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Thread: October 3rd-4th, 2014 - OUR MONTHLY 4-hour ZAZENKAI! (Guest Teacher: Jeffrey Kotyk)

  1. #1

    October 3rd-4th, 2014 - OUR MONTHLY 4-hour ZAZENKAI! (Guest Teacher: Jeffrey Kotyk)

    As we are in our Jukai Season, I have asked Buddhist scholar and translator JEFFREY KOTYK, who is presently researching at Soto-shu's Komazawa University in Tokyo, to come and offer us a talk on the history and culture of the Precepts. More information about Jeffrey below in this thread. Please give him a warm welcome!

    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




    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
    Last edited by Jundo; 10-03-2014 at 10:58 PM.
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  2. #2
    Dear All,

    Our guest for our Zazenkai today will be Jeffrey Kotyk. Jeff has lived in Japan and several other places in Asia for many years, has a Masters Degree in Buddhist Studies from Komazawa University (the Soto-shu college in Tokyo) and is presently working on a Ph.D from Leiden University (in Leiden, Holland). He is currently back at Komazawa for a few months for his Ph.D. research, so I asked him to come speak with us. Besides English (he is from Winnipeg, Canada), Jeff works in and translates from Japanese, modern and classical Chinese and Sanskrit. Jeff undertook Ordination for a time with a very interesting Japanese Teacher who lives in India, but has since put that down (He is is very diverse in his Buddhist beliefs, and does not identify with any one Tradition ) A list of his many translations and projects is impressive.


    Guo Jing, "Realization through Hearing in Chan Literature" in Journal of Chinese Buddhist Studies 27 (2014), 129-179.(禪宗語錄公案中耳根圓通及其應用).
    Ishii Shūdō, "Dōgen's Views on Practice and Realization and his Dreamed Encounter with Damei Fachang" as presented at Special Session of the Society for the Study of Japanese Religions in Honolulu, Hawaii on April 2nd, 2011. To be published in Journal of Buddhist Philosophy.
    Nakamura Gyōmyō, Buddhist Tales for the Soul. New Delhi: Sterling Publishers Pvt.Ltd., 2012. (ISBN 978-81-207-6841-3)
    Nakamura Gyōmyō, Buddhist Tales in Modern Times: Stories of the Soul. New Delhi: Sterling Paperbacks, 2013. (ISBN 978-81-207-4445-5)
    Sheng Yen, Assorted Essays (學術論考 I & II). Dharma Drum Mountain. (Forthcoming).
    Sheng Yen, Commentary on the Praises of the Practices and Aspirations of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva (普賢菩薩行願讚講記). Dharma Drum Mountain. (Forthcoming).
    Sheng Yen, Essentials of Bodhisattva Precepts (菩薩戒指要). Dharma Drum Mountain. (Forthcoming)
    Sheng Yen, Living by the Monastic Precepts (). Dharma Drum Mountain. (Forthcoming)
    Sheng Yen, Master Sheng Yen's Commentary on the Sūtra in Forty-Two Sections (佛說四十二章經). Dharma Drum Mountain. (Forthcoming)
    Sheng Yen, Master Sheng Yen's Commentary on the Sūtra of the Buddha's Bequeathed Teachings (佛遺教經). Dharma Drum Mountain. (Forthcoming)
    Sheng Yen, Master Sheng Yen's Commentary on the Sūtra on the Eight Realizations of Great Beings (八大人覺經講記). Dharma Drum Mountain. (Forthcoming)
    Sheng Yen, The Essentials of Buddhist Śīla and Vinaya (戒律學綱要). Dharma Drum Mountain. (Forthcoming)
    Scholarly Contributions
    Digital Dictionary of Buddhism (www.buddhism-dict.net/ddb/)
    Content collaborator
    - 390 entries.

    CJKV-English Dictionary (www.buddhism-dict.net/dealt/)
    Content collaborator
    - 180 entries.

    2012-2013 Dharma Drum Mountain (Taipei, Taiwan)
    In-house Translator
    - Translation of Sheng Yen's work and other Buddhist related material from Mandarin Chinese into English.
    - Editing, proofreading and consultation on matters related to Buddhist Studies and translation.

    2009-2010 Geumgang University (Korea)
    Editor
    - The Formation and Transformation of Dilun Thought / 『地論思想の形成と変容』(Japanese). Tokyo, Japan: Kokusho Kankōkai, 2010. (ISBN 978-4-336-05239-1)

    http://www.hum.leiden.edu/lias/organ...an/kotykj.html
    More on Jeff can be found here, his blog where he regularly posts very insightful, but also rather realistic and iconoclastic views on Buddhist topics including the Precepts, both how they developed and how they are actually practiced ... for better and worse ... among Buddhists and Buddhist clergy in many places across Asia.

    https://sites.google.com/site/dharmadepository/

    So, I don't really know what he will say! Prepare for Surprises!


