Our Special "Grass Hut" Zazenkai & Talk with Ben Connelly is Here! Please Sit-A-Long!

[Jundo]

THIS IS THE MAIN PAGE FOR THE EVENT

WELCOME to our special "Grass Hut" Zazenkai guided by Ben Connelly ...

The festivities are expected to last about 90 minutes to 2 hours, and will begin at 11pm Japan time Sunday (that is New York 10am, Minnesota 9am, Los Angeles 7am, London 3pm and Paris 4pm, all Sunday March, 22nd).

The content will consist of one sitting of Zazen (30 minutes), Kinhin (5 or 10 minutes), a Talk by Ben (25 minutes or so), followed by a Q&A.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT BEN and his wonderful book "INSIDE THE GRASS HUT: LIVING SHITOU'S CLASSIC ZEN POEM" are HERE (LINK)

A list of our "two way" live sitters is below. For "one way" sitters, the Zazenkai will be visible on the following screen during the above times and sit-a-long-able any time thereafter ... We are all "not two" way sitters! PLEASE NOTE THAT ONE WAY SITTERS CAN EMAIL ME QUESTIONS FOR BEN DURING THE LIVE Q&A (jundotreeleaf@gmail.com), AND I WILL TRY TO ASK HIM AS TIME ALLOWS.

MAIN SCREEN

Gassho, Jundo

=============================

SEAT ASSIGNMENTS:

I AM SORRY TO SAY THAT, DUE TO EMERGENCY TRAVELS BY JUNDO, I WILL ONLY BE ABLE TO HAVE ONE HANGOUT OPEN, SO SOME PEOPLE WILL NEED TO BE ON STANDBY.

We have 8 seats in the Hangout which will be on the Treeleaf Google Plus homepage (LINK). A few people, however, are on STANDBY for that group. The "STANDBY" folks should not try to come UNTIL I ANNOUNCE & REQUEST PEOPLE ON STANDBY IN CASE THERE ARE SEATS REMAINING at netcast start time. After that, IF there are still seats open before Ben's Talk, PRIESTS can come in last during Kinhin when I call for "Priests" if there are still open spots.

I WILL OPEN THE HANGOUT, AND TRY TO SEND OUT INVITATIONS ABOUT 15 MINUTES BEFORE THE ZAZENKAI BEGINS (as soon as I make sure Ben has gotten there. We practiced once, so Ben knows what to do).

The people for this group are:

Daiyo
Shinzan
Anshu
Hotetsu
Matt
Joyo
Shoka
Sekishi
Jundo
Ben Connelly

Standby (by request)
Danny B (Standby)

Priests (on Double-Standby): Kyonin, Shingen, Dosho, Shugen (first come basis)


QUESTIONS FROM ONE WAY FOLKS DURING Q&A: I will be checking my email during the Q&A portion for questions to Ben from "One Way" folks. If you are a "One Way" participant who is not in a hangout, please email me (jundotreeleaf@gmail.com) any question to Ben, and I will try to read him as many as possible. PLEASE EMAIL ME DURING THE Q&A PORTION, NOT NOW!!

Of course, we are all sitting in the boundless Grass Hut with Master Shitou!

Gassho, Jundo

[Jundo]

Dear All,

The Hangout is now open! Come on in!

Gassho, Jundo

[Shinzan]

Jundo, let a standby take my place. I'm still having a video problem. _/\_

[Dosho]

Jundo, let a standby take my place. I'm still having a video problem. _/\_

Danny B....if you are out there, a spot is open!

Gassho,
Doshp

[Jika]

Thank you, Shinzan and Dosho.
I had problems on my side too and will now stay one way.

Gassho,
Danny
#sattoday

[Kyonin]

Participating one way only.

Gassho,

Kyonin
#SittingNow

[Joyo]

Wonderful, wonderful thank you to Jundo, and Ben and all who shared and practiced together.

Gassho,
Joyo
sat today

[Meishin]

Thank you very much Ben, Jundo, and all. Beautiful talk, dialogue, dance!

Gassho
Meishin
Sat today

[Mp]

Thank you Jundo for making this available to us and thank you to Ben ... what a truly wonderful experience. =)

Gassho
Shingen

SatToday

[Jinyo]

Thank you Jundo for organising this and Ben for generously giving his time. Has given me a lot to think on.

