Holy Hypocrisy
⚡️ACZC Happenings, 5/31 - 6/6⚡️
“Go find your bliss, find out what it means to be yourself - we’re all counting on you to do what nobody else can. A fulfilled person is a benefit to everyone. A truly fulfilled person knows that.” - Dave Cuomo
Hello Sangha!
First things first, Dave has asked us to apologize for this week’s cartoon being a little, shall we say, on the nose. (Direct quote: “Sometimes I just have to say what I mean!”) That said, we think it’s cute how even in a notoriously wink-wink tradition like Zen, where the truth is often hiding around the corner waiting for you to find it, occasionally a teacher will come right out and tell you what’s happening. So consider this cartoon a nice little gift for making it to the end of the week! 🎁
Oh, and other things are ending, too—the last day of our 90 day spring ango is tomorrow! Dang, y’all! That sure was fun, and just like the cartoon says, it confirmed that good friends and community are indeed the whole practice. If you haven’t been able to make it out, there’s still one last chance to join in the fun — we’ll do our last chant of the Ryogon Shu until our 2026 spring ango tomorrow at 8 am. 🗣️ Words will fly and spirits will move and it’s gonna be kind of like a party in the zendo! But, you know, an early morning one where we don’t actually have to talk that much and there’s no risk of a hangover. See you there!
🎙️ This week on the podcast we are very excited to present “Holy Hypocrisy (Buddhist Modernism)” w/ Dave Cuomo.🎙️
Dave tackles the big Buddhist question of the hour - are we really learning traditional Buddhism over here or are we making up our own thing and covering it up with a set of appropriated robes? Is it actually a problem if we are (and would it be possible not to)? Are lay people even supposed to be meditating? Is the East/West cultural divide too wide to bridge, or too fascinating not to try?? Find out here!!
Up now at http://aczc.org/aczcpodcast or on all your favorite podcast platforms.
🌸 You Can Still Join Our Spring Retreat via Zoom! 🌸
Our annual Spring Retreat is happening next Fri, June 6 - Mon, June 9, and if you’d like to join us virtually, registration is still open! Details here. As always, reach out with any questions!
📖 A new week = a new installment of ZenLit(™)! 📖
Xuefeng pointed to his heart and said, “I feel uneasy, here in my heart.”
Yantou said, “I know you’ll be a great teacher someday, but still you say things like this.”
Xuefeng said, “I’m really unbalanced.”
Yantou said, “Why don’t you tell me about the insights you’ve had?”
Xuefeng said, “When I went to Yanguan’s he taught us the meaning of form and emptiness and for the first time I completely understood.”
Yantou said, “And thirty years later, you’re still clinging to that.”
Xuefeng said, “Then I heard Dongshan’s ‘River Crossing’ poem that said, ‘Don’t look for it in others or it will only fly further away. It is just me, I am not it.’”
Yantou said, “You clearly didn’t free yourself.”
Xuefeng said, “Then I asked Deshan, ‘Can students like us really share in the great teachings of the past?’ He hit me with his staff and shouted, ‘What are you talking about??’ At that moment it was like the bottom fell out of the barrel.”
Yantou exclaimed, “Have you ever heard the saying, ‘What comes through the front door is not the family jewels’??”
Xuefeng said, “What should I do now?”
Yantou said, “If you really want to spread the dharma, let it flow from your own heart, and together we’ll spread it over the whole world.”
Hearing this, Xuefeng had a great realization. He stood up, bowed to the ground and called out over and over again, “Brother! Here today on Great Turtle Mountain, for the first time I have realized the Way!”
⚡️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 - 5/31, 10am - 12:15pm
Sit & Talk w/ Jordan Mylet - Our biggest day of the week! Two half-hour rounds of zazen, and then Jordan is back to share her recent dive into the writings of Foyan, a 12th-century Chinese Zen master. She’s been wrestling with the question of how to seek “ordinary mind” without glamorizing it into some effortless, flowy ideal, especially when ordinary life can feel…not so satisfying! See you there.
Monday - 6/3, 7:30pm - 9pm
Sit & Discussion w/ Sara Campbell - One half hour of zazen and then our freshly-trained lay teacher trainee takes the hotseat to lead us in a discussion of something many of us secretly struggle with: resting! Not the collapsing on the couch kind, but the kind that breathes the life back into you. Now that ango is over and summer is upon us, let’s see what Zen has to say about decompression and letting go of our need to be productive, and then discuss how it shows up in our practice. See you there!
Wednesday - 6/5, 7:30pm - 9pm
Sit & ZenLit Night - “I used to know but now I don’t…” (we hear you buddy…). An old monk has a crisis of faith while a good friend tries to re-spark his flame. Our favorite facilitator duo Sara & Dave will take us through a classic moment of doubt from just the sort of folks we thought had it all figured out. Let’s discuss!
Thursday - 6/6, 7:30pm - 8:40pm
Evening Zazen - Join us for two simple 30 minute rounds of evening sitting to wind down your day and week. See y’all there!
Friday - 6/7, 8am
Morning Chanting Service - This week as we chant the Heart Sutra followed by the diamond sharp needle of wisdom known as Zazenshin, Dogen’s asynchronous collaboration with his ancestor Hongzhi Zhengjue. 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