Dark Mind, Radiant Heart
⚡️ACZC Happenings, 12/13 - 12/19⚡️
How to Not Be a Perfectionist
People are vivid
and small
and don’t live
very long—
- Molly Brodak
Hello Sangha!
Another ACZC retreat is in the books! Inspired by readings from Keizan’s Denkoroku and Thich Nhat Hanh’s Old Path, White Clouds, and commentary from our teachers, the crew did our best Shakyamuni Buddha impressions by quieting our minds for a couple of days and seeing whether any understanding unfolded. As for the answer to that question, you’ll have to talk to the attendees themselves, but if the above doodles on the cover of one retreater’s booklet are any indication, we’d say there were colorful insights present.
Thank you as always to all of you who sat (and chanted) with us for another experience of the magic of communal practice, and especially to Gyokei and our friends at Sozenji for hosting us.
Call us crazy but we’re already excited about our Spring Retreat. We’ve been talking a big game about doing it al fresco (aka outside (aka by the beach!)), and are pleased to report we have successfully booked a wonderful group campsite at Point Mugu State Park up in Malibu for the occasion. Dates will be Friday, June 12 - Monday, June 15th, so mark your calendars! We’ll have a lot more to say about this retreat in the new year; stay tuned.
⭐️ Fundraiser update! ⭐️
We are two weeks into our annual fundraising drive and have not quite met our goal of $10,000 yet, so we still need all the help you can give. Heartfelt thanks to everyone who has already chipped in!! And if you haven’t, now’s a great time to join in so that we can keep this center going into the new year!!
Rewards this year include our limited edition 2025 t-shirt, wall calendars, postcards, and our first-ever zine!
This Sunday, Dec. 14 is the deadline to join if you want to have your rewards mailed out by the 15th in time to arrive by the holidays. The fundraiser will be open until Monday, Dec. 22nd, but don’t wait —shipping dates get a little less guaranteed after the 15th.
❄️ Hark! ACZC will be closed for our annual Winter Break, December 23-30th ❄️
We will reopen on Wednesday, 12/31 for our annual New Year’s Eve sit from 8pm - midnight, where we’ll be doing the annual ringing of 108 bells! 🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔 (why yes, that is 108 bells)
And speaking of mysterious things we get up to every year, this week on the podcast we are delighted to present🎙️ “Dark Mind, Radiant Heart (Rohatsu) w/ Sara Campbell”🎙️
In a rousing exhortation for retreat, Sara takes on the impossible question of what exactly happened to Buddha the night he sat too long under a tree and apparently fixed everything. Is Buddha’s enlightenment for everybody, or is that just an ego’s fantasy? Why is a sense of belonging often such a foreign concept? What are we bursting to say after days of learning to silently communicate?? Find out here!
Up now at http://aczc.org/aczcpodcast or on all your favorite podcast platforms.
📖 This Week in ZenLit(™): 📖
Yanyang asked Zhaozhou, “When we’re no longer carrying a single thing, what then?”
Zhaozhou said, “Put it down.”
Yanyang said, “But if we’re no longer carrying a single thing, what is there to put down?”
Zhaozhou said, “Then take it with you.”
⚡️This Week in Zen! ⚡️
All times Pacific. All sessions are in-person + on Zoom unless otherwise noted (email us for Zoom info).
Saturday - 12/13, 10am - 12:15pm
Sit & Talk w/ Henry Zander - Our biggest day of the week! We’ll do two half-hour rounds of zazen, then Henry returns with a report from his experience serving as tenzo at ACZC’s Rohatsu Retreat. Referencing Dogen’s Instructions from the Cook (natch), Henry will reflect on feeling the heat and staying in the kitchen. Come on out!
Monday - 12/15, 7:30pm - 9pm
Sit & Discussion w/ Dave Cuomo - One half hour of zazen and then Dave takes the hotseat for a talk on the will — aka karmic formations, aka agency. How does a tradition that famously talks about no self encourage you to “just be yourself”?? Join us and let’s find out!
Wednesday - 12/17, 7:30pm - 9pm
Sit & ZenLit(™) Night - This week! Let’s talk baggage. Yanyang and Zhaozhou encounter a conundrum. What do we do with the burdens we carry, or is there even such a thing as a burden?? Let’s discuss!
Friday - 12/19, 8am
Morning Chanting Service - This week! We’ll chant the Maka Hannya Haramitta Shingyo and the Daihishin Darani, followed by our lineage ancestors. 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.
See y’all soon!
Love,
ACZC