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Thread: May 5th-6th, 2017 - OUR MONTHLY 4-hour ZAZENKAI!

  1. #1

    May 5th-6th, 2017 - OUR MONTHLY 4-hour ZAZENKAI!

    Today's Talk will takes nurture from the Meal Chants ... More than Bread Alone! (text below)

    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)) ... 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




    Dharma talk audio / podcast episode:
    https://treeleaf.podbean.com/e/may-2...hour-zazenkai/

    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 IN JAPANESE / 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' in Japanese 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)

    Not everyone realizes that they can join in the Chanting of the Heart Sutra, Identity of Relative & Absolute, Metta Verses, Verse of Atonement and Four Vows (although we ask that you keep your microphone down). Please follow along with the Chant Book, and let your voice ring!

    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 Sekishi; 06-08-2017 at 02:29 AM. Reason: Added podcast link.
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  2. #2
    Our Talk this month digests the Chants for Formal Meals ... not bread alone, these Chants guide us for all our Practice and Life ...


    Formal Meal Verses (Gyôhatsu nenju 行鉢念誦)


    Verse upon Hearing the Meal Signal (Montsui no ge 聞槌之偈)

    (Hands in Gassho) Buddha was born in Kapilavastu,
    enlightened in Magadha,
    taught in Varanasi,
    entered nirvana at Kushinagara.


    Verse for Setting Out Bowls (Tenpatsu no ge 展鉢之偈))

    (Hands in Gassho) Now we set out Buddha's bowls;
    may we, with all living beings,
    realize the emptiness of self-clinging, and of the three wheels:
    giver, receiver, and gift.
    (GASSHO, THEN OPEN BOWLS WITH CARE)


    Verse of Buddha Names (Butsumyô 十仏名)

    (Hands in Gassho) In the midst of the Three Treasures
    which verify our understanding,
    Entrusting ourselves to the Sangha,
    we recall:
    Homage to the pure Dharmakaya Vairochana Buddha, boundless
    To the complete Sambhogakaya Lochana Buddha, symbol of perfection
    To the manifest Nirmanakaya Shakyamuni Buddha, a man of this earth
    To Maitreya Buddha, hope for the future
    To all Buddhas past, present, and future in the ten directions
    To the Mahayana Saddharma Pundarika Lotus Sutra
    To Manjusri Bodhisattva, great wisdom
    To Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, great activity
    To Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, great compassion
    To the myriad honored ones, Bodhisattvas, Mahasattvas
    To the Perfection of Wisdom, Maha Prajnaparamita.


    Food Offering Verses (Sejiki ge 施食偈)

    (Hands in Gassho) This food of many benerfits
    comes from the efforts
    of all sentient beings past and present,
    and is medicine for nourishment of our Practice.
    We offer this meal of many virtues and tastes
    to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha,
    and to all life in every realm of existence.
    May all sentient beings in the universe
    be sufficiently nourished.


    Verse of Five Contemplations (Gokan no ge 五観之偈)

    (Hands in Gassho) First, we reflect on the labours that brought us this food and
    consider how it comes to us.
    (Bow in Shashu) Second, as we receive this offering, we should consider whether our
    virtue and practice are worthy of its receipt.
    (Hands in Zazen Mudra) Third, we regard greed as an obstacle to freedom of mind.
    Fourth, we regard this meal as medicine to sustain our life.
    Fifth, to attain the Way, we now receive this food.


    Verse of Food Offering (Saba ge 生飯偈)

    REMOVE A FEW MORSELS, AND PLACE ASIDE
    (Hands in Gassho) For all creatures who hunger, and to nourish this world, now we
    present you this offering. This food is for all of you in the ten directions.


    Bowl Raising Verse (Keihatsu no ge 擎鉢之偈)

    (Hands in Gassho) First, this is for the Three Treasures;
    Second, it is for our teachers, parents, planet, and all sentient beings.;
    Third, it is for every being in all realms of existence.
    Thus we eat this food with everyone. We eat to
    end all suffering, to practice the harmless and beneficial, to save all sentient beings,
    and to accomplish the Buddha Way.
    The first portion is to end all evil;
    the second is to cultivate every good;
    the third is to free all beings.
    May everyone realize the Buddha Way.


