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Thread: April 17th-18th Treeleaf Weekly Zazenkai - Time to Dance!

  1. #1

    April 17th-18th Treeleaf Weekly Zazenkai - Time to Dance!

    REMINDER: DAYLIGHT SAVINGS CHANGES MOST PLACES

    We will dance Gary Dyson's club version Heart Sutra today (details below)


    Hello All,

    Please 'sit-a-long' with our weekly FRIDAY/SATURDAY 'LIVE FROM TREELEAF' 90 minute ZAZENKAI, netcast from 10am Japan time Saturday morning (that is New York 9pm, Los Angeles 6pm (Friday night), London 2am and Paris 3am (early Saturday morning)

    ... and to be visible on the following screen during those times and sit-a-long-able any time thereafter ...

    LIVE ZAZENKAI NETCAST IS HERE:

    ZAZENKAI BEGINS -0- MlNUTES FROM START OF THE VIDEO


    FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO JOIN TO SIT LIVE WITH A CAMERA, THERE lS A LlNK BELOW AT THE BOTTOM OF THlS POST. JUST CLICK AND JOIN BEFORE START TIME. 'TWO WAY' REQUIRES INDIVIDUALS WITH CAMERAS, BUT ANYONE CAN WATCH LIVE 'ONE WAY' AND SIT-A-LONG VIA THE ABOVE SCREEN. IF JOINING WITH CAMERA, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR MICROPHONE IS MUTED::

    00:00 – 00:15 CEREMONY (HEART SUTRA in English) and Dedication
    00:15 – 00:45 ZAZEN
    00:45 – 00:55 KINHIN
    00:55 – 01:25 ZAZEN
    01:25 – 01:30 VERSE OF ATONEMENT & FOUR VOWS


    As you can see, our Zazenkai consists of chanting the 'Heart Sutra' in English (the words are at the link below), some full floor prostrations in sets of three (please follow along with me ... or a simple Gassho can be substituted if you wish), followed by our Dedication, Zazen twice for about 30 minutes each, with 10 minutes of Kinhin in between, and we end the sitting with 'The Verse of Atonement' and 'The Four Vows'.

    Please join us in the Chanting of the Heart Sutra (although please keep your microphone muted). You can 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, 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!

    So, please join us as soon as you can, and we will keep a Zafu open for you.

    Remember, when we drop all thought of 'here' 'there' 'now' 'then' ... we are sitting all together!


    Gassho, Jundo

    SatTodayLAH

    PS - There is no "wrong" or "right" in Zazen ... yet here is a little explanation of the "right" times to Bow (A Koan) ...


    The other video I mention on Zendo decorum is this one, from our "Always Beginners" video Series:

    Sit-a-Long with Jundo: Zazen for Beginners (12) - Basic Zendo Decorum At Home
    https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/show...093#post189093

    HOW TO JOIN THE ZAZENKAI '2-WAY':


    You can join the Zazenkai two-way in the Scheduled Sitting Room using Zoom any one of the following ways:

    - Use this direct link: https://zoom.us/j/4834831244
    - Open Zoom and join with this meeting id: 483 483 1244
    - Go to Treeleaf NOW and select the Scheduled Sitting Room: treeleaf.org/ssr
    - If prompted for a password, use: dogen

    Notes:

    - When you first join, you'll need to choose an audio source (usually you can simply select "Join with Computer Audio" on desktop or "Call using Internet Audio" on mobile).

    - You can switch between the "speaker view" (the default view) and "gallery view" (a grid / tic-tac-toe style view):
    -- On desktop, click the "gallery view" / "speaker view" toggle button on the top right
    -- On mobile, swipe right for "gallery views" -- only 4 participants are shown at a time on mobile, so keep swiping right to go through different groups, swipe left to go back to the "gallery view"

    - You can mute, unmute, etc. with the control bar on the bottom of the screen
    -- On desktop, hover the mouse over the window and the control bar should pop up
    -- On mobile, tap the screen and the control bar should pop up
    -- On mobile, so that your own picture does not take up one of the four slots you see, you can tap for the control bar, then tap "... menu" and select "Remove myself from gallery view"

    - If you are on a slow Internet connection and are experiencing drop-outs, try turning off video (you can always turn it on for a bit at the beginning and end to say hi and bow to everyone)
    Last edited by Jundo; 04-18-2020 at 04:06 AM.
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  2. #2
    We will be dancing the Heart Sutra by Gary Dyson, a Tibetan Practitioner who is a student of Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche, the movie director. When I wrote him to ask, Gary said it was okay to "use the recording in any way that is beneficial. Share, play, give away, what ever. It is for the benefit of all."

