Fugen

Hi.

Secretary report of 13/10

Troubles with Google+
Treeleaf forum and beginners mind
Samadhi and not dropping weights on feet
Jundoing and the priests of Treeleaf
Switching things of life
More to life than money
Responsibility
Arriving
Tea and teaparties

Mtfbwy
Fugen

Hello all,

Here is the Tea Party Report for Sunday, October 20th:

Cheri Huber
Good Apps
Weather
G+ Constant Beta
Misusing Sexuality
Nina Hartley
Pornography
Sex Education
Facebook
Chrsitianity
Atheism
Homosexuality
Bert & Ernie
H.H. the Dalai Lama
Tibetan Buddhism
Thich Nhat Hanh

Gassho,
Dosho

Thanks everyone, very interesting tea party :)

Gassho,
Treena

Hello all,

Here is the Tea Party Report for Sunday, October 27th:

Rakusu sewing
Cats
Zazen
Sleeping In?
Daylight Savings Time
Winter Landscapes
Interfaith Dialogue
International Espionage
You May Have Won $1,000,000.00
L.L.Bean
Your Karma Ran Over My Dogma
Cooking With Yugen
Doggie Codependency

Gassho,
Dosho

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dosho

Doggie Codependency

---

Ok ... you got me. :)

Gassho
Shingen

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Shingen

Ok ... you got me. :)

Gassho
Shingen

---

I was there, but I'm not sure I could do the subject justice. You had to be there... [morehappy]

I left early, sounds like I missed a lot!!!

Gassho,
Treena

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by catfish

I was there, but I'm not sure I could do the subject justice. You had to be there... [morehappy]

---

Let's just say that Snowy enables Captain Haddock's drinking habit. Watch the Adventures of Tintin to find out....

Blistering barnacles!

Deep bows
Yugen

Hello all,

Here is the Tea Party Report for Sunday, November 3rd:

The Precepts
French People
Star Trek Sickbay
Ango
Takuhatsu
Guns
Michael and Roger Moore
Immigrants
Incarcerations
Cold Weather and Snow
Adding Instead of Taking
Cooking with Yugen
Beards
Rohatsu
Kensho or Flatulence?

Gassho,
Dosho

Hi.

Secretary report of 10/11

Zazen
Oldtimers
Catching up
Ango & Angocomittments
Taigu's retreat & Jundo
Getting in to the USA...
Treeleaf top gear episode
Phones
Monty python
Takuhatsu
Star wars
Star trek
Retreats
Treeleaf reality show
Google+ or -...
Disections & Dogs
Kyosaku or tazer?
Memorials
Warfare
Komuso
Movies
Copcars...
The guruthing
An American and a French guy walks into a bar...
Meeting family

Mtfbwy
Fugen

Hello all,

Here is the Tea Party Report for Sunday, November 17th:

Sewing
Jukai
Tea
Tolerance of Brown Rakusus
No Bite, But a Win!
August Retreat
Attitudes of People Under 30: What's the Big Deal?
Using Internet Too Much?
What Weapons You Have In The Car
Anatomy Lessons
If You Could See Any Movie On The Big Screen...
Why Isn't Everyone a Zen Buddhist?

Gassho,
Dosho

Hi.

Secretaryreport of 24/11

Retreats
Kids
Being Sick
Taigu's retreat 2014
Sewing
Smiles
Sunsets and rainbows
Weird experiences
The effects of meditation
What to say when asked ”Why do you sit?”
Why worry so much about food?
Bacteria
How to measure...
Books
Flying and guns
Star wars & Matrix & Star trek

Mtfbwy
Fugen

Report from this evenings Tea Party gathering 12-01-13


Discussion on this upcoming 2 day retreat
Sitting on camera together
What is Fugen reading?
Movie discussion - "Troll Hunter"
Swedish language
Differences between trolls and elves
Reading books, and practice.
Practice and the holidays
The new Pope
Practice outside Treeleaf
Tibetan Buddhist
Homeschooling

Gassho ~ Hogo.

Hi.

Just a note, there is no Treeleaf teaparty 8/ is due to the rohatsu retreat.

Thank you for your practice.

Mtfbwy
Fugen

Tea Party Notes from 15 DEC 13 :
Rakusus and air mail
Rohatsu and oryoki
Snacking during retreat and the precepts
Dogen wasn't a dentist
Blood sugar and protein deficiency related headaches
Medical student disease
Macbeth or the Scottish play
Oreoki recipes (three bowls and enlighten in the kitchen)
Wasting food and Monastery eating
Storm troopers, darth vader, and charity
Time keeping for zazen
Oreoki related injuries
The zazen of dogs and dog behavior
Fitting the retreat into life
How to make a diagnosis and first aid treatment
Movie realism in various technical fields
Consciousness and brain workings

"Star Wars" and "Star Trek" seem to come up often. Good sign. :)

Oryoki related injuries? What, a chopstick up the nose? =)

Gassho
Shingen

Wish I could have joined in, sounds like a fun time!!!

Gassho,
Treena

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Shingen

Oryoki related injuries? What, a chopstick up the nose? =)

---

I'll dish since that topic was my fault. I tripped while carrying a tray of rice and miso soup for first oryoki on the second day of the retreat. I was right next to the bed and directly over my zafu and zabuton. I really did not want to soak any of these nice padded surfaces with a quart of miso soup, so I fell to my knees to catch myself.

