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Thread: Nov. 4-5th, 2022 - OUR MONTHLY 4-hour Treeleaf ZAZENKAI - DAYLIGHT SAVINGS in EUROPE

  1. #1

    Nov. 4-5th, 2022 - OUR MONTHLY 4-hour Treeleaf ZAZENKAI - DAYLIGHT SAVINGS in EUROPE


    ATTENTION: DAYLIGHT SAVINGS in EUROPE/MEXICO/AUSTRALIA,
    CHECK NEW START TIME


    Today's Talk will reflect on

    Master Keizan's "Middle Way, Beyond Hope to Attain"
    and
    "No Entering, No Emerging Samadhi"



    Please sit our Monthly 4-Hour Treeleaf 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 4am (early Saturday morning)), and also sitable any time thereafter:


    However, "one way" live sitters are encouraged to come into the Zoom sitting, and just leave the camera and microphone turned off: Join live (with or without a camera & microphone) on Zoom at: TREELEAF Now OR at DIRECT ZOOM LINK, password (if needed): dogen

    Dharma Talk Audio / Podcast Episode:
    https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/show...l=1#post313943

    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 & HOKEY-POKEY RITUAL

    02:40 - 03:15 ZAZEN
    03:15 - 03:30 KINHIN
    03:30 - 04:00 METTA CHANT & ZAZEN, VERSE OF ATONEMENT, FOUR VOWS, & CLOSING
    ATTENTION: Everyone, when rising for Kinhin or Ceremonies after Zazen, get up slowly, don't rush, hold something stable, you won't be "late," so TAKE YOUR TIME! Make sure you are careful getting up!

    Gassho, Jundo

    STLah


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


    Chant Book is here for those who wish to join in: CHANT BOOK LINK

    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

    I also recommend a little Talk on why small rituals and procedures are so cherished in the Zendo:

    SIT-A-LONG with Jundo: Small Things in the Zendo

    https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/show...s-in-the-Zendo

    Last edited by Jundo; 11-06-2022 at 11:58 PM.
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  2. #2
    Today's Talk is based on two recent essays by me, looking at Master Keizan's take on Shikantaza and Samadhi as presented in his Denkoroku. Here are a few excerpts:

    Keizan's Zazen of the Middle Way, Beyond Hope to Attain
    https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/show...Hope-to-Attain


    ... You think that there is a need to attain buddhahood, and a need to gain the Way. And for the sake of this “gaining the Way,” you think you should try to maintain dietary restraints and the practice of purity, sit [Zazen] long without lying down, worship the Buddha and revolve sūtras, and thereby pile up every kind of merit. But all of this causes flowers to rain down in a sky that has no flowers [mirages and false distractions to appear before your eyes.] ... Even if you practiced like that through kalpa ages as numerous as motes of dust, you still would have no share of liberation. Truly, when your mind has nothing that it hopes for, either here or there, this is called the “Way.”

    ...

    Therefore, wanting to “know satisfaction” is the root of desire. Surely, even if you enjoy sitting for long periods, this entails the error of being obsessed with your body. ... If sitting for long periods is to be taken as the Way, then at the time of birth everyone has been sitting for ten months [in the womb], so that must be the Way: why seek it a second time? ... Disciples of the Buddha did, in this way, establish various rules of purity and make known the proper conduct of buddhas and ancestors. Nevertheless, if your clinging to them is one-sided, then they are sure to become, on the contrary, mental afflictions. ... [Y]ou think that by adhering rigidly to various practices of this sort, that in itself is seeking the Way. This is an entirely mistaken understanding.

    ...

    Furthermore, what buddhahood do you see that could be attained? What living beings do you see that could be deluded? Thus, there is not a single person who is a deluded person, and not a single dharma that one could awaken to. For this reason, sayings to the effect that delusion is turned around and made into awakening, or that the ordinary is turned around and made into the sagely, are entirely the words of unawakened people ...


    ...

    ... [Y]our own self, if your understanding is not at this true level, may be confused by the words of other people.. ... So, even if you have heard what is explained in this way and understood that there is nothing to attain, still there may be a "good friend" [some teacher you hear] who explains that there is a need to gain some dharma, or perhaps a buddha-demon will come and say that there is some dharma that should be further cultivated. If that happens, the result will be that your mind and perceptions waver and, on the contrary, you will end up with inverted views. Now you should accept the true instructions of the buddhas, thoroughly investigate in detail, and by your own self arrive at the level of ease and joy.

    Keizan’s No Entering, No Emerging Samadhi
    https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/show...erging-Samadhi

    True samadhi is not restricted to peaceful and pleasant moments of deep concentration but, rather, is all moments and all reality, each truly precious, not only the calm and pleasing. Soto ancestors have criticized limited views of samadhi as only peaceful and pleasant states, only times of deep concentration, only experiences to be entered into then departed from, only certain conditions that emerge and are attained, only a matter of body and mind. True samadhi exists always, is not dependent on whether peace or bliss is experienced or not experienced, cannot be attained or lost, never emerges or departs.

