Hard Feelings
⚡️ACZC Happenings, 7/5 - 7/11⚡️
“…When I sit with that feeling, it’s not overwhelming, but it is borderless. It fades out and extends out.” - Mota
Hello Sangha!
Last week we told you we were slowing down around here for the summer, but it seems we can’t help but keep ourselves occupied! With explosions of various kinds happening constantly just outside our doors (and much farther afield, too), it seems the least we can do is sit zazen and maybe even have a little fun here and there. You know, on behalf of all beings. 💫
So, tomorrow (Saturday, 7/5) is our Half Day Sit, where we would be delighted to see you for a full calendar of Zen practice from 7am - 12:15pm (or as much as your schedule allows.) We’ll do two rounds of zazen, a quick well being chanting service, two more rounds of zazen, and finish off with a talk from our beloved caretaker Dave. 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 at the bottom of this page and we’ll be happy to include them in this month’s well being dedication.
And then tomorrow night the festivities continue 🪅, as we host our bi-monthly 🪩 “Same Difference” Rent Party at 7pm! This delightful variety show of poetry, music, comedy, and storytelling is lovingly curated and presented by our resident poet Matthew Sherling. 🪩 Featuring music by our very own Dave Cuomo, poetry from Cole Augustin aka Enku, a reading from Brian Sonia-Wallace, aka poet laureate of West Hollywood (NBD), and performances from some other very talented friends, it will be a night to remember. We’ll be raffling off some strange and wondrous prizes, eating popcorn, and drinking fresh fermented bubbly drinks to raise some much-needed funds for the best cause we can think of — keeping this humble Zen center going! As with everything we do, it’s donation-based, so whether you can or cannot afford to chip in, all are welcome! We just want to see your shining faces. See y’all there!
And speaking of metaphorical bombs going off, 🎙️ This week on the podcast we are very excited to present “Hard Feelings (Change & Transiency)” w/ Mota🎙️
Mota gets an unexpected phone call and takes the opportunity to dig into some tough love teachings on change and transiency, and how they might even open us up to something warm and maybe even a little fuzzy. Have we forgotten how to die in this country? Why is Zen oddly good at the idea? Can it help us deal with the odd role reversals that come with parents getting older? Find out here!
Up now at http://aczc.org/aczcpodcast or on all your favorite podcast platforms.
📣 Seeking a few volunteers at Sozenji for Obon next weekend! 📣
Sozenji’s annual Obon Festival — the temple’s biggest celebration and main annual fundraiser— takes place next Sunday, July 13. We are looking for three or four volunteers to help everything run smoothly (think set-up, booths, and friendly faces). After the generous way they hosted ACZC’s spring retreat, lending a hand is a wonderful way to return the love. Are you available to help for a few hours during the day? Please send us an email and let us know!
📖 We humbly present your weekly helping of ZenLit(™) 📖
Some (More) Points to Keep in Mind for Zazen by Keizan Jokin
If you want to clear and open your mind, let go of the clutter of what you know and understand, throw away all material and spiritual teachings, give up your passions; your true sincere heart will appear, clouds of delusion will come and go, and the moon of your mind will start to shine. Buddha said, “Knowing and thinking are like waiting outside the door, sitting zazen is coming home to sit in peace,” — this is so true! If knowing, thinking, and opinions don’t stop, the mind gets stuck — like waiting outside the door. But in a simple meditation, everything can rest and flow freely, like being at home and sitting in peace. The anxiety of the five hindrances comes from ignorance. Ignorance is not knowing yourself; to sit zazen is to know yourself. Even if you break through the five hindrances, if you don’t break through ignorance, you still won’t be a buddha or great teacher. If you want to break through ignorance, practicing zazen is the real secret.
An ancient teacher said, “When delusion rests, stillness arrives; when stillness arrives, wisdom appears; when wisdom appears, we see reality.” If you want to stop the deluded mind, stop thinking about good and bad, let go and free yourself of all involvements; a mind with nothing to think, a body with nothing to do — this is our prime objective. When our deluded karma is exhausted, the deluded mind goes with it; when the deluded mind is exhausted, the inalterable form appears — a clear and constant understanding; this is not nirvana, this is not a way to get things done. Stay away from all arts, crafts, remedies, and fortune telling; not to mention music, dancing, laughing, shouting, arguments, theatre, opinions, fame, profit, and providing for others — all of these should be avoided. Even if poetry and songs seem to clarify the mind, still, don’t indulge in them. Throw away your brushes and inkwells — this is a true sign of a person on the path; this is extremely important for a balanced mind.
⚡️This Week in Zen! ⚡️
All times Pacific. All sessions are in-person + on Zoom unless otherwise noted (email us for Zoom info).
Saturday - 7/5, 7am - 12:15pm
Half Day Sit w/ Dave Cuomo - Our biggest day of the month! Two half hour rounds of zazen, a short and sweet well being chanting service, and a sit & talk with Dave, who has surely come up with something to talk about that only Dave could come up with! And then — great news for anyone who misses ACZC’s signature artisanal porridge 🥣 — we take a quick break for a delicious and healthy Zen breakfast before returning for two more rounds of that sweet sweet zazen. (Full schedule here for reference.) We can’t wait. See y’all there!
Monday - 7/7, 7:30pm - 9pm
Sit & Discussion w/ Genjo - One half hour of zazen and then our good friend Genjo from Dave’s Toshoji days, who is back in North Carolina and preparing for his upcoming hossenshiki, Zooms in to treat us to a talk about his latest sojourns through the dharma. Join us!
Wednesday - 7/9, 7:30pm - 9pm
Sit & ZenLit Night - Our favorite facilitators Dave and Sara return to guide us through a discussion of part two of great ancestor Keizan’s Points to Keep in Mind for Zazen, aka the ones that really helped Zen take root across Japan. What do they tell us that’s different from what we already know, and is there anything from them we especially need to remember? Let’s discuss!
Thursday - 7/10, 7:30pm - 8:40pm
Evening Zazen - Join us for two simple 30 minute rounds of serene evening sitting to wind down your day and week. See y’all there!
Friday - 7/11, 8am
Morning Chanting Service - This week we chant the Heart Sutra ❤️ and then Dongshan’s 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