    End of meal:

    (Sessui no ge 折水之偈)


    (Hands in Gassho) The water with which we wash our bowls tastes like ambrosia.
    We offer it to all who thirst, that they may be satisfied.
    And may the fires of greed and our excess desires be quenched.

    [On ma ku ra sai so wa ka]

    Verse of Purity While Abiding in the World (shose kaibon no ge 処世界梵之偈)

    (Hands in Gassho) Abiding in this ephemeral world
    May we exist in muddy water with purity like a lotus
    Nothing escapes the boundless mind
    Thus we bow to Buddha.
    Last edited by Jundo; 05-05-2017 at 04:55 AM.
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  3. #3
    Mp
    Guest
    Thank you Jundo, I will be running a little late on a work project tomorrow, but I will be there live. =)

    Gassho
    Shingen

    s@today

  4. #4
    Hi Jundo!

    I'll be there with my bell and mokugyo ready

    Gassho,

    Kyonin
    Hondō Kyōnin
    奔道 協忍

  5. #5
    Will be there for the first hour live.

    Gassho,
    M.C.
    SatToday

  6. #6
    Thank you, Jundo and Kyonin. I will be there live, 2-way, tech permitting.

    Gassho,
    Onkai

  7. #7
    Treeleaf Priest / Engineer Sekishi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
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    Virginia, USA
    I might be a little late, but I'll be there two-way.

    Thank you all for coming together for this practice.

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

  8. #8
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Jundo View Post
    Yes, it's working okay

    Thanks!

    Gassho,

    Kyonin
    Hondō Kyōnin
    奔道 協忍

  10. #10
    Sitting live one-way
    Gassho
    Jakuden
    SatToday


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  11. #11
    Deep bows to all. So grateful for zazenkai with you and for this sangha.

    Looking forward to sitting the rest of zazenkai tomorrow!
    Gassho,
    M.C.
    SatToday

  12. #12
    Thank you, Jundo, Kyonin, and everybody for practicing together. Have a wonderful weekend!

    Gassho,
    Onkai
    SatToday

  13. #13
    Treeleaf Priest / Engineer Sekishi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Virginia, USA
    Thank you all, seen and unseen. What a joy to practice together!

    Deep bows,
    Sekishi #sat
    Sekishi | 石志 | He/him | Better with a grain of salt, but best ignored entirely.

  14. #14
    Thank you everyone and to Jundo for the wonderful talk! I had not ever heard a discussion about those chants before. Looking forward very much to Oryoki by the Bay in SF!
    And of course the hokey pokey
    Gassho
    Jakuden
    SatToday


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  15. #15
    Mp
    Guest
    Thank you Jundo, Kyonin, and everyone ... lovely talk Jundo, it is/was just enough. =)

    Gassho
    Shingen

    s@today

  16. #16
    Thank you so much, Kyonin, for the beautiful point about food connecting us to all lives that have ever been. I am realizing that while chronic illness is suffering, the deepest suffering comes from trying to know what can't be known (last week) and the delusion of separateness. Food and gratitude are beautiful antidotes. Thank you, dear sangha.
    Gassho,
    M.C.
    SatToday

  17. #17
    Thank you all.

    I keep struggling with those parts of Zen I (incorrectly?) interpret as "being grateful to live while making sure not to enjoy oneself".

    If I had a hall full of monks to feed, living on alms, I'd let them eat just enough too. No, you don't need extra pickles.

    I think the talk helped me a bit with the interpretation (if I got it) that one can enjoy pickles with the rice gruel, but should not be attached to them.

    Gassho
    Jika
    #sattoday
    治 Ji
    花 Ka

  18. #18
    Thank you all for sitting.

    Thank you Jundo for the talk. Lovely.

    Gassho,

    Kyonin
    SatToday
    Hondō Kyōnin
    奔道 協忍

  19. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by Jika View Post
    Thank you all.

    I keep struggling with those parts of Zen I (incorrectly?) interpret as "being grateful to live while making sure not to enjoy oneself".

    If I had a hall full of monks to feed, living on alms, I'd let them eat just enough too. No, you don't need extra pickles.

    ... one can enjoy pickles with the rice gruel, but should not be attached to them.
    Yes, nobody said not to enjoy when enjoyment comes. Enjoy! But simply, be willing to cry when crying comes. Cry! Take the sweet and the bitter into one's bowl in equanimity. Avoid the poisons of excess desire, anger and division.