    So, I will be playing the recording during our Zazenkai, as our Heart Sutra Recitation. Everyone, please come dance! Dance of Emptiness!


    By the way, if you are wondering, Tibetan Practitioners and some others tend to use a somewhat longer version of the Heart Sutra, with a little more at the startless start and endless end. I highlight that. I also include link to Mr. Dyson's page below for those interested. .

    The Sutra of the Heart of Transcendent Knowledge

    Thus have I heard. Once the Blessed One was dwelling in Rajagriha at Vulture Peak mountain, together with a great gathering of the sangha of monks and a great gathering of the sangha of bodhisattvas. At that time the Blessed One entered the samadhi that expresses the dharma called "profound illumination," and at the same time noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva mahasattva, while practicing the profound prajnaparamita, saw in this way: he saw the five skandhas to be empty of nature. Then, through the power of the Buddha, venerable Shariputra said to noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva mahasattva, "How should a son or daughter of noble family train, who wishes to practice the profound prajnaparamita?" Addressed in this way, noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva mahasattva, said to venerable Shariputra, "O Shariputra, a son or daughter of noble family who wishes to practice the profound prajnaparamita should see in this way: seeing the five skandhas to be empty of nature. Form is emptiness; emptiness also is form. Emptiness is no other than form; form is no other than emptiness. In the same way, feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness are emptiness. Thus, Shariputra, all dharmas are emptiness. There are no characteristics. There is no birth and no cessation. There is no impurity and no purity. There is no decrease and no increase. Therefore, Shariputra, in emptiness,
    there is no form, no feeling, no perception, no formation, no consciousness; no eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind; no appearance, no sound, no smell, no taste, no touch, no dharmas, no eye dhatu up to no mind dhatu, no dhatu of dharmas, no mind consciousness dhatu; no ignorance, no end of ignorance up to no old age and death, no end of old age and death; no suffering, no origin of suffering, no cessation of suffering, no path, no wisdom, no attainment, and no non-attainment. Therefore, Shariputra, since the bodhisattvas have no attainment, they abide by means of prajnaparamita. Since there is no obscuration of mind, there is no fear. They transcend falsity and attain complete nirvana. All the buddhas of the three times, by means of prajnaparamita, fully awaken to unsurpassable, true, complete enlightenment. Therefore, the great mantra of prajnaparamita, the mantra of great insight, the unsurpassed mantra, the unequalled mantra, the mantra that calms all suffering, should be known as truth, since there no deception. The prajnaparamita mantra is said in this way:
    TADYATHA OM GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SVAHA
    Thus, Shariputra, the bodhisattva mahasattva should train in the profound prajnaparamita. Then the Blessed One arose from that samadhi and praised noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva mahasattva, saying, "Good, good, O son of noble family; thus it is, O son of noble family, thus it is. One should practice the profound prajnaparamita just as you have taught and all the tathagatas will rejoice." When the Blessed One had said this, venerable Shariputra and noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva mahasattva, that whole assembly and the world with its gods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas rejoiced and praised the words of the Blessed One.

    Thus concludes the Sutra of the Heart of Transcendent Knowledge
    https://garyazukx.bandcamp.com/track/heart-sutra

    Gassho, J

    STLah
    Last edited by Jundo; 04-17-2020 at 06:39 AM.
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  3. #3
    Member Yokai's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Location
    Havelock North, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
    ...bad dancing is BEAUTIFUL right?!

    Gassho, C stlah

  4. #4
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  5. #5
    Wonderful! I will be there two way...

    Gassho
    Washin
    sat today
    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'.

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Jundo View Post
    We will be dancing the Heart Sutra by Gary Dyson, a Tibetan Practitioner who is a student of Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche, the movie director. When I wrote him to ask, Gary said it was okay to "use the recording in any way that is beneficial. Share, play, give away, what ever. It is for the benefit of all."

    So, I will be playing the recording during our Zazenkai, as our Heart Sutra Recitation. Everyone, please come dance! Dance of Emptiness!


    By the way, if you are wondering, Tibetan Practitioners and some others tend to use a somewhat longer version of the Heart Sutra, with a little more at the startless start and endless end. I highlight that. I also include link to Mr. Dyson's page below for those interested. .



    https://garyazukx.bandcamp.com/track/heart-sutra

    Gassho, J

    STLah
    Wow, amazing how well the music is suited to these words. I love it.
    Gassho
    Meitou
    Sattoday lah
    命 Mei - life
    島 Tou - island

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Jundo View Post
    We will be dancing the Heart Sutra by Gary Dyson, a Tibetan Practitioner who is a student of Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche, the movie director. When I wrote him to ask, Gary said it was okay to "use the recording in any way that is beneficial. Share, play, give away, what ever. It is for the benefit of all."
    Cool! Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche was one of my teachers back in 2003 when I was a member of a Tibetan Buddhist Sangha. He was in Brazil for a series of talks and empowerments during a retreat.

