March 6th-7th, 2015 - OUR MONTHLY 4-hour ZAZENKAI!

[Jundo]

Today's Talk will be with Master Shitou Xiqian’s SONG OF THE GRASS ROOF HERMITAGE. Please see below in this thread.

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 11pm to 3am and Paris midnight to 3am (early Saturday morning)) ... and visible at the following link during those times ...

... to be visible on the below screen 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

[Jundo]

Dear All,

As we begin reading and reflections on the wonderful INSIDE THE GRASS HUT: LIVING SHITOU'S CLASSIC ZEN POEM by Ben Connelly in our "Beyond Words & Letters" Book Club ...

http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/forum...TERS-BOOK-CLUB

... I will also dance a bit with Master Shitou Xiqian’s Song of the Grass Roof Hermitage for today's Talk for our March Zazenkai. Here is the text ...

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

I’ve built a grass hut where there’s nothing of value.
After eating, I relax and enjoy a nap.
When it was completed, fresh weeds appeared.
Now it’s been lived in – covered by weeds.

The person in the hut lives here calmly,
Not stuck to inside, outside, or in between.
Places worldly people live, he doesn’t live.
Realms worldly people love, he doesn’t love.

Though the hut is small, it includes the entire world.
In ten square feet, an old man illumines forms and their nature.
A Great Vehicle bodhisattva trusts without doubt.
The middling or lowly can’t help wondering;
Will this hut perish or not?

Perishable or not, the original master is present,
not dwelling south or north, east or west.
Firmly based on steadiness, it can’t be surpassed.
A shining window below the green pines –
Jade palaces or vermilion towers can’t compare with it.

Just sitting with head covered, all things are at rest.
Thus, this mountain monk doesn’t understand at all.
Living here he no longer works to get free.
Who would proudly arrange seats, trying to entice guests?

Turn around the light to shine within, then just return.
The vast inconceivable source can’t be faced or turned away from.
Meet the ancestral teachers, be familiar with their instruction,
Bind grasses to build a hut, and don’t give up.

Let go of hundreds of years and relax completely.
Open your hands and walk, innocent.
Thousands of words, myriad interpretations,
Are only to free you from obstructions.
If you want to know the undying person in the hut,
Don’t separate from this skin bag here and now.

Shitou Xiqian
(From Taigen Daniel Leighton’s Cultivating the Empty Field)

[Cumminjd]

As I will be in New York City this weekend, helping with disaster relief efforts, I will not be able to sit live. However I will get to this during the week when i have enough time allotted.

Gassho,
James
Sat Today

[Mp]

Thank you Jundo, I will be there live. =)

I will be in New York City this weekend, helping with disaster relief efforts

This is the true practice of zazen off the cushion, thank you James. =)

Gassho
Shingen

SatToday

[Myosha]

So dumb, and . . . no words.


Gassho
Myosha sat today

[Anshu Bryson]

As I will be in New York City this weekend, helping with disaster relief efforts, I will not be able to sit live. However I will get to this during the week when i have enough time allotted.

Gassho,
James
Sat Today

Stay safe, James!

Gassho,
Anshu

sat today

[Anshu Bryson]

See you all there!

Gassho,
Anshu

sat today

[Kyonin]

Hi!

I'll be there live!

Gassho,

Kyonin

[Daiyo]

Hi, I'll sit this one on sunday, early in the morning.

Gassho,

Daiyo

#SatToday

[Matt]

I will be sitting this one on Saturday evening east coast time.

Gassho,
Matt
#SatToday

[Shinzan]

See you there. I'll be making burnt offerings to the google gremlins in hopes of things going smoothly.
_/\_ shinzan
sattoday

[Myosha]

Participating


Gassho
Myosha sat today

[Daitetsu]

If there is a place left I might try to join live for a part (too late to do the whole thing live).
If I don't make it I'll sit on Sunday.

Gassho,

Daitetsu

[Jundo]

Hi,

Hangout is open, and invitations have been sent. I could not find "Treeleaf Circle" however, and had to invite "Sangha Members" plus a few folks individually I could find.

Gassho, J

[Shinzan]

Couldn't get in. Something about Google Talk plugin. Will sit along here.
Shinzan

[RichardH]

Sitting along for a couple of periods.