    ...

    Samghānandi ... was sitting peacefully, entered into samadhi. The Venerable [Rahulabhadra] and his congregation waited for him. When three seven-day periods had passed, [Samghānandi gradually] arose from his samadhi. The Venerable [Rahulabhadra] asked, “Is your body in samadhi or is your mind in samadhi?” [Samghānandi] said, “Body and mind together are in samadhi.” The Venerable [Rahulabhadra then] said, “If body and mind together are in samadhi, then how can there be emerging from it or entering into it?”

    Rahulabhadra means that, if body and mind are in the true samadhi of all reality (as we always are), there is no body nor mind, no in vs. out, and thus true samadhi is not some state to enter or exit.

    ... The meaning of this somewhat puzzling exchange becomes a clearer if we recall that, in Zen Wisdom, one does not truly come and go from reality even as we come and go in life, there is no “entrance” nor “exit” from wholeness even as we may enter and exit concentration or any other states, there are no “starts” or “finishes” in the timeless-unbroken even as time has starts and finishes, nor does the whole (being so whole) have an “inside” as opposed to an “outside,” nor separate somethings called “body” and “mind,” even as we experience so in practical terms. The wholeness of reality is all of this, all true at once, thus true samadhi sweeps in all these seemingly incongruous views.

    Last edited by Jundo; 11-04-2022 at 03:22 PM.
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  3. #3
    In place of our Hokie Pokie for today, let's Samba the Heart Sutra for our friends in Brazil!


    I found this, and it is not long enough for our weekly ceremony (the whole middle of the Sutra has been left out), but just right for a little dance.



    Gassho,
    Last edited by Jundo; 11-04-2022 at 03:07 PM.
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  4. #4
    See you all later! Our last Monthly zazenkai before Rohatsu! Woohoo!

    Sat Today lah
    Bion
    -------------------------
    When you put Buddha’s activity into practice, only then are you a buddha. When you act like a fool, then you’re a fool. - Sawaki Roshi

  5. #5
    Shaping up to be an overtime day at work, so I may have to sit with you all tomorrow morning.

    Bion, I can’t wait to hear the new instruments!

    Gassho,
    Koushi
    STLaH
    理道弘志 | Ridō Koushi

    Please take this novice priest-in-training's words with a grain of salt.

  6. #6
    I will have to sit on demand this time around, but very much looking forward to sitting with you all!

    Gassho,

    Bokugan
    SatToday LaH
    墨眼 | Bokugan | Sumi Ink Eye
    Ryan-S | zazenlibrarian.com

  7. #7
    As usual I will be doing the Time Warp again.

    Always there with you.

    Gassho, Shinshi

    SaT-LaH
    空道 心志 Kudo Shinshi
    I am just a priest-in-training, any resemblance between what I post and actual teachings is purely coincidental.
    E84I - JAJ

  8. #8
    Working this morning, but might be able to join the 2nd half live.

    Gassho
    Ross
    stlah

  9. #9
    Thank you, everyone. The talk was most helpful. Wonderful to practice together.

    Gassho,
    Onkai
    Sat/lah
    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.

  10. #10
    Thank you.
    i just finished my first 4 hour zazenkai at treeleaf all through it is afterwards and not live(it felt like it was live).
    iam glad this chance is given.

    gassho
    Diana
    SAT

  11. #11
    Thank you everyone. I sat with you this morning


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

  12. #12
    Thank you, Jundo, Bion, and everybody for this Monthly Zazenkai.
    It felt like it was really directed to me and what I'm going through these days: the chanting, the zazen, the kinhin, the Dharma talk, the Hannya Shingyo samba, the metta verses.
    May everyone have a great week.
    Gassho,
    Mateus
    Satlah
    怠努 (Tai Do) - Lazy Effort
    (also known as Mateus )

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

  13. #13
    Wonderful! During the Heart Sutra and opening ceremonies I had sudden deep insight into how my own thoughts about certain situations contribute to division. Your talk was on point and I'm going to be using the "medicine for politics" metta practice as well

    Gassho,
    SatLah
    Kelly

  14. #14
    Thank you everyone!

    Gassho,
    Kotei sat/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.

  15. #15
    Sat with you all on demand, thank you everyone!

    Gassho
    Kantai

    SatLah

  16. #16
    Lovely! Thank you all!

    Gassho
    Kokuu

  17. #17
    I am glad to sit with you all today. (trying to catch up) the second half of the talk with Samadhi is interesting and new for me to learn!

    Gassho,
    Markus
    Sat

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