F#@k Around and Find Out
ACZC Happenings, 3/11 - 3/15
“Think for yourselves. Be unruly. Challenge what we tell you, challenge what I think I know about how this place should work. That’s what all the old teachings tell us to do - even if it is kind of inconvenient to have a room full of people thinking for themselves when you’re trying to run a Zen Center.” - Dave Cuomo
Hello Sangha!
And happy Monday everyone! I know, I know, these newsletters are usually a Friday thing, but it’s been a busy few weeks here as you may have noticed and I got a little behind this weekend (hi! Dave here (but maybe you knew that)) which I’d apologize for, but y’all are usually very forgiving about that sort of thing, so I’ll just say thanks for letting me bumble through my dream job the best I can as usual.
But! It’s not just been a busy few weeks, it’s been an especially sweet few weeks around here too. Between the Dharma Combat, the Commuter Retreat, and getting to head up the coast this past weekend to see many good Zen friends from around the world helping out with Ryūki’s Dharma Combat (who some of y’all got to meet when he came down for ours), it’s been a real season of getting to appreciate how lucky I am to be part of such a sincere, silly, and kind community. I hear that’s a rare and wonderful thing these days.
And now, in just a few weeks, I’ll be leaving y’all again for three months so forgive me for being a little sentimental today! It’s just been that kind of year so far. And I’m going to miss you all dearly. But it’s been really gratifying to see the way so many of you have stepped up and come together and truly made this place your own, and I’m mostly just bummed to miss out on all the shenanigans I’m sure will be going down here over the Spring. And if you’re looking for ways to help out while I’m gone, the best thing you can always do is show up and be a part of what’s happening! Because that’s always the best way to keep it going for everyone.
Also, speaking of getting nostalgic for what’s happening right now. The real reason this newsletter took a few days was because I wanted to include video from the Dharma Combat in here, which took a few days to cobble together, but it’s up now on YouTube and at the top of this page! I hope you enjoy. We certainly had a good time doing it (which is apparent in the video).
Also! Speaking of hanging out and having more fun than you might think a Zen center could, the big takeaway from our loose commuter retreat last weekend was that it turns out that being a little less strict, not quite keeping silent, and maybe even having fun and making friends at a retreat isn’t as bad for our practice as we’ve been led to believe! Who knew? So the exciting plan (as of now) is to start hosting one traditional full immersive Sesshin style retreat in the Fall, and then one looser commuter intensive weekend, like what we just did, down here in the city in the Spring. So much to look forward to!
But speaking of having the courage to think for ourselves while quietly noticing how nonsensical a notion that is when you get all the way down to it, this week on the podcast we are very excited to bring you F#@k Around and Find Out (Prajna (Wisdom)) w/ Me! (Dave Cuomo). In the final installment of our paramita series, we unravel the subtle mysteries of prajna, aka perfect wisdom, aka the great unknowable truth that’s supposedly the only truth you ever need to know. What is the ultimate truth in Zen, can we get access to it, and will it help us if we do?? 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:
Shoushan said to the assembly, “If, on hearing a single sentence you achieve bona fide insight, you could be the teacher of the Buddhas and ancestors. If, after two sentences you achieve bona fide insight, you could be the teacher of gods and humans. If it takes you three sentences to achieve bona fide insight, you’ll never even save yourself.”
A monk asked, “How many sentences did it take you to achieve bona fide insight?”
Shoushan said, “In the middle of the night I walked through the market as the moon went down.”
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):
Monday - 3/11, 7:30pm - 9pm
Sit & Discussion w/ Corey Warner - One half hour of zazen and then Corey takes the hot seat to talk about sickness in a practice of wellness. What good is all this Zen when it comes to our physical health? Is sickness somehow a gift you can give to others (but not like that…)? Let’s discuss!
Wednesday - 3/13, 7:30pm - 9pm (Zoom Only)
Sit & Koan Discussion w/ Heather Ross - How many sentences does it take to get to the center of the heart of everything? Let’s take a walk on the dark side and see if we can shed some light. See y’all there!
Thursday - 3/14 at 7pm - 8:30pm (Zoom Only)
Yoga & Zazen w/ Nina Snow - And Nina is back with one rousingly restful hour of Slow Flow Zen Yoga, followed by one half hour of sweet sweet zazen to round out your evening and settle down your week. We’ll see y’all there.
Friday - 3/15 at 8am
Chanting & Zen Breakfast - This week! We honor the ancestors with words too sweet and timeless to translate, with the Heart Sutra in English followed by Shitou’s Classic ode to perfectly timed balances of daylight and darkness (Happy Equinox!). Poetry for the ages. And then stick around for ACZC’s fresh hot take on traditional Zen breakfast (house milled multi grain porridge! Mmm…). A nutritious (and delicious) part of this complete practice. Let’s dig in.
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