    Here is an example of the kinds of views Jeff often expresses on his blog and other personal writings, often stirring up the waters ...

    The development of a strict Vinaya [rules for Ordained person's behavior] system and organized sangha with formal ordination procedures was probably a slow process (or rather, a slow accumulation of economic, spiritual, cultural and social capitals). Even by the time the Mahāyāna emerges it was still not entirely consolidated and legitimate. ... Nevertheless, the power consolidation of the Vinaya was never absolute in India. The fact of the matter is that a lay priesthood developed early on, much to the dismay of Vinaya proponents. In a future post we will have to take a look at how such a non-monastic Buddhist priesthood existed in ancient India plus later developments on the subcontinent and elsewhere.

    At this point we might wonder where Buddhism(s) can go from here. As outlined above a lot of the original democratic ideas as the Buddha proposed them were either ignored or rendered obsolete. In foreign lands they were simply alien and consequently not implemented. However, in a modern liberal democratic country with universal suffrage, the cultural environment within which democratic principles are appreciated and respected might lend itself to more egalitarian power structures. Spiritual leadership could be decided by the vote of all members, senior and junior, rather than appointment. This already happens in many places, but then at the same time foreign power structures are either reproduced or affirmed in lands where Buddhism is still in its infancy, thus undermining any movement towards real equality (this assumes enough people want equality).

    We do not have to have appointed titles, strict hierarchies and gender inequalities in our organizations, and all things considered we might as well be better off without them if our cultural background is essentially in favour of equality. In other words what works in one culture will not necessarily be optimal in another.

    This might be an ideal, but nevertheless it could be implemented. One obstacle of course is beliefs that depend on institutional authority. One example of this is the idea of "Dharma transmission" which is an undemocratic transfer of spiritual and sometimes institutional authority from master to disciple in Zen and Chan. If the community really believes this somehow entitles the appointed leader to special privileges, exemptions and teaching rights, then egalitarian ideals will just remain ideals.

    One alternative would be to simply go back to the Buddha's original intent: be an island onto yourself and place spiritual authority into the abstract Dharma rather than individuals, in which case the right to teach and the respect that comes with being a guide would be determined based on one's knowledge and implementation of the Dharma rather than some kind of institutionalized sanctioning and/or title.

    https://sites.google.com/site/dharma...ty-in-buddhism
    Gassho, J
    Last edited by Jundo; 10-02-2014 at 03:14 AM.
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  3. #3
    I'll be there/here

    Gassho
    Daizan

  4. #4
    Will sit with this this weekend. Lay world issues keep me away this Friday.
    Gassho
    C

  5. #5
    Mp
    Guest
    I will be there Jundo and thank you for making this talk available. =)

    Gassho
    Shingen

  6. #6
    I will be there, ISP willing...!



    Bryson

  7. #7
    That sounds awesome! I will be there for the recorded version.

    Gassho,

    Risho

  8. #8
    Thank you very much.

    I will be there on Sunday Morning.

    Gassho,
    Walter
    Gassho,Walter

  9. #9
    Hi Jundo,

    Sounds amazing. Please thank Jeffrey for giving us time and come to talk to us.

    I'll be there live.

    Gassho,

    Kyonin
    Hondō Kyōnin
    奔道 協忍

  10. #10
    Sounds great. Thank you. I might be able to make this one live. If not then I will be sitting with you all shortly after.

    Gassho
    Bobby
    Just Sit

  11. #11
    Joyo
    Guest
    Hi Jundo, I will be there live, very much looking forward to it.


    Gassho,
    Joyo

  12. #12
    That sounds spot on! I'm really looking forward to what Jeff might say.
    I'll be there
    Shinzan _/\_

  13. #13
    looking forward to this.....with a totally open mind

    ,nandi

  14. #14
    Participating.


    Gassho,
    Myosha
    "Recognize suffering, remove suffering." - Shakyamuni Buddha when asked, "Uhm . . .what?"

  15. #15
    Looking forward to sitting this one tomorrow morning.

    Gassho,
    Jeff

  16. #16
    Hi guys...

    I'm sorry to say I'll have to sit this one on Sunday afternoon. Something (work related) came up and I need to take care of it to deliver on Saturday afternoon.

    If I can I'll join for the talk.

    Gassho,

    Kyonin
    Hondō Kyōnin
    奔道 協忍

  17. #17
    We had a little technical nonproblem. I restarted.

    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  18. #18
    G+ says no one is having a hangout...I'll keep checking.

    Gassho,
    Dosho

  19. #19
    Joyo
    Guest
    I can't get in either, Dosho. I'll keep trying also.