    Unfortunately, I won't be able to make it for the Zazenkai due to the time difference (3 a.m. here). So please enjoy, all of you!

    Gassho,

    Luigi
    ST

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Luigi View Post
    Unfortunately, I won't be able to make it for the Zazenkai due to the time difference (3 a.m. here). So please enjoy, all of you!

    Gassho,

    Luigi
    ST
    Ah, but you can join any time and place thereafter when you have the time ... as all is recorded in real time. Just suspend from mind all thought of "here, there, now and then." Come sit ... and dance ... with the Zazenkai when you can. We will be dancing and sitting with you.

    Gassho, J

    STLah
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  9. #9
    Treeleaf Priest / Engineer Sekishi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Virginia, USA
    Looking forward to the dance.

    Gassho,
    Sekishi



    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
    Sekishi | 石志 | He/him | Better with a grain of salt, but best ignored entirely.

  10. #10
    Member Onka's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2019
    Location
    Rural Queensland, so-called Australia
    I won't be there with you live but you're always with me when I sit.
    Be kind to yourself and look out for each other.
    Onka
    sat today
    穏 On (Calm)
    火 Ka (Fires)
    They/She.

  11. #11
    Hey all, one way for me today, got work phoning me so will minimise disruption to you all if I'm one way.

    Gassho, Tokan

    Satlah

  12. #12
    Joining one way for now. I have to make dinner.

    Gassho
    Sat today, lah
    求道芸化 Kyūdō Geika
    I am just a priest-in-training, please do not take anything I say as a teaching.

  13. #13
    Joining one-way as usual. Ready for the dharma dance party. That's where it's at.

    Gassho,
    Mui
    Sat/LAH
    無依 Mui
    "Relies on Nothing"

  14. #14
    I'll be there in about 10 hours, it's the only time I have while my toddler is asleep!

    Gassho,

    Joshua
    SatToday/lah

    Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

  15. #15
    Thank you all.

    Gassho
    Sat today, lah
    求道芸化 Kyūdō Geika
    I am just a priest-in-training, please do not take anything I say as a teaching.

  16. #16
    That song is brilliant. May I suggest for future reference:


    Thank you, Treeleaf, for Zazenkai.

    Gassho,
    Mui
    Sat/LAH
    無依 Mui
    "Relies on Nothing"

  17. #17
    So lovely, thank you Jundo, Washin and everyone! Keep dancing everyone!

    Gassho,
    Jakuden
    SatToday

  18. #18
    Thank you Jundo, Washin, Sekishi and all, Great to sit with you. Have a wonderful week.
    gassho, Shokai
    stlah
    合掌,生開
    gassho, Shokai

    仁道 生開 / Jindo Shokai

    "Open to life in a benevolent way"

    https://sarushinzendo.wordpress.com/

  19. #19
    Treeleaf Priest / Engineer Sekishi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Virginia, USA
    Thank you all for coming together to practice. Today's talk really resonated with me Jundo.

    May we, together with all beings, be safe and at ease with whatever arises.

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

  20. #20
    Member Yokai's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Location
    Havelock North, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
    Thank you all for dancing together...now and through the week ahead. It's great to share the beat of life...

    Gassho, C waltzedlah

  21. #21
    I'm so happy to have joined in live and be able to turn on video for a bit. Been far too many months since I last participated this way.

    Wonderful talk Jundo, really enjoyed it. Thank you all for joining together for zazen.

    Gassho,

    Nanrin

    Sat today

  22. #22
    Thank you Jundo and everyone. It was a wonderful sit & dance

    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'.

  23. #23
    For a guy who wrote a book called "The Zen Master's Dance," I really do have two left feet and a strange sense of rhythm. Oh well.

    Gassho, Jundo

    STLah

    PS - By the way, Wisdom Pub. sent me the latest design for the book cover today ...



    Delete New Cover ZMDfinal2 JPEG.jpg
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  24. #24
    I like!

    gassho
    shonin sat/lah today
    Visiting unsui: use salt

  25. #25
    Quote Originally Posted by Jundo View Post
    Ah, but you can join any time and place thereafter when you have the time ... as all is recorded in real time. Just suspend from mind all thought of "here, there, now and then." Come sit ... and dance ... with the Zazenkai when you can. We will be dancing and sitting with you.

    Gassho, J

    STLah
    I’ll join today while suspending the “linear space & time mind”. Thanks for the reminder, Jundo!


