Thank you Shugen, see you all on Sunday. =)
Gassho
Shingen
Sat/LAH
Thank you Shugen, see you all on Sunday. =)
Gassho
Shingen
Sat/LAH
Hello All,
We will meet in the Treeleaf Now Meeting Room. Here is the link: http://www.treeleaf.org/now/go.php?l=meeting-room
(Don’t forget about the time change overnight for North America)
Gassho,
Shugen
Sattoday/LAH
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Meido Shugen
明道 修眼
I'll see you all shortly. I'm slightly confused about the time because I had previously worked it out to be 5.00 pm my time, ( 4.00pm gmt) but my phone is telling me that it's actually 4.00pm my time, so I'll check in at 4.00, if there's no-one around I'll come back at 5.00pm. I'm really looking forward to this, thank you again Shugen.
Gassho
Meitou
satwithyoualltoday/lah
命 Mei - life
島 Tou - island
Awesome stuff, thank you Shugen and folks for coming together to practice, was lovely. =)
Gassho
Shingen
Sat/LAH
Wonderful to practice together!
Today I learned: I need to practice this more - much was forgotten.
Gassho,
Sekishi
#sat #fumbled
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Sekishi | 石志 | He/him | Better with a grain of salt, but best ignored entirely.
Thank you all for sharing a meal together.
We will do it again soon!
Gassho,
Shugen
Sattoday/LAH
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Meido Shugen
明道 修眼
All ready here...
So, I did get the time wrong ;-)
Next month then.
Gassho,
Bram
SAT
Thank you Shugen and all!
I need to review things. I am out of practice.
Gassho,
Entai
#st
円
泰 Entai (Bill)
"this is not a dress rehearsal"
Yes, I really need to practice, this was my first Oryoki since Rohatsu and I too was fumbling and fiddling. I was also fidgeting because I chose to sit in seiza, thinking it would be easier to reach for things, but I was too low and after 5 minutes I couldn't feel my lower legs, so apologies for all the moving about. I learnt so much today - I'm going to rethink my bowls and utensils and make another utensil holder. I'll now make this a regular weekly practice, especially that knot tying at the end! Washing the bowls with green tea felt quite luxurious and tasted delicious
Thank you again everyone, it was lovely to share with you all.
Gassho
Meitou
satwithyoualltoday/lah
satwithyoualltoday/lah
命 Mei - life
島 Tou - island
Oh no Bram! I nearly made the same mistake, I think it was because of the daylight savings in the US; I checked today at the last minute and my phone told me it was 4.00. not 5.00 - I believe everything my phone tells me otherwise I would also have missed it. At least now you can get plenty of practice in for next month
Gassho
Meitou
satwithyoualltoday/lah
命 Mei - life
島 Tou - island
Indeed, I relied on the 16:00 GMT, but I guess it was actually 15:00 GMT.
It is probably for the best, as I didn't manage to watch Jundo's demonstration prior to the meeting.
Looking forward to next month in any case!
Gassho,
Bram
You may be interested in this if a bit of a history buff ...
I recently discovered some material that shows that this Practice of Oryoki, although refined by Dogen and the Japanese masters, largely reaches back to China centuries before, with elements (such as the grouping of bowls) originating in India long before.
However, perhaps in all that time, no one has ever attempted to teach and undertake Oryoki in the way of this group of people today. So, a little Oryoki history has been made by you. Thank you to Shugen for a lovely and careful effort to shepard folks through this lovely Practice.
Gassho, J
PS - About the origins of Oryoki ...
SatTodayI thought our Oryoki folks might find this interesting. 11th Century Oryoki instructions from before the time of Dogen. As well, the author traces aspects back to many centuries before that, and the configuration of the bowls to India. Some of the chants are identical to chants in the 4th century AD ...