    Gassho,
    Joyo

  20. #20
    Nindo
    Guest
    Great questions, folks!

  21. #21
    Thanks everyone...wonderful to sit with you all!

    Gassho,
    Dosho

  22. #22
    Thanks all! And special thanks t Jeffrey!

    Gassho,

    Bryson

  23. #23
    Joyo
    Guest
    Thank you to all, it was wonderful to sit and practice with everyone. Thank you to our guest speaker, and to Jundo for arranging it. Have a good weekend everyone.

    Gassho,
    Joyo

  24. #24
    Treeleaf Priest / Engineer Sekishi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Virginia, USA
    Thank you all for your practice. Wonderful to sit with you as always. Thank you Jeffrey for the fascinating talk.

    Gassho,
    Sekishi
    Sekishi | 石志 | He/him | Better with a grain of salt, but best ignored entirely.

  25. #25
    Thank you Jeffrey, thank you everyone.


    Gassho Daizan

  26. #26
    What an awesome Zazenkai, a great and illustrative talk, and great guys and girls to sit with...have a great weekend

    Gassho
    Thank you for your practice

  27. #27
    Thanks to all.


    Gassho,
    Myosha
    "Recognize suffering, remove suffering." - Shakyamuni Buddha when asked, "Uhm . . .what?"

  28. #28
    Good sit. Great weekend all.

    Gassho, Jishin

  29. #29
    Mp
    Guest
    Wonderful sit, talk, and practice. Thank you everyone and have a great weekend. =)

    Gassho
    Shingen

  30. #30
    Thank you to Jeff and to all who sat and will sit, Gassho, David

  31. #31
    Thank you very much.

    Gassho
    John

  32. #32
    Thank you Jundo, Jeff, Dosho and everyone sitting,
    very interesting talk, good sit,
    Have a wonderful weekend & Gassho
    Myoku

  33. #33
    Thank you for the sit and the wonderful talk!

    Gassho,

    Risho

  34. #34
    The talk was very educational! I have been saying metta for ISIS pretty often these last few months myself.

  35. #35
    Sitting this one now. Gassho, Matt J

  36. #36
    Just sat this. Many thanks to guest Jeffery. Very educational talk. Thank you everyone for your practice. Wonderful Zazenkai.

    Gassho
    Bobby
    Just Sit

  37. #37
    On the first or second period of kinhin, I realised that it seemed longer than usual... I glanced down at my screen and saw that I had lost the connection and hence hadn't heard the call for the next session of zazen (I could have still been wandering around my room now! Haha!). A quick reboot, and I was able to slip into the zazen session... The perils of intermittent internet provision! But, all good. Was my first 4-hr session with the group; thanks for sharing.

    Gassho,

    Bryson

  38. #38
    Yes we all been there hehe, I now use my timer as a backup so dont be sittin for 50 minutes

    Gassho
    Thank you for your practice

  39. #39
    Thank you all.
    Very interesting talk and questions.
    And definitely a name to add to my morning metta list.

    Gassho,
    Danny

  40. #40
    Just sat this too. It was my first Treeleaf Zazenkai and the first such a long one for me overall. It was an interesting experience and an interesting talk!

    Thank you,

    Jakub

  41. #41
    Thank you for this talk and such a powerful Zazenkai this month.
    Gassho,
    Amy

  42. #42
    Thank you Jundo.Jeffrey, thank you all for this sitting
    Gassho
    Gi Shu-George
    Gi Shu -George

  43. #43
    Was just able to sit with you all. Thank you Jeff for the great talk!

    Gassho,
    -Jeff

  44. #44
    Thank you all who sat and will sit.

    And thanks Jundo for making possible the visit from Jeffrey.

    Gassho,

    Kyonin
    Hondō Kyōnin
    奔道 協忍

  45. #45
    It was wonderful to sit with you all! Thank you Jundo for having Jeff speak with us. A very interesting talk.

    Thank you Jeff .

    Gassho,
    Jinmei

  46. #46
    Thank you everyone, and thank you Jeffery Kotyk for coming to speak with us, and for your academic work. I look forward to looking through all the wonderful articles on your website. This has given me much room for thought as to the ever evolving nature of Zen Buddhism as it is now.

    Gassho
    C

  47. #47
    Thank you Jundo, and Jeffrey for an interesting talk. Gassho to everyone sitting.
    Gassho Heisoku
    Heisoku 平 息
    Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home. (Basho)

  48. #48
    That was an interesting and nice zazenkai - thanks a lot Jeffrey, Jundo, and all who participated!

    Gassho,

    Daitetsu
    no thing needs to be added

  49. #49
    Gassho,
    Raf

  50. #50
    Kantai
    Guest
    An interesting dharma talk and a lovely zazenkai.
    Thank you everyone!

    Gassho
    Kantai

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