    Gassho,

    Luigi
    ST

  26. #26
    Member Seishin's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Location
    La Croix-Avranchin, Basse Normandie, France
    Thank you everyone ............... still can't do that self conscious solo dance act but enjoy watching you all.
    Love the cover Jundo, reminds me of my PC's Supernova explosion screensaver. Cool.

    Be safe & be well everyone.

    Sat / lah


    Seishin

    Sei - Meticulous
    Shin - Heart

  27. #27
    It was wonderful practicing with all of you! Though it was a recording I could feel everyone's presence, and I can honestly say that was the most I've danced at 6 a.m. by far! Metta to all and have a wonderful weekend.

    Gassho,

    Joshua
    SatToday

    Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

  28. #28
    Thank you, Jundo, Washin and everyobody for this week's Zazenkai.
    I couldn't sit yesterday, but sat this morning with you all.
    Gassho,
    Mateus
    Sat/LAH
    怠努 (Tai Do) - Lazy Effort
    (also known as Mateus )

    禅戒一如 (Zen Kai Ichi Nyo) - Zazen and the Precepts are One!

  29. #29
    That was fun! Thank you. I sat and danced with you this morning.

    I hope everyone is staying well and staying sane.


    Tairin
    Sat today and lah
    泰林 - Tai Rin - Peaceful Woods

  30. #30
    I did not join "in-person" as I was planning, but sat with the weekly Zazenkai this morning. What a great talk and Zazenkai!

    I danced right along with you all (with my bluetooth headphones in -- which honestly isn't an out of the ordinary thing for me to do on occasion anyway ).

    Thank you Jundo and Washin and everyone in Treeleaf. I enjoy practicing together.

    Gassho,

    Ryan S
    Sat Today

  31. #31
    Thank you Jundo, Washin and everyone.
    That's a nice cover...

    Gassho,
    Kotei sat/danced/lah today.

    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.

  32. #32
    To some it might seem odd that we dedicate our sitting to lost loved ones and dedicate merit to those in need, then go on to dance. However, since life and death are Not Two, manifesting the Great Dance is really the most appropriate thing to do of all, isn't it? Please dear Sangha, if the time ever comes where I must sit with you from beyond the visible world, I hope you will dance like no one's watching :-)

    Gassho,
    Jakuden
    SatToday

  33. #33
    Quote Originally Posted by Jakuden View Post
    To some it might seem odd that we dedicate our sitting to lost loved ones and dedicate merit to those in need, then go on to dance. However, since life and death are Not Two, manifesting the Great Dance is really the most appropriate thing to do of all, isn't it? Please dear Sangha, if the time ever comes where I must sit with you from beyond the visible world, I hope you will dance like no one's watching :-)

    Gassho,
    Jakuden
    SatToday
    Precisely. Yes, for me too!




    Zazen is a dance of stillness ...

    Life is a dance of stillness in motion ...

    ... in good times and hard times ... keep dancing ...

    Gassho, J

    STLah
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  34. #34
    Thank you, Jundo, Washin, Sekishi, and everyone. It was great to sit and dance and see that at least twelve other people were practicing together. The dance club version of the Heart Sutra was fun. The talk was helpful for my practice. I look forward to reading your book, Jundo. I like the cover.

    Gassho,
    Onkai
    Sat
    美道 Bidou Beautiful Way
    恩海 Onkai Merciful/Kind Ocean

    I have a lot to learn; take anything I say that sounds like teaching with a grain of salt.

  35. #35
    Wonderful. Thanks to all. The Heart Sutra dance is a perfect example of why Treeleaf is such a treasure. Cool book cover, Jundo. Hoping this book will finally be my intro to Dogen, whose writings I find intimidating.
    Gassho,
    Krista
    st/lah

  36. #36
    By the way, looks like this Japanese Pure Land priest has us beat on the "techno beats" ... although they could use more dancing ...

    It doesn’t take much to notice that techno has taken on a spiritual edge in recent years. From techno meditations to clubs referred to affectionately as “church”, there are plenty of parallels. The divide between the two, however, has been eradicated in at least one instance thanks to the efforts of Japanese DJ-turned-Buddhist priest, Gyōsen Asakura.

    Working from Shō-onji (照恩寺) temple in Fukui City, the 49-year-old priest throws off-the-wall “techno memorial services” that blend eye-opening visuals, zen aesthetics and uptempo IDM-like experimental electronic music to induce a state of futuristic mindfulness.

    Watch a video for one of the services


    Gassho, J

    STLah
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  37. #37
    Well, that was the Zen Master's Dance in several ways!

    Thank you all for sitting. And dancing!

    Gassho
    Kokuu

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