Dark Wings
“Nothing is under control. Nothing is already set up for you. It’s your presence in the room - the way you sit, the way you talk, the way you breathe, the way you shift during zazen - that creates the experience for everybody.
It would be a completely different center if you hadn’t, say, swallowed loudly during the sit and got self-conscious, worried the person next to you could hear you. That's the beautiful stuff. That's the good stuff. And that's enough.” - Dave Cuomo
ZEN CENTER HAPPENINGS - WEEK OF 1/7 - 1/13
Hello Sangha!
Well happy Wolf Moon everybody! Oh, and Happy New Year (if we didn’t already say it). And seeing as tomorrow is the first Saturday of the month and of the year, that means it’s time again for our Half Day Sit (yay!) starting at 10am. Join us in person or on Zoom for a full half day of Zen including sitting, discussion, a short chanting service, lunch (we heard a very exciting rumor about tacos…) and of course more sweet, sweet zazen! Schedule is posted up here. As always feel free to join us for as much or as little of the day as you’re able.
Since this is the first Half Day Sit of the year, we will be including a Memorial Dedication along with the Well Being Dedication in the chanting service tomorrow. If you have anyone (who you know personally) who has died in the last year, or if anyone you know (personally) is sick or otherwise in need of good health well wishes, you can add their names to the forms here (bottom of the page) to have them included in the dedications.
And if you would like more opportunities to start your year off with some kind words of good intentions, Sunday at 7pm join us in person or online for the Full Moon Ceremony, where we’ll be chanting the precepts along with some other great ideas and remember why they were such good advice all over again.
But hey, speaking of trying to find the right words to mark the inevitably illusional march of tried and trusty time, this week on the podcast we are very excited to bring you Dave Cuomo with “Dark Feet, Dark Wings.” Dave rings in the New Year with a rousingly rambling speech about presence and why yours matters so much while trying to inspire us all with a faith built on a shining bright lie. Why does recognizing the illusion of time make its passing all the sweeter? Is it possible to meditate our worries away, and why is it sometimes more enlightening not to? What happens when you cross no holds barred start up culture with a thousand year old dumpling stand? Find out here!!
Up now at http://aczc.org/aczcpodcast or on all your favorite podcast platforms
This Week in Zen! All sessions hosted in person and on Zoom unless otherwise marked (email us for quick and easy Zoom access info):
Saturday - 1/7 at 8pm
Half Day Sit - Our biggest day of the month! Two half hour rounds of zazen, a short ceremony, discussion with Dave Cuomo, a quick break for lunch, and then two more rounds of sweet, sweet zazen. Oh boy!
If you have anyone (who you know personally) who has died in the last year, or if anyone you know (personally) is sick or otherwise in need of good health well wishes, you can add their names to the forms you see here (bottom of the page) to have them included in the Memorial or Well Being Dedications.
Sunday - 1/8 at 7pm
Full Moon Ceremony - One half hour of zazen followed by the oldest (and some say most beautiful) ceremony in Buddhism - The Rayaku Fusatsu, aka repentance ceremony. Join us!
Monday - 1/9 at 7:30pm
Sit & Talk w/ Jason Dodge - One half hour of zazen and then Jason takes the hot seat for pt 2 of his exploration of the Diamond Sutra. Bright shining emptiness abounds! Let’s discuss.
Wednesday - 1/11 at 7:30pm (Zoom Only)
Sit & Koan Discussion - This week! “Yangshan plants his hoe.” After a long day in the fields, Yangshan is ready to get some rest. But Guishan’s has one more test… Will Yangshan catch a break at last? Let’s find out!
Thursday - 1/12 at 7pm (Zoom Only)
Yoga & Zazen w/ Nina Snow - Nina returns for our favorite Thursday evening wind down with one hour of slow flow yoga followed by one half hour of the sweetest zazen you will sit all week. Join us!
Friday - 1/13 at 8am
Heart Sutra Chanting Service - This week! We chant the Heart Sutra in English followed by Dongshan’s great bright hymn to the beauty within, the Song of the Jewel Mirror Samadhi. 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