The Chanyuan qinggui (Chinese: 禪苑清規 or The Rules of Purity in the Chan Monastery, is a highly influential set of rules for Zen monasteries compiled by the Chinese monk Changlu Zongze in 1103. Although many other monastic codes aimed at the Zen school would follow, Chanyuan qinggui is the oldest extant work of its kind. Prior to the Rules of Purity, various translations of Indian Vinaya texts had existed in China since the fifth century, while Chinese monks beginning with Daoan has created sangha regulations in the 4th century. However, none was extensive or geared towards any particular sect that existed at that time. Both types of regulations has a direct influence on Chanyuan qinggui, but neither aimed to be nearly as extensive or authoritative. The text regulates nearly all aspects of daily life in a monastery, from the proper protocol for ceremonies to the correct way to visit the toilet. The text became the standard reference for its topic not only in Song Dynasty China, but also well into the Yuan Dynasty, as well as abroad in Korea and Japan.The 11th Century text ...Daoxuan himself was largely preserving practices codified more than two hundred years before by Daoan, through his works we can discern indirectly how many Chan monastic practices, many of them still carried out today, can be traced as far back as the fourth century. We see, for example, that the octagonal hammer with its pillar stand, which sits in the center of the Sangha hall in Chan monasteries, is not a Chan invention, but a device used long before by Daoxuan, who, in turn, inherited it from Daoan. The five contemplations [recited when opening the Bowls] and other verses chanted by Chan monks during the Tang and Song are described in Daoxuan’s Xingshi chao, and these, too, can be traced back to Daoan’s time. ... Even the use of four nesting bowls at mealtimes, often thought to be unique to the Chan monastery, can be found in the original Vinaya texts [from India]
http://terebess.hu/zen/Chanyuan-qinggui.pdfTo correctly display a nest of bowls, the monk should first
bow and untie his cloth bundle. He takes out the bowl wiper and
folds the cloth into a small shape. He then takes out his spoon and
chopstick bag and places them horizontally, close in front of him. Next
the clean towel is used to cover the knees, after which the cloth
bundle is completely opened and the three corners closest to him are
folded over and neatly joined together at the center, while the far corner
is allowed to drape over the edge of the platform. He then uses
both hands to unfold the mat. With his right hand facing down, he
holds the corner of the mat closest to him on the right side and places
it over the top of the bowls in front of him. Then, with the left hand
facing up, he reaches under the mat to pick up the bowls and places
them on the left side of the mat. Using the fingertips of both hands,
he takes out the three smaller bowls stacked together and places
them on the mat one at a time without making any noise. If his seat
is narrow, he should display only three of his bowls. He then opens
the bag to take out his spoon and chopsticks. (When removing these
items, he should take out the chopsticks first. When replacing them, he should
put the spoon in first.) He places the chopsticks and spoon horizontally
behind the first bowl, with the handles to the side of his upper shoulder.
The brush he places on the edge of the mat to the side of the
lower shoulder with the handle facing out. He then waits for the offering
of food to all sentient beings.
...
To correctly receive the food, the monk should hold the bowl with
both hands and lower his hands close to the mat. The bowl should
be held level. The monk should gauge the amount of food served
him; he should not request too much and leave unfinished food. He
must wait until the food has been distributed and the rector has struck
with the hammer before he lifts up his bowl to make the offering.
After the hammer has struck, he presses his hands together in honor
of the food and performs the five contemplations:
one, to ponder the effort necessary to supply this food and to appreciate its origins; two, to reflect
on one’s own virtue being insufficient to receive the offering; three, to protect the
mind’s integrity, to depart from error, and, as a general principle, to avoid being
greedy; four, at the same time to consider the food as medicine and bodily nourishment,
preventing emaciation; five, to receive this food as necessary for attaining
enlightenment.
After this comes the offering of food to all sentient beings.
(Before the completion of the five contemplations the food cannot
be considered one’s own portion and therefore cannot be offered to sentient beings.)
While the monks perform the offering of food to all sentient beings,
they chant a verse: “All spirit beings and deities, / Now I offer you this
food. / May this food be spread in all ten directions / For all spirit beings and
deities to share.
...
After he has finished eating, if there
is anything left in his bowl he should use the bowl wiper to clean it
and then eat it. When he receives the water, the monk should wash
the largest bowl first and then the other bowls in order from largest
to smallest. He should not wash the smaller bowls inside the large
bowl. He then wipes the bowls to dry them. In addition, the
spoon and chopsticks should be washed and placed inside their bag.
The water for the bowls should not spill onto the floor around the
platform. The mantra pronounced while the water from the bowls
is poured out is “Om mahorase svâhâ.” The two thumbs are used to
stack all the bowls inside each other. With the left hand facing up,
the monk puts the bowls into the center of the cloth. Then with the
right hand facing down, he holds the corner of the mat closest to him
on the right side and puts it on top of the bowls. He then folds the
mat and places it back on top of the bowls. Next he picks up the corner
of the cloth closest to the body to cover the bowls. Then he pulls
the corner of the cloth draped over the end of the platform toward
himself to cover the bowls. He folds the clean towel and places it, together
with the bag containing the spoon and chopsticks and the bowl
brush, on top of the now covered bowls and covers them with the
bowl wiper. After the monks have put their bundles back in order,
when they hear the hammer strike to exit the hall, they will all chant
the verse for the completion of the meal:
“After the meal, the body is full
of physical energy / And quakes with a power like the heroes, which permeates
all ten directions in the past, present, and future./ One can now revert
causes and transform effects and therefore one need no longer be preoccupied
with one’s inabilities. / Let all sentient beings obtain supernatural power
through this strength.”
Gassho, J
Last edited by Jundo; 03-12-2018 at 01:43 AM.
ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE
Thank you Jundo for this walk down history lane. Oryoki is such a wonderful and beautiful practice ... I am happy that we are able to come together and carry on the tradition. =)
And yes, thank you to our dear Shugen. =)
Gassho
Shingen
Sat/LAH
Thank you Jundo.