Gassho
Daizan

sat today

[Hotetsu]

Will be sitting this tomorrow. Way too much company tonight.

Gassho,
Hotetsu

#SatToday

[Sekishi]

Running late tonight will join soon. Gassho.

[Shokai]

Sitting with you. Couldn't join the hangout event but watched live on you tube
Was surprised that Jundo could see my wrinkles
Thank you all, gassho

[Mp]

Thank you Jundo for enduring that sore back ... and thank you everyone for sitting, always a pleasure.

Oh yah ... and that extra ring was just cause you folks rock!

Gassho
Shingen

SatToday

[Joyo]

Thank you everyone, that was just wonderful!! Good job, Shingen, thank you.

Have a lovely weekend.

Gassho,
Joyo
just sat

[Shinzan]

Ah, Shitou, Shitou.......

Say, Shingen, who was your zazen buddy with you today?
_/\_ Shinzan

[Sekishi]

Lovely, thank you everyone! It was wonderful to sit with you all in these grass huts.

Jundo, chiropractors are Buddha too. >.<

Gassho,
Sekishi

[Anshu Bryson]

Thanks everyone for your sitting! Thanks Shingen! Much metta to you Jundo; hope that back gets better soon!

Gassho,
Anshu / Bryson

sat today

[Mp]

Say, Shingen, who was your zazen buddy with you today?

Hehehe ... oh you saw that eh. That is Bodhi ... my little Bodhisattva. He sits with me all the time, but his zafu is his blanket. =)

Thank you everyone for your kind words and allowing me to opportunity to practice. =)

Gassho
Shingen

Bodhi and I sat today

[Myosha]

Thanks to all.


Gassho
Myosha sat today

[Kyonin]

Thank you all who sat / will sit.

Lovely talk, Jundo. Lots to think about. Please feel better soon.

Thanks Shingen!

Gassho,

Kyonin
#SatToday

[Meishin]

Thank you all. Get well soon, Jundo.

Gassho
Meishin
sat today

[Byokan]

Thank you Dear Sangha!

Gassho
Lisa
sat today

[Jishin]

Gassho, Jishin, _/st\_


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Tai Shi]

Jundo, I feel for you and know also arthritis of my spine--being 55 not only did I receive discounts, but sometimes a little more consideration. I now am 63, and when I was 55 I gave up teaching in higher education. Now I am fully retired. Nor could I work. The body wears out, and my sensibilities are more acute. I predict that in spite of the aging process, life is better. For me age brings the actual foundation of my being. I am grateful for life, and because I've come so very close to death, I now know I can make my life ready for the end. I do not fear death, nor am afraid of life. I only seek peace. So much of my life was not peace, and now it's time for peace. Thank you for this Zazenkai. Thank you for teaching, for showing us our own grass hut,

Elgwyn
sat today
Gassho _/\_

[Jundo]

Jundo, I feel for you and know also arthritis of my spine--being 55 not only did I receive discounts, but sometimes a little more consideration. I now am 63, and when I was 55 I gave up teaching in higher education. Now I am fully retired. Nor could I work. The body wears out, and my sensibilities are more acute. I predict that in spite of the aging process, life is better. For me age brings the actual foundation of my being. I am grateful for life, and because I've come so very close to death, I now know I can make my life ready for the end. I do not fear death, nor am afraid of life. I only seek peace. So much of my life was not peace, and now it's time for peace. Thank you for this Zazenkai. Thank you for teaching, for showing us our own grass hut,

Elgwyn
sat today
Gassho _/\_

Yes. In impermanent Grass Hut, there is such which does not age, such which does not die.

Gassho, J

[Jika]

Thanks to all.
Thank you, Jundo, for your talk, and for your example.
May you be healthy and at ease in all your ills.

Gassho,
Danny
#sattoday

[Matt]

"Our life is covered by weeds...We must learn to pick the weeds even as we let them be. It's a Zen trick. We work to solve our problems, to simplify our life, to clear away the obstructions, even as we just let it be."



Matt
#SatToday

[FabianS]

Sat this yesterday. Very inspiring talk, made me reflect a lot later and gave me some nice insights. I always fancy a big place for myself, now a small, simple place sounds already very promising and even more peaceful and calm than any big mansion could offer.
Thank you all for that!

Gassho, Fabian
#SATTODAY