March 15-16th Treeleaf Weekly Zazenkai - A Single Flower (DAYLIGHT SAVINGS!)

[Jundo]

REMINDER:
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS START TIME CHANGE NORTH AMERICA
(not yet Europe/UK, AustraNZ on their own )

A famous Koan ...

Once, when the World-Honored One in ancient times was upon Vulture Peak,
he held up a flower before the assembly of monks.
At this all were silent.
The Venerable Mahakashapa alone broke into a smile.

Mahakasyapa_smiling_at_the_lotus_flower-1639103820.jpg




Dear All,

Please sit our Treeleaf Zazenkai for 90 minutes with Zazen, Heart Sutra and more:

10am Japan Saturday morning, NY 9pm, LA 6pm Friday night, London 1am and Paris 2am Saturday morning, or any time thereafter here:

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

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
01:30 - 01:45(?) Informal Tea Time (All Welcome)

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

SatTodayLah



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

[Bion]

Most joyful occasion of the entire week! See you all later! Enjoy the day!

Gassho
Sat and lah

[Kokuu]

I was doing some research (admittedly, mostly Wikipedia!) and discovered that the udumbara flower that the Buddha is said to have held up is a very strange thing.

The udumbara flower is Ficus racemosa (a fig, like the Bodhi Tree, Ficus religiosa). Its flower actually grows inside the fruit or is part of it. For this reason, it was thought during the Buddha's time to flower only very very rarely, such as once every few thousand years indicating an event such as the birth of a wheel-turning monarch (chakravatin). It is mentioned in the Uraga Sutta (Sutta Nikaya 1:1) because of its perceived flowerlessness:

The monk seeing
in states of becoming
no essence,
as he would,
when surveying a fig tree,
no flowers,
sloughs off the near shore & far —
as a snake, its decrepit old skin.

(https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipi...1.01.than.html)

In early medieval Japan and possibly elsewhere this flower is believed to be capable of saving the lives of those dying from disease

In the Atharva Veda, this fig tree (Sanskrit: Umbara or Audumbara) is given prominence as a means for acquiring prosperity and vanquishing foes. In Buddhism, it is more seen as a symbol of the dangers of materialism as the udumbara is a species of what is known as a 'strangler fig' that kills the plant it grows around, just as it is said that materialism eats up anyone who is caught up in it.

Alternatively it may be that udumbara refers to the blue lotus (Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea) which looks pretty and doesn't strangle other plants. I hope that isn't the case!

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-

[Kotei]

Thank you everyone!
Gassho,
Kotei sat/lah today.

[Kiri]

Thank you everyone!
Gassho, Kiri
Sat/Lah

[Doshin]

Doshin
Stlah

[Seijin]

I started my Saturday morning w you ( youtube version)
Thanks a lot! So nice to be here.
Seijin

Sat (obviously)

[Shigeru]

Thank you for this Zazenkai!

Gassho
Will
SatLah

[Hōzan]

Sat with you all just now.
Thank you, Treeleaf

Gassho, Hozan
Satlah

[Tairin]

Thank you everyone. I sat with you this morning


Tairin
Sat today and lah

[Anthony]

Thanks all, I sat with you all today, and it was my first time sitting for a full zazenkai.

I love the talk about the flower which contains everything, Jundo. Makes me wonder if this is what Mahakashyapa saw when Shakyamuni Buddha held up the flower and transmitted zen.

Gassho,
Anthony
satlah

[Myojin]

Thanks all, I sat with you this morning, albeit in my office before work.

Jundo, your talk drives home a good point. During zazen I often get the 'to do list demon', planning my day, what I want to do after zazen, what I need to get done at work, etc etc, and that's just the contents of zazen.

When I notice myself going down that rabbit hole, just taking stock of the fact puts it back in order. I usually just say to myself, "now is the time of zazen, you can do the other things later", and and just get back to sitting.

Every day is a school day, I'll be doing my homework....

Satlah

Gassho

Myojin

[Bion]

Thanks all, I sat with you this morning, albeit in my office before work.

Jundo, your talk drives home a good point. During zazen I often get the 'to do list demon', planning my day, what I want to do after zazen, what I need to get done at work, etc etc, and that's just the contents of zazen.

When I notice myself going down that rabbit hole, just taking stock of the fact puts it back in order. I usually just say to myself, "now is the time of zazen, you can do the other things later", and and just get back to sitting.

Every day is a school day, I'll be doing my homework....

Satlah

Gassho

Myojin

I just want to say I have deep appreciation for all of you who make the time during your busy work days to sit with the zazenkai. I admire and learn from that dedication you all demonstrate.

Gassho
Sat and lah