    You know the story of the guy who is hanging from a branch, tigers above and deep fall to more tigers below? He spots a strawberry within arms reach. Plucks it .... luscious! He could taste the whole world in its sweet and tartness.

    Gassho, J

    SatToday
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  20. #20
    Treeleaf Priest / Engineer Sekishi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Virginia, USA
    Hi everyone,

    Jundo's talk is up as a podcast episode now:
    https://treeleaf.podbean.com/e/may-2...hour-zazenkai/

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

  21. #21
    Mp
    Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Sekishi View Post
    Hi everyone,

    Jundo's talk is up as a podcast episode now:
    https://treeleaf.podbean.com/e/may-2...hour-zazenkai/

    Gassho,
    Sekishi #sat
    Thank you Sekishi.

    Gassho
    Shingen

    s@today

  22. #22
    Member Seishin's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Location
    La Croix-Avranchin, Basse Normandie, France
    Quote Originally Posted by Sekishi View Post
    Hi everyone,

    Jundo's talk is up as a podcast episode now:
    https://treeleaf.podbean.com/e/may-2...hour-zazenkai/

    Gassho,
    Sekishi #sat
    Sekishi

    Not sure if its me but I think the podcast link is for an older Zazenkai. Just spent a wonderful 45 minutes dog walk listening to the teachings of Mohiyan (dodgy spelling no doubt). In fact I learnt a lot from this talk which might explain what I may be doing wrong when sitting.

    So my error or bad link this was a enlightening talk I'd recommend to newbies like me. Every cloud .......


    Seishin

    Sei - Meticulous
    Shin - Heart

  23. #23
    Sitting this one tonight.
    Gassho
    Matt

  24. #24
    Treeleaf Priest / Engineer Sekishi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
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    Virginia, USA
    Quote Originally Posted by Seishin-Do View Post

    Not sure if its me but I think the podcast link is for an older Zazenkai. Just spent a wonderful 45 minutes dog walk listening to the teachings of Mohiyan (dodgy spelling no doubt). In fact I learnt a lot from this talk which might explain what I may be doing wrong when sitting.

    So my error or bad link this was a enlightening talk I'd recommend to newbies like me. Every cloud .......
    Ack, I'm sorry Seishin! At least it was a good talk (what you listened to was the May 2016 Zazenkai).

    It is fixed now.

    Derpy bows,
    Sekishi #sat
    Sekishi | 石志 | He/him | Better with a grain of salt, but best ignored entirely.

  25. #25
    Gassho and Thank you

    Daizan
    Sat today..... and thank you for the reminder to join in Shugen's Oryoki sessions!

  26. #26
    Just finished sitting this zazenkai
    Thank you all who sat and/or will sit.

    gassho,
    sattoday

    p.s. Stardust was a 30s song
    合掌,生開
    gassho, Shokai

    仁道 生開 / Jindo Shokai

    "Open to life in a benevolent way"

    https://sarushinzendo.wordpress.com/

  27. #27
    Quote Originally Posted by Shokai View Post
    Just finished sitting this zazenkai
    Thank you all who sat and/or will sit.

    gassho,
    sattoday

    p.s. Stardust was a 30s song



    Last edited by Jundo; 05-08-2017 at 11:39 PM.
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  28. #28
    Thank you Jundo and all

    Gassho
    Washin
    sat

  29. #29
    Member Seishin's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Location
    La Croix-Avranchin, Basse Normandie, France
    Quote Originally Posted by Sekishi View Post
    Ack, I'm sorry Seishin! At least it was a good talk (what you listened to was the May 2016 Zazenkai).

    It is fixed now.

    Derpy bows,
    Sekishi #sat
    Thanks for that.

    Yes a really good lesson, so maybe some karmic influence as I've been struggling to let go of thoughts recently or chastising their presence. So I'm about to see if it helped!


    Seishin

    Sei - Meticulous
    Shin - Heart

  30. #30
    Thank you.

    Gassho,
    Kotei just sat.


    義道 冴庭 / Gidō Kotei.
    Being a novice priest doesn't mean my writing about the Dharma is more substantial than yours. Actually, it might well be the other way round.

  31. #31
    Member Seishin's Avatar
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    Lovely talk Jundo. I wonder are there any chants for the vegetable garden. I've been preparing our veg plot over the last few weeks and try to treat it as samu. Hopefully I'll be planting seeds and seedlings at the weekend so wondered if there were suitable verses. Just a little off topic. But ...

