Aimless Affirmations
ACZC Happenings, 11/18 - 11/24
“If Zen's teaching me that I have inherent value just for existing, part of that whole deal is that I'm going to be doing mantras or some other wacky sh*t that I come across in six months. And I'm okay with that.” - Sara Campbell
Hello Sangha!
First a huge shout out and thank you to everyone who joined us last weekend for our Fall retreat. Word has it a pleasant good time was had by pretty much all. Which isn’t the usual review for a Zen retreat, we know. Does this mean we’re doing it wrong? And if having a good time is doing it wrong, do we want to do it right?? These are big questions… (Also big shout out to Gyokei for the lovely photos of life on the mountain)
Also! As you may know, this Thursday is Thanksgiving Day. So there will be NO YOGA this Thursday as we all celebrate the boundless bounties in our various ways. But! There will be the usual 7am zazen that morning. Feel free to join us for a little quality quiet time before going off to however you take your holiday crazy.
But, we’re burying the lead here folks. The big news is that, speaking of Fall traditions of gratefulness and giving, our 2023 Fall Fundraiser is up! It’s been a big year, and we’ve been able to do so much thanks to you and your generous support, but another year coming to an end means another long look at the books and some mildly terrifying budget shortfalls. Our goal this year is to raise $10,000 to keep everything going through 2024 (and beyond!), and everything you can do is a huge help.
Plus we have some great rewards this year to say thank you, including some pretty epic hand painted wall scrolls, swanky canvas bags featuring our brand new mascot - the 1000 Hands & Eyes of Compassion (you may have seen our graphics team decided to go literal on that…), plus Dave brought us back some fresh ringtone sounds recorded live at Toshoji Monastery in Japan, and of course we have brand new 2024 full color original art ACZC Wall Calendars.
We’ll have much more to say about all that in the coming weeks, but just wanted to give y’all a heads up here first to get you dibs on all that good karmic merit, and maybe some of those rewards before they get snatched up. You can check it all out over on the website. Thank you for all the support you give us all year, and most importantly thank you for everything you do.
And speaking of building up what could never be brought down, this week on the podcast we are very pleased to bring you Aimless Affirmations (Empowerment vs Emptiness) w/ Sara Campbell. After finding benefits in affirmative mantra practices, Sara looks back on Zen emptiness teachings to find out if there is a contradiction between self empowerment and the enlightenment of letting go of that self entirely. What’s the difference between dropping off the self and suppressing your best self? Is aimlessness an aspiration? Are you a bad MF and does god love you?? Find out here!
Up now at http://aczc.org/aczcpodcast or on all your favorite podcast platforms.
And hey, here’s a koan for the week:
Case in point:
Iron Grinder Liu came to see the old buffalo Guishan.
Guishan said, “Old cow, is that you?”
The Grinder said, “There’s a big feast over on Mount Tai* tomorrow, will you join me?”
Guishan laid on the floor and stretched himself out.
The Grinder took her leave.
*600 miles away
This Week in Zen! All times posted in Pacific time zone, all sessions hosted in person and on Zoom unless otherwise marked (email us for quick and easy Zoom access info):
Saturday - 11/18 at 10am
Sit & Talk w/ Jordan Mylet - Our biggest day of the week! Two half hour rounds of zazen, and then our dear sangha friend Jordan returns to the hot seat after far too long to regale us with a little Dogen; talking about dreams, delusions, and freeing ourselves of the rafts and ferries of our own illusions. Sounds like a dreamy Saturday afternoon to us. We’ll see y’all there.
Monday - 11/20 at 7:30pm
Sit & Talk w/ Dave Cuomo - One half hour of zazen and then Dave is back with another installment in his Paramita series - this week: Energy. How do get it, do we get to keep it, and what do we do if don’t have the motivation to stand up (or sit down) and find it? Let’s discuss.
Wednesday - 11/22 at 7:30pm (Zoom Only)
Sit & Koan Discussion - Speaking of finding your inner fire, this week! We go whole hog or don’t go at all, as the old buffalo and the iron cow match wits over who gets to lose the map (and who gets to lose the lighter?). Let’s see if we can help them find their way.
Thursday - 11/23
NO YOGA THIS WEEK - Happy Thanksgiving y’all.
Friday - 10/27 at 8am
Chanting & Zen Breakfast - This week! We chant the Heart Sutra in English followed by Shitou’s ode to the lazy holiday weekend to come - the Straw Hut Song. Poetry for the ages! And then stick around for ACZC’s fresh hot take on traditional Zen breakfast (house milled multi grain porridge - now with almonds and apricots! mmm…). A nutritious (and delicious) part of this complete practice. Let’s dig in.
Tuesday - Friday, 7am - 8am
Morning Sit - One simple hour of what we do best - just sitting. Optional five minute stretch break offered in the middle.
See y’all soon!
Love,
ACZC