Blind Spots & Breakthroughs
⚡️ACZC Happenings, 5/24 - 5/30⚡️
“I, like you, as the form I'm in now, this body/mind entity who walks around and wears clothes, and watches 99.9% of my dog's poops, and feels joy and grief, and love and beauty, and has a self mythology based on experience and imagination and blind spots and breakthroughs and wounds and fears and fantasies and desires - emerged like this out of a seemingly infinite number of interrelated webs going far back before this planet, and before those first modern humans, and because of those first modern humans and all the decisions they made, as well as all the decisions of all the humans in my own direct lineage of course, and because of breath and blood and water and sleep and regulation; on one level, that’s what I’m doing here…” - Matthew Sherling
Hello Sangha!
Well it’s official, we have reached the final week of ango! As of this writing we’re on day 84 of 90, which gives us one good clean final week of our extended practice schedule (which we would love to see you for this week if you’re able). We’ve already said a lot about our love for the Ryogon Shu and other rituals, but we’ll say it again — we have loved doing this with you, and are so grateful to have so many good friends to practice with. We’ve been talking a lot about the generation (and dedication) of merit around here lately, and it does feel like we’ve done a whole lot of that these last few months. So thank you for being part of it.
And of course the grand culmination of our ango season is the annual Spring Retreat, happening Fri, June 6 - Mon, June 9 at nearby Sozenji temple in Montebello (aka Gyokei’s home temple (nbd)). We’ve got just a couple of spots left, so if you’re interested, please do sign up soon. Details and registration are here. As always, reach out with any questions!
And speaking of hanging out with good friends, this week on the podcast we are very excited to present “Blind Spots & Breakthroughs (What Am I Doing Here)” w/ Matthew Sherling. Poet in residence and long time ACZC collaborator, Matt, generously boils down 14 billion years of carefully cultivated circumstances into one lucid and spiritually eclectic tale of what he’s doing and why he’s here — from the Zen prone slowness of the South, to the urban chaos of LA, to the sacred solitude of getting lost in foreign lands. Is restlessness a hindrance or a catalyst to personal progress? Can we go off recipe and create our own practice from whatever ingredients intrigue us? What creative fruits lie waiting for us in the gaps between what we think and what we see?? Find out here!
Up now at http://aczc.org/aczcpodcast or on all your favorite podcast platforms.
It is our pleasure to inform you it is once again time for some ZenLit(™)!
One day Mayu Baoche was fanning himself when a monk said, “The nature of wind is ever present, there’s nowhere it doesn’t go. So why fan yourself?”
Baoche said, “You only understand that the nature of wind is ever present.’You don’t understand that there’s nowhere it doesn’t go.”
The monk said, “What does ‘there’s nowhere it doesn’t go’ mean?”
Baoche fanned himself. The monk bowed.
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 - 5/24, 7am - 12:30pm
Sit & Talk w/ Dave Cuomo - Our biggest day of the week! Two half-hour rounds of zazen, and then Dave takes the hotseat to talk about institutions and individuals, and how to work with groups without losing yourself (or becoming a cult) . See you there! (Also! All Saturdays during our ango period include a full half day of activities, including extra zazen at 7am and chanting of the Ryogon Shu (see below)!)
Monday - 5/26, 7:30pm - 9pm
Sit & Discussion w/ Leon Sandler - One half hour of zazen and then our man Leon in Colorado is back to tell us what he’s uncovered about being a layperson and what the Zen tradition tells us about practicing in the world. See you there!
Wednesday - 5/28, 7:30pm - 9pm
Sit & ZenLit Night - Dynamic duo Sara & Dave trade off facilitating and commenting on the mystery of doing and what a little wind breaking can tell us about it. Come on out and let’s discuss!
Thursday - 5/29, 7:30pm - 8:40pm
Evening Zazen - Join us for two simple 30 minute rounds of sweet sweet evening sitting to wind down your day and week. See y’all there!
Friday - 5/30, 8am
Morning Chanting Service - Our last jumbo ceremony day until our next ango next spring! Join us this week as we chant the Ryogon Shu along with the Heart Sutra and the Song of the Jewel Mirror Samadhi, in which Donghsan demonstrates that the meaning is not in the words by… using a whole host of wise and beautiful words. Poetry for the ages! Come on out and lend us your voice.
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.
Tuesday - Saturday - Morning Ango Schedule
As always, feel free to join for as much or as little of the schedule as you’re able.
7:00 - 8:00am………………Zazen
8:05 - 8:40am………………Chanting
8:40 - 9:10am…………..…Zen Breakfast
9:10 - 9:50am………………Work Practice
See y’all soon!
Love,
ACZC