    Bringing it back a little can someone recommend a source .for Buddha images and their names. We have a collection of about 18 figures in and around the house. There's a few who I'm not sure who they represent. Web trawls haven't been to forth coming but thought someone here could help.

    Or I could just take some pics and post a "Name That Buddha" contest.


    Seishin

    Sei - Meticulous
    Shin - Heart

  32. #32
    Quote Originally Posted by Seishin-Do View Post
    Lovely talk Jundo. I wonder are there any chants for the vegetable garden. I've been preparing our veg plot over the last few weeks and try to treat it as samu. Hopefully I'll be planting seeds and seedlings at the weekend so wondered if there were suitable verses.
    TNH has a couple of Gatha ...

    Watering the Garden The sunshine and the water have brought about this luxurious vegetation. The rain of compassion and understanding can transform the dry desert into a vast fertile plain.

    Gardening Earth brings us to life and nourishes us. Earth takes us back again. We are born and we die with every breath.


    Dogen had some more elaborate instructions for the Garden Manager of the temple, an important role so all don't starve. Very much like is instructions for the cook!

    https://books.google.co.jp/books?id=...0chant&f=false

    More on Doji and Ryuten here.

    https://books.google.co.jp/books?id=...temple&f=false

    Not really my style of Practice, Very 13th Centuries, but they still do these ceremonies at many Soto temples in Japan. I usually avoid that kind of thing. But, you know, we have a little "earth protecting" shrine here on our land in Japan. Once a year (especially after all the big earthquakes a few years ago) I do go over to say thanks for keeping us safe. Not my usual practice, but, hey, no harm, couldn't hurt. Wife insists too, and she is scarier than any earth god!



    Just a little off topic. But ...

    Bringing it back a little can someone recommend a source .for Buddha images and their names. We have a collection of about 18 figures in and around the house. There's a few who I'm not sure who they represent. Web trawls haven't been to forth coming but thought someone here could help.

    Or I could just take some pics and post a "Name That Buddha" contest.
    At least for Japanese ... the most reliable and comprehensive site I know, although often take some detective work to figure out a particular image ...

    http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/buddhism.shtml

    Gassho, J

    SatToday
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  33. #33
    Thank you for a wonderful talk Jundo, deep bows.

    Gassho,
    Jyūkatsu
    sat today
    柔 Jyū flexible
    活 Katsu energetic

  34. #34
    Member Seishin's Avatar
    Join Date
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    Location
    La Croix-Avranchin, Basse Normandie, France
    Quote Originally Posted by Jundo View Post
    TNH has a couple of Gatha ...

    Watering the Garden The sunshine and the water have brought about this luxurious vegetation. The rain of compassion and understanding can transform the dry desert into a vast fertile plain.

    Gardening Earth brings us to life and nourishes us. Earth takes us back again. We are born and we die with every breath.

    These are both beautiful and I think I'll use them for my humble labours. I've also just rotovated 400+ metres in order to plant 300 hybrid poplar cuttings for future fuel but also with a view to co2 to o conversion for my little piece of France and the Universe in general. With the 24 cuttings I've already planted there should be 108x3 new trees, if they all take. Now there's some interesting numbers. I'll print these chants off and hang near the veg plot and "plantation" for good karma and when its finished will sit in my outdoor zendo and chant them both.

    Gassho for the A to Z link, I'll see if any match up with our collection. Most are (I believe) variants of Amida and Shakyamuni but there's a few I'm not sure about. Maybe I'll post some photo's of the one's I cannot identify.


    Will be sitting the last zazen and closing ceremony in the morning. Many thanks for this lesson and the opportunity to practice.


    Seishin

    Sei - Meticulous
    Shin - Heart

  35. #35
    Thank you all! Wonderful! Lovely to think more deeply about oryoki. I need to catch up on the videos on this.

    Also, for those who have a love for both the German electronic music band Kraftwerk and the Hokey Cokey (as well call it here), I give you this:



    Gassho
    Kokuu

  36. #36
    Hello everyone
    I Sat with this beatiful zazenkai recording last week.
    Wishing a wonderful and peaceful week for everyone.
    Gassho, Gokai
    Sattoday

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