It’s All Uji, Baby
⚡️ACZC Happenings, 1/3 - 1/9⚡️
“I still have a glib hipster in me who’s a little over everything, and thinks everything’s a little passé. So Zen’s attractive because it’s like, ‘Naw man, your construction of time was never real.’ And I’m like, ‘Totally. I get that.’ But that’s not where it stays. It gives you too cool for school, but then goes on to show me that means that everything is beautiful, and everything is worthwhile, so come on in and do it wholeheartedly. And I’m like, ‘Oh. Thanks, Zen. You healed my little hipster heart.’” — Dave Cuomo
Hello Sangha!
Please accept these heartfelt New Year greetings from your humble caretakers, who thoroughly enjoyed their holidays and are entering 2026 with, dare we say it, a little extra pep in our step! We loved taking a break, and it was only as sweet as it was because we knew we had so much goodness to come back to! Awww. Thanks for being the best sangha anyone could ask for.
With that said, we’re off to a great start already. We had a blast at our annual NYE sit on Wednesday (and were amused to sweep glitter from a passing partygoer off the cushions the next morning) and doing our first chanting service of the year this morning.
And then tomorrow is the first Saturday of the month, which means it’s our half day retreat! Join us for a full morning of Zen practice — we’ll start with zazen at 7am followed by chanting service and breakfast, then flowing into our usual 10am Saturday morning routine and concluding with a talk on intuition with Sara. (Feel free to come and go as your schedule permits, as usual.)
If anyone you know personally is sick or otherwise in need of good health well wishes, you can add their names to the form you’ll find here (bottom of the page) and we’d be happy to include them in this month’s well being dedication.
Last but not least, we’ve got our monthly 🌕🌕🌕 Full Moon Service on Sunday at 7pm, 🌕🌕🌕 that most enchanting of ceremonies in which we recognize our ancient, twisted karma and chant the precepts for good measure under the light of January’s Wolf Moon. 🐺
And speaking of life’s great mysteries, this week on the podcast we are very pleased to present 🎙️ “It’s All Uji, Baby (The Time Being)” w/ Dave Cuomo 🎙️
Dave rings in the new year with a spirited rendition of Dogen’s Time Being and a wholehearted dissection of the idea and experience of time. Is time just an unreal concept, or the be all and end all of everything? (Yes) Do we need to learn to lighten up or learn to take ourselves far more seriously? (Yes!) Can we fulfill all our wildest aspirations without falling prey to our own agendas?? (Let’s find out…) Find out here!
Up now at http://aczc.org/aczcpodcast or on all your favorite podcast platforms.
📖 This Week in ZenLit(™): 📖
We always see time as passing, but don’t understand that it hasn’t arrived. Even though our understandings are time, they aren’t bound to it. Always seeing it come and go, no old leather bag like us has recognized time being in its place. So how could we expect a breakthrough? Even if someone recognized it in its place, who could truly express what they saw? Even of those who’ve talked about it for ages, no one yet has failed to not grope for what is right in front of their face.
⚡️This Week in Zen! ⚡️
All times Pacific. All sessions are in-person + on Zoom unless otherwise noted (email us for Zoom info).
Saturday - 1/3, 7am - 12:15pm
Half Day Retreat w/Sara Campbell - Our biggest day of the month! Starting at 7am, we’ll do a full morning of Zen practice and conclude with a talk with Sara. She’ll be talking about intuition, aka prajna paramita, and what the life stories of various figures in Buddhist history can tell us about it. Join us for as much or as little as your schedule permits. (Full schedule here for reference.) We can’t wait. See y’all there!
Sunday - 1/4, 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Full Moon Ceremony - Join us for a short and sweet half hour of zazen, followed by the lyrical and melodious Ryaku Fusatsu, where we recite the precepts in glorious one note harmony and remember why they were such good advice in the first place. All are welcome! (No prior precept commitment required.)
Monday - 1/5, 7:30pm - 9pm
Sit & Discussion w/ Dave Cuomo - One half hour of zazen and then Dave takes the hot seat for what is sure to be a spirited talk about how Buddha started a revolution, getting kings to sit down with untouchables without hurting anyone — and somehow everyone just magically got along. Come on out!
Wednesday - 1/7, 7:30pm - 9pm
Sit & ZenLit(™) Night - This week! We’ll take a look at the first installment of our new translation of Dogen’s famous Uji, aka Time Being. What better “time” than January to get a bunch of Time Beings together to discuss the nature of Time Being?? Join us and let’s kick off another year of the grand living tradition of pondering, overthinking, and commenting on Zen literature!
Friday - 1/9, 8am
Morning Chanting Service - This week! We’ll chant the Heart of Great Perfect Wisdom Sutra and the Golden Mirror Meditation Verse. Radiant at midnight / it hides at dawn. 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
omg…. ive been glitter subtweeted…….