Every Day is a Good Day
ACZC Happenings, August 5th - August 11th
“If we do not have stress, we will not be healthy enough to survive. We have to be in this, we have to be with our enemies. Even enemies make us healthy.” - Shumyo Kojima
Hello Sangha!
Well happy August y’all. And another turn of the calendar means it’s time for our Half Day Sit this Saturday (8/5) 10am - 2pm. Join us for two rounds of zazen, a short Well Being Ceremony where we send out some good health well wishes to all our loved ones who could use such a thing, a discussion with Dave Cuomo, a festive sangha lunch (lunch rumor is we’re in a for a buckwheat pancake brunch…), and then we’re back to our seats for a couple more rounds of that sweet sweet zazen. As always feel free to join for as much or as little of the day as you’re able.
If anyone (who you know personally) is in need of some good health well wishes, you can add their names here (form at the bottom of the page) to have them included in this month’s Well Being Dedication.
And speaking of the lights that shine like good intentions through the deepest corners of darkness and mystery, did you catch that big bright full moon this week? Because we couldn't miss it, just like you wouldn’t want to miss the return of the Ryaku Fusatsu Full Moon Ceremony! Join us this Sunday (8/6) at 7pm for one half hour of zazen followed by some goallessly gorgeous chanting (vocal talent not required) as we chant the precepts and vows and remember why they were such good ideas to say in the first place.
But speaking of reveling in the perfection found in sloughing off silly notions like good and evil, this week on the podcast we are very excited to bring you Every Day is a Good Day w/ Shumyo Kojima. Special guest Kojima Sensei, Abbot of Zenshuji Temple (North America’s oldest Zen temple (100 years and counting!)) generously joins us for a talk about learning to love your stress and enjoy your enemies, with colorful stories and metaphors of catfish, eels, outhouses, and bringing the stinky and sacred together in the singularity of a bow. Is stress really the key to health and happiness? Is being weak actually a benefit to all beings? Are good and bad any more real than Santa Claus? Is there a purpose to purpose?? 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:
The Full Awakening Sutra says, “Don’t dwell in delusion. Don’t try to extinguish the deluded mind. When caught up in deluded thoughts, don’t try to impose on them a full understanding. And lacking that understanding, don’t try to figure out what’s really real.”
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 - 8/5 at 10am
Half Day Sit - A full half day of Zen - our biggest day of the Month! Two half hour rounds of zazen, a short and sweet Well Being Ceremony, a discussion with Dave Cuomo, a short break for lunch (buckwheat pancake brunch!), and then we return for two more rounds of sweet sweet zazen. See y’all there.
Sunday - 8/6 at 7pm
Full Moon Ceremony - Join us for one sweet little half hour of zazen before we open our throats and drop off our regrets in some lyrical and melodious chanting with the oldest (and some say most the beautiful) ceremony in Buddhism, the Ryaku Fusatsu, where we chant our vows and remember why they were such good advice in the first place. All are welcome (no vows or precept commitment required)!
Monday - 8/7 at 7:30pm
Sit & Talk w/ Corey Warner - One half hour of zazen and then our own Corey Warner returns to the hot seat with some straight talk on those shifty little truths we call Zen. Join us!
Wednesday - 8/9 at 7:30pm (Zoom Only)
Sit & Koan Discussion w/ Heather Ross - This week! Heather leads us through some refreshingly direct instruction on how exactly we’re supposed to be doing meditation. But does saying it plain make it feel any more sane?? Let’s find out.
Thursday - 8/10 at 7pm (Zoom Only)
Yoga & Zazen w/ Nina Snow - Nina returns to help us wind down our week while limbering us up for a little dancing in our seats with one hour of slow flow yoga followed by a half hour of sweet sweet zazen. We’ll see y’all there.
Friday - 8/11 at 8am
Chanting & Zen Breakfast - This week! We chant the Heart Sutra in English followed by the poem that goes straight to the point of, well, everything - The Zazenshin (Needlepoint of Zazen)! Poetry for the ages. And then stick around for the newest (and tastiest) session in our schedule with our own hot take on the traditional Zen breakfast (fresh milled multi grain porridge). A nutritious (and delicious) part of this complete practice. See y’all 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