Comes and Goes
“It’s not your zazen, it’s just zazen. And it’s going all the time.” - Jason Dodge
Hello Sangha!
In case you missed the memo (er, uh, last week’s newsletter), we’re looking forward to hosting the sangha tomorrow for some volunteer work practice here at ACZC HQ! Instead of doing the second hour of zazen during our monthly half day sit, we’ll have attendees help out around the grounds as the weeds have gotten quite out of control with all the rain this year! So if you’re in town, do stop by. And if you have a pair of garden gloves, it might not be a bad idea to bring them. Oh and finally, you may want to pack a little lunch, as I am not Dave and have no tenzo skills to speak of. ;)
And speaking of bad (or maybe good?) ideas, this week on the podcast, we are pleased to present Comes and Goes (The Tathagata) w/ Jason Dodge.
Jason unpacks the meaning behind the Buddha’s beguiling nickname while reminding himself exactly why he does want to sit zazen during a hard month when the last thing he wants to do is sit down and do his zazen. Why did Buddha promise we all get to share his accomplishment while also promising it was something we could never know? What did he mean he’s the one who comes and goes, and why does our desire to sit come and go so easily when we need it most? Where is this zazen train even going and could we get off that train even if we wanted to?? Find out here!
Up now at http://aczc.org/aczcpodcast or on all your favorite podcast platforms!
Your koan for the week!
Case in point:
Yangshan asked a monk, “Where are you from?”
The monk said, “Youzhou”
Yangshan said, "Do you still think about home?”
The monk said, “I think about it constantly.”
Yangshan said, “What thinks is the mind, what is thought about is the world around you, the mountains, rivers, and land; towers, temples, and pavilions; people, animals, and everything else. Reflecting back on your thinking mind, is all of it still there?"
The monk said, “Now I don’t see anything at all.”
Yangshan said, “On the level of belief, that’s all right. On the level of being human, it’s not.”
The monk said, “Venerable, do you have any more instructions?”
Yangshan said, “If I did or did not, it wouldn’t matter. Judging from your insights, you have just grasped the first mystery. Now you need to sit, wear the robe, and eventually see for yourself.”
This Week in Zen! All times are in Pacific time zone and all sessions are hosted in person and on Zoom unless otherwise marked (email us for quick and easy Zoom access info):
Saturday - 5/6 at 10am
Sit & Talk w/ Sara Campbell + Well Being Ceremony + Work Practice - Our biggest day of the month - two half hour rounds of zazen, one walking meditation in the middle, a short Well Being Ceremony, a discussion with Sara, a brief break for lunch, and then we’ll do some work practice around the ACZC grounds starting around 12:30. As always, come for as much or as little of the day as you like.
If anyone (who you know personally) is sick or otherwise in need of good health well wishes, you can add their names to the form you see here (bottom of the page) to include them in the Well Being Dedication.
Monday - 5/8 at 7:30pm
Sit & Talk w/ Gyokei Yokoyama - We’ll sit one half hour of zazen and then our favorite supporting teacher Gyokei returns to the hot seat with a talk about Menju (face-to-face transmission) and Keizan’s Tokikuki Records. Join us!
Wednesday - 5/10 at 7:30pm (Zoom Only)
Sit & Koan Discussion w/ Leon Sandler - What thinks and what is thought? Is all of it there? And if not, is that OK?? Let’s find out.
Thursday - 5/11 at 7pm (Zoom Only)
Yoga & Zazen w/ Nina Snow - Nina is back to soothe our hearts and open our hips with her patented blend of Slow Flow Zen Yoga (™) followed by a half hour of zazen. Join us!
Friday - 5/12 at 8am
Heart Sutra Chanting Service - This week! We chant the Heart Sutra in English followed by the Song of the Jewel Mirror Samadhi. Come chant with us, it does a body good! See you there.
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