Gassho

Willow

[Anshu Bryson]

What a wonderful talk! Thank you so much Jundo for bringing Ben to us. And many thanks to Ben for sharing his work and his teaching with us. Thanks everyone for your sitting and your contributions!

Gassho,
Anshu/Bryson

sat today

[Byokan]

What a wonderful talk! Thank you Ben, thank you Jundo, thank you dear Sangha!

Gassho
Lisa
sat today

[Shoka]

Thank you to everyone, what a fantastic way to start the day. Jundo thank you so much for putting this together. And Ben thank you for sharing your thoughts and commentary.

Have a wonderful day everyone.

Gassho,

Shoka
sattoday

[Shokai]

Thank you Ben, Thank you Jundo, Thank you all! This has been a totally inspiring experience. Thank you Jundo for finding and choosing this book club selection. Thank you Ben for sharing yourtime and teaching with us. This is book has received the most active responses over the years. Thank you (did I say that agaiin?) for peeling this onion. It feels comfortable to sit in this skin bag

Best regards to you, Ben in all of your future endeavours, look forward to seeing you back sometime, gasho

[Kokuu]

Thank you all. Greatly appreciated.

I really like the idea that the mix of secular and ritual practice is fluid and dictated by the needs of the community.
Makes a lot of sense.

Gassho
Kokuu
#sattoday

[Hogo]

Thank you all
Gassho, Hogo.

[Jika]

Thank you, Ben, Jundo and all.

I'm feeling inspired to relax and have a nap.

Gassho,
Danny
#sattoday

[Shugen]

Thank you Jundo and Ben!

Gassho,

Shugen

#sattoday


Shugen

[Hotetsu]

Thank you Jundo and Ben for a wonderful zazenkai. Ben's book and commentary have made a big impact on my life and practice.

Deep gasshos,
Hotetsu

#SatToday

[Kyonin]

Thank you Ben and Jundo.

Lovely talk and wonderful questions from everyone.

Tons to sit with and tons of silence to do.

Gassho,

Kyonin

[Myosha]

Thanks to all.


Gassho
Myosha sat today

[RichardH]

Thank you Ben, Jundo, and Sangha.

Ben, your bright face and warmth is a joy. Thank you for sharing time with Treeleaf.

Gassho
Daizan


sat today.

[JasonG]

Thank you to Jundo, Ben, the Treeleaf sangha and to Shitou for this wonderful and inspiring Zazenkai.

I have been away for quite some time, but not as far away as I thought.
Gassho, Jason.

(finally) sat (again) today

[Tai Shi]

I'm having trouble with pain, and now my doctor has found a partial solution. I only need to take half the amount of pain medication I was taking. It was actually the ER doctor who figured it out. In any event I slept from about 12 noon, to 4:20 pm, solid and restful sleep. sleep which I am so very grateful for. I was able to put aside my severe and chronic pain, I could not sleep. But now, deep and restful sleep, and there I was in my Unitarian church, dozing through the whole service, and I really had to concentrate on driving, ans still a bit sloppy, and I didn't break any laws, just better to get right home and go to bed. So I missed the Sunday Tea Party, which is disappointing, But I will try to make online group Shikantaza. This is also very
important to me,

sat at 4 am
Elgwyn
Gassho _/\_

[Tai Shi]

Here again I missed Friday evening Zazenkai--and I have yet to be live online. Yet I do follow the videos

sat today
Elgwyn
Gassho _/\_

[Daiyo]

Hi dear Sangha.

I apologize but i couldn't make it on time.
I was delayed in a traffic jam in the highway, and when I finally arrived to my destination, where I would sit, besides being too late, I had very poor data coverage, so I couldn't even send a mail which I prepared giving Jundo and Ben thanks for this wonderful opportunity.

I feel very sad about this, but will sit along tomorrow morning.

Gassho,
Daiyo.

#SatToday.

[Kyotai]

Thank you Jundo and Ben

Gassho, Kyotai
sat today

[Yugen]

Jundo, Ben and dear Sangha colleagues, thank you for a wonderful zazenkai.

I am so happy to see Ben stand out in front and advocate so clearly for what he terms the "nascent western zen tradition." We have to define our own practice and tradition every day, every moment.