Gassho,
Shugen
Sattoday/LAH
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Meido Shugen
明道 修眼
Thank you for this Jundo, it makes sense to me that there would always have been rituals around sharing food - I liked the clarity of the instructions.
I'm very grateful that we can share this practice online as we do everything else, I can't imagine any other Sangha offering this opportunity.
Gassho
Meitou
Satwithyoualltoday lah
命 Mei - life
島 Tou - island
Hello all,
The 8th of April is the second Sunday of the month. Shall we meet again for Oryoki practice? And, would anyone object to meeting half an hour later (8:30am Los Angeles time, 11:30am New York City time)?
Gassho,
Shugen
Sattoday/LAH
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Meido Shugen
明道 修眼
Sounds great! See you all then.
Gassho, Entai
st
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円
泰 Entai (Bill)
"this is not a dress rehearsal"
Hello all,
We will be meeting Sunday, April 8th at 8:30am Los Angeles time for Oryoki practice in the Treeleaf Now Meeting Room:http://www.treeleaf.org/now/go.php?l=meeting-room
Gassho,
Shugen
Sattoday/LAH
Meido Shugen
明道 修眼
Dear friends, unfortunately I can't make it after all today, I am so sorry. I will be thinking of you and hopefully later this evening I'll be able to do the practice on my own. Again, I'm sorry that I can't be with you.
Gassho
Meitou
Satwithyoualltoday lah
命 Mei - life
島 Tou - island
Good job Shugen, thank you for your guidance and thank you folks for coming out to practice. =)
Gassho
Shingen
Sat/LAH
Thank you all for the nice meal together!
@Meitou, I see you next month too.
Gassho,
Bram
Hello all,
It is the second Sunday on May 13th. (Also mother's day here in the US). Shall we meet for Oryoki practice at 8am Los Angeles time?
Gassho,
Shugen
Sattoday/LAH
Meido Shugen
明道 修眼
I can make it, see you there.
Gassho
Meitou
Satwithyoualltoday lah
命 Mei - life
島 Tou - island
Hello all,
We will be meeting in the Treeleaf Now Meeting room at 8am Los Angeles time, 11am New York City time.
Here is the Link:https://www.treeleaf.org/now/go.php?l=meeting-room
Gassho,
Shugen
Sattoday/LAH
Meido Shugen
明道 修眼
Regret I'll have to miss this one.
See you all at the next meeting.
Gassho
Washin
sattoday
Kaidō (皆道) Every Way
Washin (和信) Harmony Trust
----
I am a novice priest-in-training. Anything that I say must not be considered as teaching
and should be taken with a 'grain of salt'.
Thank you Shugen and Meitou, lovely practicing with you this morning. =)
Gassho
Shingen
Sat/LAH
Meido Shugen
明道 修眼
Sorry I missed it this month. Hope to see you next month!
Gassho, Entai
st
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円
泰 Entai (Bill)
"this is not a dress rehearsal"
Hello all,
It is the second Sunday on June 10th. Shall we meet for Oryoki practice at 8am Los Angeles time?
Gassho,
Shugen
Sattoday/LAH
Meido Shugen
明道 修眼
Sorry friends, I can't make it today, I'll do the practice tomorrow with you all in mind.
Gassho
Meitou
Satwithyoualltoday lah
命 Mei - life
島 Tou - island
Regret, I won't be able to participate today.
Looking forward to our next gathering.
Gassho
Washin
st
Kaidō (皆道) Every Way
Washin (和信) Harmony Trust
----
I am a novice priest-in-training. Anything that I say must not be considered as teaching
and should be taken with a 'grain of salt'.
Awesome stuff, thank you Shugen ... this sure is a practice that teaches to be present in each and every moment. =)
Gassho
Shingen
Sat/LAH
I am not able to attend on Sunday morning (EST) due to a weekly class conflict. I am hoping to view the demonstration video soon. I would like to learn more about this ceremony, I find the concept so intriguing.
Gassho
Kim
St lh
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My life is my temple and my practice.
Hello all,
Normally this Sunday (July 8th)would be when we meet for Oryoki. I will be going out of town for a family vacation. We can reschedule for later in the month or just meet again in August.
Please let me know your wishes.
Gassho,
Shugen
Sattoday/LAH
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Last edited by Shugen; 07-04-2018 at 11:00 PM.
Meido Shugen
明道 修眼
Sorry to have missed a couple of meetings, I should be able to attend the next one - same as Shingen, I'm easy about when that happens.
Gassho
Meitou
satwithyoualltoday/ lah
命 Mei - life
島 Tou - island
Hello all,
Shall we start up again?
Let’s meet this Sunday (and every Sunday after that) at 8:15am Los Angeles time.
Since it has been a little while, and Shingen is going to need to coach me a bit on recording, let’s just share a meal together without recording it.
After this one, we can start recording them for those that wish to join us but are unable to.
Gassho,
Shugen
Sattoday/LAH
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Meido Shugen
明道 修眼