“Following your curiosity is a way better policy than following your passion” - Sara Campbell
ZEN CENTER HAPPENINGS - WEEK OF 8/13 - 8/19
Hello sangha!
And we are back from vacay, which was a lovely time thank you for asking. There may have been some long hours facing a red wood tree for morning zazen (don’t tell Bodhidharma, but they work just as well as a wall, (maybe better)), there may have been some shivasana floating down a river that ended in sunburn. All in all, a perfect capstone to the Slow Summer of Space we’ve been aspiring to around here. But it is good to be back in the zendo, and great to see the back of your heads again during morning zazen (sorry redwoods, you just can’t compete) which is all to say, thank you for the break! And thanks for being here to come back to.
But speaking of aspirations of great emptiness, this Sunday at 7pm is our monthly Full Moon Ceremony! aka the Repentence Ceremony, aka, let’s chant the precepts in the oldest (and some say loveliest) ceremony in Buddhism, and remember why those vows are such good ideas all over again.
And tomorrow (Saturday) at 10am, is the second Saturday of the month which means Nina Snow is here for one hour of yoga followed by a half hour of zazen, AND a discussion afterward (wow!). Grab your mat, or grab one of hours and meet us in the zendo or Zoomdo to kick your weekend off on the right foot.
And looking ahead, the No Talent Show is coming up on Sunday 8/28 at 7pm and you are all very much invited! What is a No Talent Show?? Why, it’s a no-pressure open mic where we can all practice not taking ourselves too seriously. Looking for an excuse to dust off an old party trick? Did you get really good at shadow puppetry during lockdown? Is your flea circus’s new routine finally starting to come together? We want to see it! Any and all performances welcome, the sillier the better. Want to participate but don’t have an act? Reach out and we’ll assign you one! Don’t want to participate but want to join in the silliness? Entertain and delight us with your (in person or Zoom) presence!
But speaking of wayward wandering that reminds us what’s so great about right where we are, this week on the podcast we are very pleased to bring you Sara Campbell w/ Instruction Manual for Living (The Wayward Mind). Sara shares with us the enlightening existential crisis of her wayward mind which, according to our forbears, is the essential mind of practice. How did we get here and why do we keep coming back? Why does this path turn out to be for some but not for others?? What’s the difference between going through the motions, and a healthy embodiment of no mind?? Find out here!!
Also, big news! We finally gave the podcast a theme song. Including vocals by your very talented sangha mates. Thank you to all who joined in the sangha choir! Check out this week’s episode to hear…
Also! We’re not gonna name names, but one of your sangha mates just had a baby. Congratulations! The whole thing is pretty adorable. Welcome to Samsara, kid. I mean, hey, welcome back to pure land paradise.
And now without further ado…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, 8/13 at 10am
Yoga, Sit, & Talk w/ Nina Snow - 2nd Saturday of the month means Nina is here with one hour of easy flow yoga to kick off the weekend. Perfect for yogis of all (including no) experience levels. Follow that up with one half hour of sweet, sweet zazen, and then one warm and welcoming discussion with our favorite yoga director herself, and we have ourselves a perfect Saturday morning. Join us!
Sunday 8/14 at 7pm
Full Moon Ceremony (& Zazen!) - One half hour of zazen followed by the oldest (and some say most beautiful) ceremony in Buddhism - the Ryaku Fusatsu, aka Repentance Ceremony, aka let's chant the precepts and remember why they were such good advice all over again. For the sake of all beings, come on out and lend us your voice!
Monday, 8/15 at 7:30pm
Sit & talk w/ Dave Cuomo - Dave is back to share his favorite summer beach read, The Vimalakirti Sutra. This month, we have reached the climax of our story, Vimalakirti’s Thunderous Silence! (If you missed previous installments, don’t worry, the plot is easy to catch up on…) Join us as the bodhisattvas debate non duality, what it is, why do we care, and how do we say what can’t be said?? Let’s find out.
Wednesday, 8/17 at 7:30pm (Zoom Only)
Koan Night - This week! A monk asks Fayan, “How do we transcend sound and sight?” Fayan says, “If you can understand the question, you’re pretty much there.” Sorry Fayan, I couldn’t hear you. Can you say it again for those of us in the upper deck? Let’s discuss!
Thursday, 8/18 at 7pm (Zoom Only)
Yoga & Zazen w/ Nina - And Nina is back for one hour of a perfect Thursday evening’s wind down yoga, followed by the sweetest zazen you will sit all week (most likely followed not long after by the sweetest sleep you will sleep all week!) Join us!
Friday, 8/19 at 8am
Join us for the Heart Sutra Chanting Service. This week we chant the Heart Sutra in easy peasy English followed by the great ode to getting along with all that doesn’t always look like it wants to get along, The Harmony of Difference and Equality. Poetry for the ages!
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.
That’s all for this week. See y’all soon!
Love,
ACZC