This maneuver "worked" in that I didn't spill a drop of soup. But my left knee took quite a beating. I sat most of the second day with an icepack on it, and ended up moving to a chair near the end of the retreat.

At least I had turned the camera off, so there was nothing to see but a pained look (presumably) when I joined oryoki ON TIME and with a FULL BOWL of soup! :cool:

Deep bows (while trying not to fall over),
Eric

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ctenny

I'll dish since that topic was my fault. I tripped while carrying a tray of rice and miso soup for first oryoki on the second day of the retreat. I was right next to the bed and directly over my zafu and zabuton. I really did not want to soak any of these nice padded surfaces with a quart of miso soup, so I fell to my knees to catch myself.

This maneuver "worked" in that I didn't spill a drop of soup. But my left knee took quite a beating. I sat most of the second day with an icepack on it, and ended up moving to a chair near the end of the retreat.

At least I had turned the camera off, so there was nothing to see but a pained look (presumably) when I joined oryoki ON TIME and with a FULL BOWL of soup! :cool:

Deep bows (while trying not to fall over),
Eric

---

Oh Eric, I sorry to hear about your knee that is no good - I hope it is on the mend. =) But good job on saving the miso and zafu ... wet butt zazen is not always so much fun. [scared] I remember a retreat I was at about 3 years ago and was walking with food and was so focused on not spilling it I walked right into the door jam - needless to say I smelled like tomato soup for a bit. [claps]

Gassho
Shingen

Thanks Shingen, yes it is all better. The whole thing was more comical than anything.

I think your story contains some lesson about the difference between a concentrated single pointed mind (object of attention: soup) and an open expansive mind (which contains door jams). The teachings are EVERYWHERE...

Thank you for sharing!

Gassho,
Eric

Sent from my S4 via Tapatalk4

Hi.

Secretary report 22/12

Work
Kids
Holidays
The importance of the Treeleaf teaparty
Practice partner excercises
What is dharma anyway?
Strange friends
Family
trips
Skiing and being outdoors

Mtfbwy
Fugen

sorry for my interruption. did not mean to accept invite.

Gassho

Shawn

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by zen_rook

sorry for my interruption. did not mean to accept invite.

Gassho

Shawn

---

Hi.

Np, you're always welcome.

Mtfbwy
Fugen

Hi.

Secretary report 29/12

Attendance at the Treeleaf teaparties
Attendace at the Treeleaf forum
Dharma
Different paths up the mountain
Switching lane
”When the finger points at the moon, the fool stares at the finger”
Separating things, ”that's a tiger and i should run...”
New year resolutions and Angocomittments
Getting rid of things and letting go of things
Important things
Books & records
The Marketmonster
Vegetarian food
Not getting enough to eat
Economics and good stuff
IT and Techstuff (don't speak the language...)
The significance and civility of Treeleaf and the Treeleaf Teaparty
The significance of real photos of avatars and signing off with Gassho
Jukai
Rakusus and robes

How's Dosho doing?

Mtfbwy
Fugen

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Fugen

How's Dosho doing?

---

Sick, but on the mend (I think!). Sorry I missed you guys today!

Gassho,
Dosho

Dosho,
Hope you feel better soon!

Fugen,
Thanks for hosting the Teaparty.... I know during the holidays a lot of folks (myself included) are busy with family commitments. The fact that you faithfully show up and make yourself available is much appreciated. Deep bows to you.

Gassho
Yugen

Hello all,

Here is last week's Tea Party Report for Sunday, January 5th:

Rakusu Sewing
Blue Milk - Bantha?
"You will know."
Dr. Who?
The Wonders of G+
Google Community: Private or Public?
"Ceremony" for Myogen Stuckey
Funerals & Celebrations
Archive of Treeleaf
NSA & The Expectation of Privacy
Discussing the Dharma
Where's the Dharma on the Forum?
E.F. Hutton
Swedish Chef
Languages
Burning Ears
Spitting Up Your Life

Join us today at 8pm UTC!

Gassho,
Dosho

Hi.

Here's the secretary report 12/1

Jukai
Rakusu
Freezing stuff
Sicknesses and diseases
Doctors and psychiatrists
Science of science
Ailments, the weather and sports
Schools
Snow
Roleplaying games & Games
Fun songs
Nerds vs Geeks
Star wars & Star Trek DS 9
Tvseries
Zombies and Dharma
The Precepts


Mtfbwy
Fugen

Hi.

Secretary report 19/1



League of legends vs Starcraft 2

Kitchen sofas

Which Star warscharacter are you?

Dharma

Gustav Ericsson

Messages from above

Ceremonies

Jundo

Telling stories

Taigu's retreat

Food

Anzenkai

Retreats in sweden

Extremes

Kesa and Rakusu

Family


See you next sunday!
Always here.

Mtfbwy
Fugen

Hi.

Banana
oryoki circle
Microphones
Retreat
Voices
Where are you from?...
What do you say when asked about Treeleaf?
Fugen is a star!
Dharma
Landing a man on the sun
Tea
Tips for sitting
Star trek & star wars
Why kenobi was ready to become a jedi
Buddhist movies

Mtfbwy
Fugen