Deep bows
Yugen


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Matt]

Thank you Jundo for organizing this special Zazenkai and to Ben for your talk. This was truly memorable.


Matt

#SatToday

[Josan]

Thank you to Ben and Jundo,
Gassho,
David

sattoday

[KellyRok]

Thank you Ben for this wonderful experience - for writing the book and coming to share it with us. Thank you Jundo for making this happen. This was a truly powerful Zazenkai. I so appreciate the comments and questions by members here as I can relate to much of what was discussed.

Gassho to all,
Kelly/Jinmei

sattoday

[Tai Shi]

I am into "the grass hut," as it were, and I would like to share with my community, Treeleaf Zendo, the book that consumed my writing for the last three years, MEDITATIONS ON GRATITUDE, for I am an author, a poet as it were. I hold the degree of MFA creative writing from Colorado State University, and the book is available on Amazon, $3.99 Kindle, about $16.00 softcover, and much of the book is the discovery of love itself, as it were the recognition of pain and going beyond. I would be honored to have you read my book, by Charles E Taylor. Deep Bows _/\_ sat today Elgwyn, Gassho.

[Jinyo]

Hello Charles,

I have just downloaded the book to Kindle. I read the first few poems on the sample and really warmed to them.

I think we should have an artist's and writer's corner here at Treeleaf. So many of us write, paint and enjoy photography. It's a shame to lose these references to
our creative endevours because they are scattered through various threads.

Any chance of developing a central reference point?

Gassho

Willow

[Tai Shi]

Willow,
I'm relatively new to Theeleaf, and I already find great emotion at being accepted. In fact, great emotion wells up inside of me--I believe an artistic corner as you call it would greatly enhance our Zendo. I do not know how to do this. If someone could take charge, or at least help with the process, I would contribute my efforts. So please let me know what others think--would others be willing to help?

Gassho--deep bows _/\_sat today. Elgwyn (Charles E Taylor)

[Jundo]

Thank you Charles. I will sit with them and a cup of tea.

Gassho, Jundo

SatToday

[Jika]

Hearing the poem chanted by Ben made a difference for me (to reading).
Is it planned, or what do people think about chanting this poem at least once on zazenkai?
Should it be a repeated practice while the book is being discussed (that's why I'm asking now), or maybe the great finale (of the discussion)?
Or left to everybody to her own practice.

Gassho,
Danny
#sattoday

[Tai Shi]

Yes, and thank you Ben, and Jundo for a presentation of a simpler life! Deep bows _/\_sat today, it's early, Gassho. Elgwyn.

[Jundo]

Hearing the poem chanted by Ben made a difference for me (to reading).
Is it planned, or what do people think about chanting this poem at least once on zazenkai?
Should it be a repeated practice while the book is being discussed (that's why I'm asking now), or maybe the great finale (of the discussion)?
Or left to everybody to her own practice.

Gassho,
Danny
#sattoday

Hi Danny,

Hmmm. Well, it actually is not traditional or so common among Zen groups I know apart from Ben's community, and we already recite Sekito/Shitou's "Identity of Relative & Absolute" each month (and personally, I prefer myself to read it as a poem without the chanting) ... so ....

... I would say just let those who wish make such their own Practice, or get together with some other folks to recite it.

Maybe we will try the Chant once more sometime.

Gassho, J

[Jiken]

Thanks to all for this talk. Deep investigation into myself without judgement resonated with me.

Deep bows,

Jiken

[Heisoku]

What a wonderful person Ben is! So natural, open and infused. The boundless nature that Shitou wrote about is no less in Ben's writing and talk. Thank you Jundo for make these teachings happen!
Gassho
Heisoku
Sat today

[Marla567]

Thank you very much. It was very inspiring. I watched it with my whole family.

Gassho
Shinka
Sat today

[Koshin]

Awesome...thank you all

Gassho

Sat2day

[Troy]

Amazing! Thank you Jundo, Ben and Sangha


..sat2day•

[Kotei]

Thank you so much.

Gassho,

Ralf sattoday

[Roland]

Thank you Jundo, Ben, Sangha, Shitou and all those connecting us with the poem and its meanings.,

Gassho,

Roland
#SatToday